If we were to ask, “Do you like ads?” very few people would respond with a “yes.” But if we asked, “Do you like games?” the response would likely be different.
Games psychologically evoke positive emotions as they are designed to be fun. The concept of creating a gamified experience in marketing serves the same purpose: to create a positive emotional association with a brand.
As the world evolves, so do customer expectations of brand experiences. Now, more than ever, marketers are faced with the challenge of creating engaging customer experiences to achieve their marketing goals. Often, we see brands attempting to stretch their marketing budgets across multiple channels with a large focus on advertising, only to find that they’ve fallen short. Innovation is the backbone of any successful endeavour, including marketing. That’s where gamified and geo-targeted web-AR experiences can innovate and transform experiences, making them more engaging and fun, while increasing footfall and sales.
So, what is a gamified AR experience?
The essence of gamified AR lies in its ability to captivate users and provide them with an interactive and entertaining experience. Through the incorporation of game mechanics, users feel a sense of accomplishment as they progress through challenges and achieve rewards. This gamification compels users to stay engaged, leading to deeper and more meaningful interactions with brands.
Imagine walking down the street and seeing a virtual treasure chest appear before your eyes. With gamified AR, this scenario becomes a reality. As users approach the chest, they are prompted to solve a series of puzzles and challenges to unlock its contents. The excitement builds as each puzzle is solved, and the reward becomes closer within reach. This immersive experience not only entertains users but also creates a lasting impression of the brand behind it, targeting specific motivational factors, namely, a sense of accomplishment, competitive spirit, and the desire to control one’s journey.
This approach has proven successful for brands such as KFC, which blended live cricket matches with the enjoyment of their famous Chicken, and Klipdrift, which transformed the Rugby World Cup experience, powered by Inner Reality’s platform. Both these web app experiences were not only gamified but also able to remove one of the biggest hurdles for customers: the need to download a native app onto their device.
How can you use it?
You’re likely aware of brands using AR to gamify their experiences. Burger King and Pepsi, for example, collaborated on a gamified AR experience in South Africa, becoming thought leaders in a market they entered late and that was dominated by competitors. The “X marks the drop” campaign saw sales sizzle all summer long, leaving them thrilled with the results. One of the most powerful aspects was that the platform allowed them to collect rich first-person data about their consumers, giving them the advantage of understanding their target market better for future marketing endeavours.
There are multiple ways for any business to implement gamified AR experiences into their marketing strategies, regardless of the industry. One popular trend in gamified AR marketing is the use of interactive treasure hunts. Brands create virtual scavenger hunts where users have to navigate through different locations in the real world to find hidden virtual objects. By successfully completing the hunt, users can unlock exclusive discounts, special offers, or even win exciting prizes. This not only creates a sense of excitement and adventure for users but also encourages them to explore different places and engage with the brand in a fun and interactive way.
How will you benefit?
Enhancing Customer Engagement: Gamified AR experiences create an immersive and interactive environment that keeps users engaged and entertained. By offering incentives and rewards, brands motivate users to spend more time with their marketing campaigns. This increased engagement leads to a deeper connection between the brand and the consumer, fostering loyalty and driving positive word-of-mouth.
Boosting Brand Awareness and Recall: Gamified AR offers a novel way for brands to stand out in a crowded marketplace. By creating memorable and interactive experiences, brands can leave a lasting impression on consumers. Gamification elements such as leaderboards and social sharing features also encourage users to spread the word about their experiences, amplifying brand awareness and recall.
Furthermore, gamified AR experiences have the potential to reach a wider audience and increase brand exposure. With the rise of smartphones and the accessibility of AR technology, more and more people can participate in these immersive experiences. This means that brands can engage with a larger pool of potential customers, increasing their reach and visibility in the market.
Provide Extremely Valuable Data and Insights: By tracking user behaviour and interactions within the AR experience, brands can gather valuable information about their target audience. This data can then be used to refine marketing strategies, personalize future campaigns, and improve overall customer satisfaction. With the ability to collect real-time data, brands can make data-driven decisions and optimize their marketing efforts for better results.
In conclusion, gamified web-AR experiences are revolutionizing marketing strategies by providing engaging and immersive experiences that drive better results. By understanding the concept of gamified AR, recognizing its role in marketing, and staying abreast of current trends, brands can leverage this powerful tool to enhance customer engagement, boost brand awareness and recall, and ultimately achieve their marketing objectives. As the future promises even more exciting advancements in gamified AR, brands that embrace this technology will gain a competitive edge in the ever-evolving landscape of marketing. So, what are you waiting for?