Bring Your Brand to Life
Increase engagement with your target audience using augmented reality
Why you should take advantage of augmented reality technology to drive traffic to your booth at The 2018 NAMM Show
Are you looking for a way to set yourself apart from the competition or engage customers in a different way? If so, consider incorporating augmented reality (AR) into your marketing plans.
What is Augmented Reality?
Chances are, that you’ve heard of the interactive game, Pokémon Go that was popular during the end of 2016. It’s a game that caused millions of people to get out of their houses and walk around parks, stores and neighborhoods, looking for creatures that didn’t exist but appeared when viewing life through the lens of your digital device. It was so engaging that users became very unaware of their actual surroundings, not paying attention to where they were walking while chasing Pokémon characters.
In short, this is the power of augmented reality.
AR isn’t just for games and entertainment. AR products have been popping up across many industries offering solutions in healthcare, entertainment, education, real estate, automotive and tradeshows. It won’t be long before this technology will become a more integrated part of your everyday life, both from a functional and marketing perspective.
What if you could harness this power to demo products, educate customers or generate traffic to your store or tradeshow booth? The applications are limitless.
Augmented Reality 101
Augmented Reality basically overlays a digital world on the physical world you are viewing through your device, such as a smartphone, tablet or special glasses. Watch this short video for examples of how AR works.
Right now, the most popular way to experience AR is by downloading augmented reality apps like “Aurasma.” Similar to QR codes, when the Aurasma app is open, you can hover over an AR-enhanced image or location and it will play a video or animated graphic. With the potential to lead you to a website, a store or a booth, this technology bridges the gap between static and interactive engagement.
What’s my reality?
If you’re trying to set yourself apart from other brands, integrating augmented reality into your marketing strategy is a good idea. It’s an ideal way of delivering persuasive messages to a technologically-minded audience. It is estimated that 1 billion users will be on this platform by 2020 according to soldamatic.com; so this is where your target audience will be. Beat them to it.
The opportunities you have to market to your audience are limitless in an augmented world, where customers can benefit from:
- Personalization: Uploading their own content to create a personalized form of media that is marketed to them personally.
- Socialization: Sharing their personalized content with others on social media.
- Accessibility: Creating their own multimedia product or interacting with a demo.
How can you use this technology to drive traffic to your booth?
If you want to incorporate this new technology in your booth at The 2018 NAMM Show, first decide what your visual target and interactive message will be. It’s best to just have one or two augmented pieces to start, so you are not overwhelming your audience with too many choices.
For example, a NAMM Show sponsor might use their sign in the lobby as the image where their interactive message is displayed. When attendees hold their device up to the sign, you could highlight your newest product or give them a code word that they exchange for a free gift at your booth. That one-minute teaser could be all you need to drive them to your booth and ask more questions.
Since AR has not been globally adopted quite yet, you have an amazing window of opportunity to set yourself apart from the competition. Buyers will remember YOU as the exhibitor who had “that really cool technology” first and likely associate innovation and forward-thinking with your brand. Learn as much as you can so you can use this new tool now!
Is NAMM using Augmented Reality?
Many tradeshows across the globe are incorporating AR in their business models including CES, InfoComm and NAB. The NAMM Show is no exception.
NAMM will be implementing AR technology across marketing pieces in 2018 for exhibitors and buyers to engage and interact. Exhibitors will also be able to utilize this technology at the show and NAMM will continue to incorporate AR to create more interactive experiences going forward. The future is now and the benefits are limitless—don’t get left behind!
If you’d like the idea of incorporating AR into a NAMM sponsorship, reserve your sponsorship today.
Yes, I want to drive more traffic to my booth!