Getting the attention of millennial shoppers can prove very challenging. First, finding the right medium to engage them is difficult, and then one needs to get them to pay attention to the message. Making millennials look up from their phones is a challenge in itself, so that platform is naturally the best way to reach them. However, trying to engage them through their phones is harder than one would think. In this day and age, the internet is full of advertising that the millennial consumers find just plain annoying, so how can you make your offerings stand out from the rest? Enter Augmented Reality (AR).
AR has been featured in many news outlets as the next “must have” feature for in the retail industry. AR allows the consumers to visualize the product in 3D virtually within the actual environment right in front of them. This makes it not only trendy, but incredibly useful to both consumers and retailers. The consumers, especially millennials, enjoy the benefits of being able to see how the products of their interest will fit on them or in their house, while the retailers get higher product exposure and buying decisions being made outside the store, as well as the benefit of reduced returns.
AR has the capability to not only display the stock product right in front of the consumer, but also to quickly display the product variations that are available to the consumer when customizing the product. Millennial consumers are very interested in being able to customize the products they are looking to purchase, as having something unique that reflects their personal style is very sought after.
One advantage of AR shopping with a customization feature is that the consumer can easily share a picture or video recording of the customized product that they selected/created and their experience of interacting with the AR representation of the product. Sharing is very important to the millennials. This can include a snapshot of them trying on a piece of jewelry they customized or a video of them walking around a virtual couch that they customized and “placed” in their living room. This social sharing of the product will have an exponential effect on product exposure, increasing sales.
With Amazon’s recent announcement of the addition of Augmented Reality to its platform, one can be sure that AR has not just arrived into the retail industry, but it is here to stay.
This amazing technology is key to connecting with the younger generation. If you would like to learn more, please contact our team for a free consultation.