AR/VR changing reality — Ashley’s furniture store strategy.
Eighty-three percent.
Eighty-three percent is the breakdown of how we process information through sight.
Businesses have mastered using In-store display tactics to their advantage. Ever walked out store with an item you just saw on display and didn’t plan on buying? Ever go home and realize it wasn’t half as good as you thought it was before? EXACTLY.
Now imagine doing this with heavy investment such as on home furniture that you plan on keeping around for a couple of years. YIKES!
Well, here is the future telling to entice customers to solve this problem. The idea of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality has been a buzz the last few years now. Famous and leading brand Ashley’s home furniture decided to leverage on opportunity on this feature in the year 2018.
The company announced to pursue a company-wide virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) strategy to enable consumers to create interior layouts and experience living spaces in 3D.
AR/VR strategy today
Like any good Marketing Strategy for a campaign, Ashley furniture started with research. Ashley’s President and CEO stated that, “Our data shows that a combination of 3D visualization, seeing, touching and feeling actual products, combined with the consultation of our knowledgeable salespeople, will lead to a stand-apart customer experience that is location-flexible.”
And he wasn’t wrong. The use of mobile has only accelerated the growth of AR consumers with it. We are so easily hooked to the updates of new technology, and we don’t even realize it. Here is proof:
Large investments require rational thinking. Important questions must be pondered on — ‘Will this suit the interior of my apartment? Does this combination of furniture complement each other? Will this layout be right for the space available?’
AR/VR tools with 3D visualization only make this a LOT easier. What did it Ashley Furniture do? Was it a success?
Ashley’s Furniture partnered with Marxent, the leader in augmented reality and virtual reality for products and spaces, using the company’s Visual Commerce platform to create and scale their product catalog and publish new 3D product experiences.
The first product of this relationship is the Ashley augmented reality shopping app, which will help shoppers see how home furnishings fit into an existing space. Furthermore, in-store virtual reality ‘tech bars’ will combine a guided iPad-based space configuration experience with VR headset visualization, allowing shoppers to design and visualize their bedrooms, dining rooms or living rooms.
Second, Ashley decided to use it further than most competitive companies have done. Ashley decided to work with Verizon Media on an AR ad. They exceeded CTR (Click through rate) by two times, according to Mobile Marketer. The AR ad tool lets shoppers place 3D digital versions of Ashley products in their homes while using Yahoo Mail.
Cool, right? An AR ad for AR in-store and app promotion. A marketing campaign cannot be the best without data to support it.
Ashley Furniture’s positive results show how the 3D AR ad format can help to engage mobile viewers with an interactive experience while also helping them make more informed purchase decisions. Verizon Media found that AR ads delivered an average of 2.4 minutes of user engagement by targeting home décor enthusiasts on Verizon’s Yahoo Mail.
AR lets shoppers place realistic 3D images of furniture in their homes to view from different angles while using a smartphone or tablet. Artemest, Ikea, Houzz, Wayfair, and Macy’s are among the retailers that use AR technologies in their mobile apps. The success of Ashley Furniture’s ad shows how AR experiences have moved outside of branded apps into mobile web and email.
Conclusion
AR advertising is projected to grow from $167 million in 2017 to $2.6 billion in 2022. More than 80 million American users are growing AR each year. Clearly, the trend is only to grow beyond what it is today. Businesses that progress along these lines have an added advantage.
So my question to you my fellow readers, Have you noticed AR/VR more commonly in stores today? If not, would you wish it had? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time..
Best,
Supraja
