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The Augmented Reality Playbook
Aarti Bhaskaran – Ad Research and Insights, Global Lead, Snap Inc.
Brian Hughes – EVP, Managing Director, Audience Intelligence & Strategy, Magna Global
The capabilities of AR ads, their impact on branding metrics, as well as the role of AR ads in the consumer purchase journey, were presented by Aarti Bhaskaran of Snap and Brian Hughes of Magna Global. AR should be an integral part of the marketing mix. The benefits of AR ads include increasing brand metrics, such as unaided brand awareness, aided ad recall and purchase intent. Additionally, AR’s personalized experiences help build deeper brand connections with consumers while providing utility and excitement. These conclusions were reached as a result of AR ad testing. The test methodology included a representative mobile panel, randomization and exposure to one of three Snapchat AR ads or to a 15-second pre-roll control ad. The post-exposure survey measured the impact of AR ads on branding metrics. Testing was done in U.S., Canada, France, Australia and Saudi Arabia with five brands across six industries.Key Takeaways
- Marketers should view AR ads as brand amplifiers rather than add-ons and use these ads strategically.
- AR ads perform as well as pre-rolls to achieve brand objectives. Additionally, consumers considered AR ads more enjoyable, as well as providing more utility and information than pre-rolls.
- AR ads play different roles in each stage of the purchase journey and marketers should match the appropriate AR lens with the brand goal and audience target at each stage.
- Sequencing the exposures of AR ads can help amplify their impact. Starting the sequence with a video ad followed by the AR ad resulted in an amplified impact on brand metrics. Alternatively, placing the AR ad in between two video ads showcased the brand as cheerful and boosted search intent.
