In one of my previous posts, I outlined what an augmented reality application is and how it can be used in different contexts of digital marketing. I love this concept; I think its something that’s so new and innovative – a whole new way for marketers to engage consumers and get creative.

If it’s still unclear as to what augmented reality is or if it’s still hard to imagine how you’re able to use AR, then this might be the best example… If you’re familiar with Snapchat and Snapchat lenses which have recently been added, you’ll know that there’s been at least one person or yourself who has recently updated their story to having miraculously grown dog ears or rainbows pouring endlessly out of their mouths. In my opinion, this has probably been the most successful and most popular use of AR. I’m sure now you can definitely picture how augmented reality is used now. Still unsure? Check this blog post out that talks about Snapchat’s AR use.

So, this time this post is about augmented reality applications and how they’re being used in a more specific context. The beauty and skin care industry makes huge multi-billion-dollar turnovers each year, however, the rise of the digital age means more consumers are buying online, meaning beauty brands have had to get digitally savvy as well. AR has been used in the beauty industry in a few different ways, and they have definitely worked well in their favour.

But as you can imagine, generating sales online for beauty brands can prove quite difficult, due to the tangibility barrier. Consumers need to be able to try the different products, they need to know if the shade of lipstick suits them or whether they like the smell. These factors play a huge part in whether visit on a page are converted into sales. I know I’ve had an experience where I’ve wanted to buy a new MAC foundation but I was really uncertain on whether it would match my skin tone, so I decided not to buy it at all and wait till I get the chance to go to the store – which obviously wasn’t straight away and was a while until I had the time to go.

AR technology is breaking the tangibility factor by using technology such as facemapping (really similar to Snapchat lenses) to discover products in a new beneficial way (Coppola, 2015 a).

The video shows a clip on how Makeup Genius by L’Oreal allows consumers to try on different looks to see which suits them before they buy! Consumers are able to trial the look, even worn by celebrities, adding to a more personal experience.

Maybelline used AR to make a virtual nail bar where you can try on different shades of nail varnish, the video above gives you a demo. Consumers are able to discover products online and offline and this predictive technology will work wonders for the industry, engaging consumers in a much better online or digital experience (Coppola, 2015 b).

This interesting article talks about how technology is transforming the cosmetic industry and how YSL is incorporating Google Glass in their digital technology.

Taking the RACE model, the most important factor here is to drive conversion rates and make sure that this application is creating sales. This can be measured by KPI’s to see the leads/sales, conversion rates and revenue/margin to make sure the company can track their consumers online behaviour (Chaffey & Ellis-Chadwick, 2012)

References:

Chaffey, D., & Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2012). Digital marketing. Harlow: Pearson.

Coppola, A. (2015a) How technology can add sparkle to the cosmetics industry. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/marketing-agencies-association-partner-zone/2015/sep/11/technology-sparkle-cosmetics-industry-maybelline (Accessed: 18 April 2016).

Coppola, A. (2015b) Facemapping the future: Three ways technology is transforming the beauty sector. Available at: http://www.marketingmagazine.co.uk/article/1356594/facemapping-future-three-ways-technology-transforming-beauty-sector (Accessed: 18 April 2016).