Innovative Event Marketing Using AR: How to Keep Up with the Modern Consumer

How your grandmother bought her soda pop fifty years ago is probably way different than how you buy it today.

Back then, she would have seen an ad on TV (in colour, if she was lucky!) with models running around in the park, happily roller skating while balancing a soda can in their hands. Then, the next time she went to the store, she might have seen the same can the happy girls in flowing skirts and bouncy curls were sipping on and bought one for herself.

These days, you probably aren’t watching ads on TV. You may not even have cable at all. You’re probably streaming shows and movies from Netflix or watching the World Series on your smartphone on the TSN website.

And if you do see an ad, you have a giant advantage your granny never had – the “Skip Ad” button. Because who has time for that?

But Coca Cola doesn’t buy that.

They know you have time to watch the ad.

They’ll make you watch, and your wandering mind and short attention span can’t do anything about it.

Their weapon?

Augmented Reality (AR).

Check out what they did on this experiential ad to engage passersby to participate in their FIFA World Cup campaign.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7sttCH7ziQ

Cool, right?

Coca-Cola knew that the next time anyone who saw or participated in the campaign got a soda craving while passing by a store or a vending machine, they’d remember the experience.

But Coke is not the only company using AR to launch creative campaigns.

Other brands are doing the same thing in their own niches, mesmerizing their audiences by creatively incorporating virtual images into reality.

The Marriage of Storytelling and Technology

Brands love to tell their stories.

And what better way to do that than to create excitement in a world infatuated with the digital revolution.

Now, what used to be boring trade shows and conferences have the potential to be THE event of the year with the creative help of AR.

Imagine a similar tactic to the one used by Coca-Cola, used as a tradeshow display or guerrilla marketing campaign. Or even as an experiential marketing campaign like this one. [LINK to Climate trailer series]

Even conferences and meetings held by businesses now utilize AR in the form of ice breakers to engage participation from attendees and enliven the conversation. Through this innovation, businesses project a positive image that shows they’re cutting-edge, progressive and ready for the future.

Individuals and brands launching their products can also host virtual parties where they promote their products and interact with guests and potential customers.

Authors, artists and gamers host virtual tours to involve their followers and create a simulated event which enables fans to experience the event as if they’re in the event physically. They can flip the pages of books or examine any product , for example, through the use of their smart phones and devices. At the same time, the hosts can speak to their fans and elicit more interest by embedding virtual images on their videos as they demonstrate the message they’re trying to convey.

Here’s an example of what an AR demo looks like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMYhlWETBNo

Are you ready for AR?

The world of marketing has evolved.

With the advancement of technology, consumers have become more sophisticated and digital-savvy with higher expectations from marketers competing for their attention.

Now, more than ever, businesses are faced with an enormous challenge to keep up with the demands of the modern consumer.

If you’re a marketer who aims to connect with your audience and you’re still not looking at AR as a tool to help your business gain new ground, now is the time to consider.