In the case of classic packaging options, communication between the manufacturer and the consumer is limited to the boundaries of the physical package.
ARe opens up new opportunities beyond the physical realms, this way promoting direct contact with the consumer.
A few years ago, when the technology of augmented reality hit the mass market, it also raised the attention of manufacturers, quite understandably. With its ability to provide an additional and invisible layer to the packaging, the different players of the industry quickly understood the giant potential AR could offer to their sector.
The enterprises operating in the various segments (FMCG, textile industry, etc.) saw that the packaging complemented with AR could be an ideal channel for contacting their consumers in an innovative manner and that it could provide opportunity for telling their stories and conveying their messages in a broader time frame.
However, as a result of the ever-growing number of AR campaigns, users think of product packaging combined with AR technology as a separate and single-use solution. Download it, do this and that and you get some kind of an experience. However, once the application has achieved the short-term goals, it cannot be used for any other purposes, it does not display any other content: it’s single use, the same as the packaging itself. It only takes up space on the user’s device if it’s not used.
The advantages of ARe packaging
Based on our many years of experience and over four dozen unique AR projects, we create a highly effective user experience founded on psychological grounds. We know what content users consume in the augmented space as well as for how long and for what reasons they consume it. We developed the user interface and the AR function based on this knowledge. Owing to the circumspect developments, we were able to achieve the following figures in terms of the commonly accepted and used standard metrics in the past 5 years, as an average of the projects led by us: the click-through-rate is 71% and the average content consumption period is 7.8 minutes, which means that this is the time during which users actually receive the marketing message with the help of our AR developments.
A great example for the above is Roastopus and their journey with AR: Roastopus coffee roastery decided to strengthen the connection between the brand and the consumers with AR and us! Users can now explore the hidden content behind Roastopus packages. How? They simply download the ARe app, scan the coffee packaging, activate the extra content and learn more about specialty coffees in a playful way. This way, with the help of ARe, they managed to reach more users with their message through AR packaging by putting to use the power of storytelling, fascinating user experience and high click-through-rate.
Variable content: single-use is past news
The message conveyed via an AR extension manner represents value for the consumer: may it be interactive information about the product, exclusive discounts or product information, with the help of ARe, the user experiences and uses the packaging as an interactive interface.
For manufacturers, ARe provides access to a “digital portal” that can be easily updated, modified and expanded once created, in line with the needs of customers. The digital modifications and the new content are accessible instantly, there’s no need for physical modifications and/or redesigning the packaging.
With the help of the uniform ARe user experience and interface, we ensure high click-through and conversion rates. This means that the user receives a coherent and well-thought-out interface and easily comprehensible functions in every case. This way, the use of the app and the user experience coming with it become outstanding. We only need the content our client wishes to display (text, images, URLs, etc..), the rest is performed automatically, and the client gets a detailed report about user activity. We provide all this tailored to the target group, with flexibly variable content.
The types of content we think work best:
- Information about the product
- Promotion and sales incentives
- Online store
- Story-telling
ARe, the data magician
Generally speaking, we can state that once the purchasing process has ended, the service providers and manufacturers don’t get substantive information about their consumers. The analytics reports of online stores do not cover the post-purchase period. However, with our help, it’s possible to make the packaging itself function as an online store, purchases can be completed with the help of the packaging, the cover of the product can display promotions and other marketing campaigns. With the help of our solution, post-purchase user behavior patterns can be identified, and our machine learning algorithm builds a prediction based on the data generated, laying out what the identified layer of customers need, when do they need it and why, thus allowing our partners to tailor their offer to the real needs of their target group.
Recent research shows that 69% of consumers would choose a product with interactive packaging and 66% of the people asked think that a brand that has interactive elements in its packaging keeps up with the technology of our era.
What’s the next step?
Integrating augmented reality into marketing communication is just about to start, and the possibilities of conveying messages through AR in packaging are practically limitless. Contact us and let’s discuss together which option suits your company the most!
