Page 18 - AeM_Sept_2017

RESEARCH, ANALYSIS & TRENDS

The sky’s the limit for Mixed,

Augmented and Virtual Reality in the

working world and in everyday life

While most of the traders are still busy with multichan- rates for brick-and-mortar retailers. Since brick-and-
nel, others are steps ahead, testing and experimenting mortar retailers face increasing pressure from online
with Mixed, Augmented and Virtual Reality. competitors, the study suggests using AR to provide
consumers with experiential benefits ranging from
Mixed Reality (MR) ) isn’t clearly defined till now but greater shopping efficiency to entertainment that can
mostly used as a generic term for the merging of reali- increase the likelihood of store visits and in-store pur-
ty and virtuality - with countless gradual differences of chases or the likelihood of getting good referrals.
which the augmented reality covers a spectrum.
But what’s best is that AR shopping apps enable in-
For example, Volvo cooperated with Microsoft to cre- creased consumer certainty that what they are buying is
ate applications for the mixed reality glasses Hololens what they really want, since consumers can see product
that combines a virtual with the real environment, demonstrations and receive more complete information
whereby the holograms are projected into real environ- before making a purchase: Some retailers have been
ments, resulting in a mixed reality. That way, cars can testing the use of AR in the form of “virtual dressing
be viewed and configured from a whole new perspec- rooms” which lets customers “try on” outfits that appear
tive. when they are looking at themselves on a screen, and
some beauty retailers have plans to offer customers
Augmented Reality (AR) includes virtual additions to new ways to try out make-up with the help of a mobile
the reality depicted in real-time. These visual enhance- “3D augmented reality make-up and anti-ageing mirror”.
ments of visual reality can be data, objects, texts, sym-
bols or moving images, often in combination with Furthermore, AR apps can help brick-and-mortar retail-
acoustic recordings, and communicated e.g. via ers in managing their inventory on the shelves, besides
smartphone or smart glasses, like ‘Google Glass’, al- arranging for more interaction with the products on dis-
ready presented in 2012. play. AR shopping apps can be used to bring these
products to life in a virtual environment, thereby reduc-
A new study from the Warwick Business School, titled ing the cost and management of physical inventory.
Enabling smart retail settings via mobile augmented Virtual Reality (VR) is the counter-pole to reality within
reality shopping apps, found that AR apps can help to the mixed reality. Unlike AR, VR excludes reality except
reduce return rates at traditional retailers and provide for the very existence of the user. The user plunges into
consumers with richer experiences and greater value the virtual world with the help of technical support tools,
that can lead to increased store footfall and conversion
18 September 2017 - Immersive & Engagement Marketing (AR / VR)