Augmented Reality in Print: The Perfect Print Add-On
Online marketing dominates right now, and it’s easy to overlook what traditional print can do. Printers and direct mailers who adopt Augmented Reality (AR) can improve their offering and give clients an exciting, immersive, interactive experience that leaves a lasting impression. More importantly for printers, it’s a powerful, cost-effective add-on that’s easy to sell.
In this post we’ll look at how Augmented Reality can improve print and direct mail marketing, and why Interactive Print powered by AR is such a worthwhile addition to traditional campaigns. Think of the line “Would you like fries with that?”, which dates back to the 1950s. That simple question now gets a 90% positive response from consumers and accounts for roughly 20% of the company’s global revenue. It’s a good reminder not to underestimate a well-executed add-on. Interactive Print is also a cost-effective option, and in some situations it can reduce what you spend on print and direct mailing. Those potential savings are worth keeping in mind.
So let’s see why Augmented Reality is the perfect print add-on, and how it could change the way we approach print and direct mail advertising.
Boosting Engagement and Interactivity:
Interactive print opens up new ways for customers to engage with physical materials. Printers and direct mailers can build AR elements such as videos, 3D models and interactive buttons into print, which grabs attention and keeps audiences engaged for longer. Studies show that Interactive Print ads have a 70% higher recall rate than static ads, which shows how much interactivity matters.
Imagine getting a direct mailer for a new car model. Scan it with your smartphone and you’re inside an immersive experience where you can sit in the driver’s seat, look over the interior features and even take the car for a virtual test drive. That level of interactivity raises engagement and builds excitement and interest.
Personalization and Targeted Marketing:
If you want to hold your audience’s attention and give them a personalized experience, AR-powered Interactive Print takes marketing a long way. With customer data and AR, printers and direct mailers can run highly targeted campaigns that feel personal to each recipient, and the perfect print add-on makes it possible. Customization like this can do a lot for response and conversion rates.
Take a furniture retailer using Interactive Print to create personalized catalogs. One scan and customers can place furniture in their own space, see how it suits their style and get tailored recommendations. It’s an immersive, engaging way to shop that improves customer satisfaction and boosts conversions, all from the comfort of home.
Measurable Results and Analytics:
One major advantage of bringing Augmented Reality into print marketing is that you can track engagement in real time and collect useful data. With AR-powered print campaigns, printers and direct mailers can gather metrics on user interactions, such as scan numbers, time spent with the content and click-through rates. The feedback helps you improve future campaigns and shows clients what Augmented Reality is worth as a print add-on.
For example, a meal kit company can add interactive elements to its print materials. Customers scan a WebAR QR code to watch videos of dishes being prepared, read customer reviews, pick up cooking tips and even order straight from their smartphones. The company can then look at how people interact to see which menu items are popular, measure conversion rates and refine its personalized offers. It improves the customer experience, and it lets the company make data-driven improvements to its service.
The proof is in the stats:
- In 2016, research by USPS covering 13.5 billion AR-enabled direct mail pieces found that campaigns with AR got a 35% higher response rate than traditional direct mail campaigns. That shows how much potential there is in bringing AR into print marketing.
- A study by Print in the Mix found that 85% of consumers said Interactive Print ads made the advertised products and services more memorable, which points again to how effective AR is as a print add-on.
- When interactive elements were added, print campaigns saw a 30% increase in engagement among prospective customers and a 12% rise in conversion or enrollment rates. (Source: University of Manchester)
- Interactive print ads have a 70% higher recall rate than static ads, which shows how well interactivity leaves a lasting impression. (Source: ARtillery Intelligence)
Conclusion:
By adding interactivity, personalization and measurable results to traditional campaigns, augmented reality as a print add-on could change the print and direct mail industry. Printers and direct mailers can offer Interactive Print to their clients as a valuable add-on. With Augmented Reality built into print materials, businesses can improve customer engagement, deliver targeted marketing experiences and collect data to improve future campaigns.
For printers and direct mailers, adopting Interactive Print is a sure way to stay relevant in a digital age and offer clients an effective, modern marketing solution. So the next time you ask yourself, “Would you like fries with that?”, think about adding Interactive Print powered by AR to your menu of marketing options. It could give your print campaigns a lasting impact on your target audience.
Contact Us if you’d like to learn more about Augmented Reality as a Print Add-On.