Fashion and Beauty is one of the most innovative and fast-moving industries in terms of engaging consumers and developing innovative strategies. Where do we see fashion moving forward from here? What kind of campaign tech will be set to dominate this industry? We've covered a lot on the booming NFT and digital wearable trends, which is set to take the industry by storm. However, one tech that has been slightly under the radar is Augmented Reality. Despite this, AR still has the highest acceptance rate with the lowering barrier to entry with more of our smartphones being increasingly AR-capable. It also complements the development of digital wearables.

According to Digi-Capital, 3.5 billion people would be familiar with using augmented reality by 2022, which brings just about 44% of the world’s population. Apple CEO Tim Cook stated that Augmented Reality is set to modernize shopping experiences and fashion runways, justifying further that it would be unlikely that any industry would be untouched by AR.

With tech continuing to improve, the fashion industry will surely be looking to capitalise on the latest in AR development especially as time spent on mobile devices per day continues to increase. AR gives customers the ability to visualize fashion and beauty products in real-time, leveraging on AR to create meaningful retail experiences that engage and interact with consumers. According to an article by Forbes, director of VR and AR at Google, Greg Jones, states that 61% of Google users would opt to shop at stores that offer AR - simply because it would aid in reconnecting physical and digital retail. The importance of this feature in any experience was very apparent during peak COVID as the world stayed indoors and experiences went fully digital. Fashion and Beauty had not choice but to adopt. And now that adoption is here, moving forward with AR seems to be in most marketing plans for brands in 2022.

CASE STUDIES

Sephora incorporates a “Virtual Artist” feature in its mobile application, generating around 45 million hits in the first eight weeks. This feature helps customers make better decisions when deciding on shades and makeup preferences.

Zara has implemented AR technology to let customers browse through the new collection at the storefront, with a live runway to display its items. Innovative experiences like these give a layer of emotion to customers through a digital platform with the aim of increasing “brand value” through realistic and immersive storytelling.

Nike capitalized on AR through their experimental ‘SNKRS Stash’ in Los Angeles. Here, users are assigned a mission to find specific locations using the hints dropped within the app. To gain access to limited edition and exclusive shoes, customers will have to arrive at the secret locations and participate in the social media engagement campaign.

The possibilities are endless with AR. From providing an exciting new way to experience products to strengthening brand value, one thing is for sure - Augmented Reality is here to stay.

Source: https://inhaabit.com/augmented-reality-the-latest-trend-in-the-fashion-industry/