AR, VR and AI: The New Tools of Marketing

Today it is possible to approach our consumers through technology as a new way to offer them experiences and not only products or services. Moreover, it is about taking advantage of all the senses and perceptions to capture their attention and make their journey as consumers easier. In order to get there, marketing can make use of three powerful tools, such as AR (augmented reality), VR (virtual reality), and AI (artificial intelligence). 

A few years ago these were only part of Sci-Fi and our wildest dreams, used only by huge labs and corporations, but this fictional world has reached us and any company that wants to take their marketing to another level can use these technologies. This is how you can do it.

Thanks to these new digital tools, the worlds of marketing and PR have established a successful way to engage with customers and take advantage of a new type of sensitivity. For example::

Catalogues in AR. They give the client the possibility of observing the products in detail and, in addition, placing them in specific areas. This becomes an experience that builds customer confidence in order to make a safe purchase. An excellent example is the Ikea campaign, another pioneer in this type of technological applications in marketing.

New ways to live an experience. Some museums have benefited from AR and VR by providing the user with another way to get closer to their collections. By focusing on worksites or spaces with their smartphones, they can access additional information. An excellent example is what the Salvador Dalí Museum in Florida has done by implementing VR to introduce viewers to the artist's work.

Architectural projects. The construction industry has bet most on these technologies. They are looking forward to allow people experience different kinds of spaces even before they are built. 

Communication advances fast: everything is immediate and the purchasing processes have been simplified to just a few clicks. However, in the context of 2020, communication is taking a huge leap towards digital experiences thanks to the health emergency. Everyone is on its way to adaptation. E-commerce has grown quickly and digital marketing has to do the same. As a result, shopping experiences have changed, but it does not mean that the customer has to suffer with these changes, it is the job of marketing experts to make it easier for final users and consumers. They need to bring users closer to new ways of acquiring products and services that are innovative and safe. 

On the other hand, a brand that offers its consumers the possibility of virtually “bringing” their products to their own spaces and homes before actually making a purchase creates trust, seriousness and establishes itself as a brand that looks over to fulfill the needs of its clients.

Before 2020, AR and VR were already part of the near future in marketing; now it is sure the way to go. 

If you’re wondering where does AI and marketing come together, you may be surprised to learn that you’ve probably already used it. We are talking about chatbots, the virtual assistance that some sites have to offer a better service to their clients. Today, one of the challenges for AI is to design better chatbot systems that can offer a totally customized experience by making use of all the collected information of a single user, with the use of online cookies, for example. 

It is also already used as a more valuable way to take user traffic to websites thanks to information tracking, as well as improving intelligent segmentation of consumers’ interests in order to improve marketing campaigns and who sees them.  

Of course, these technologies don’t replace the work and capacity of a real person, and therefore it shouldn’t be seen as a threat to our relationships or work, but as tools that improve our way of living and consuming. Betting on technology has always been a way of excelling, and today it is not an option, but a necessity.