Curious about augmented reality?

While researching for the first strategy paper, I came across my target company’s use of augmented reality (AR) in their digital marketing strategy.  I had missed the boat on this technology and felt compelled to learn more about it.  This recent Ad Age article explained AR in a logical sequence of Q&As for today’s digital marketer.  As Professor Roberts has been emphasizing with our Internet marketing plans, this article points out that a brand shouldn’t embrace AR without a clear digital strategy and objectives.  It explains the different types of AR – web-based, kiosk, and mobile – and states that the first two are in a mature phase right now for brand use, whereas mobile AR currently has limitations that aren’t in sync with brand and consumer expectations.  Issues such as a fragmented development environment with different smartphone types, processing power demand, and battery life all support Forrester’s recent report that mobile AR isn’t fully up to speed yet.

Nevertheless, I did find it fascinating to see the varied uses of AR brands have already achieved to generate buzz.  For web-based AR, check out this Tissot watch example.  For kiosk and mobile examples, see the AR video posts for National Geographic and REI (below), plus others, in the Digital Buzz Blog.