Matt McGowan, Snapchat: Bringing AR into your traditional marketing mix

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When you think about AR, what is your gut reaction? Do you groan at the sound of another marketing buzzword, or do you begin thinking about the endless possibilities of this technology?

If it is the former, it is time to change your thinking. While it is still an emerging concept, AR should now be a part of your traditional marketing mix. Ninety-four percent of shoppers expected to use augmented reality the same or more when shopping in 2022 compared with 2021. Eighty percent of shoppers feel more confident purchasing after using AR.

Best practices for AR shopping experiences

AR should be viewed as an always-on tool, not an add-on. Over 250 million users use AR every day, and Snapchat ‘Lenses’ achieve over six billion plays per day. This scale is daunting, but Matt McGowan, Country Director at Snap Inc. in Canada, explains some best practices.

“Part of looking at misconceptions is looking at best practices. One of the biggest is that AR is not scalable, is hard to create, and is expensive. This is not true. It is extremely scalable.”

“Start small, build an area of excellence or agency-of-record, test test test, and then leverage your learnings to go bigger and do more customized things that might win awards.”

As with any other media format, it can be tested, optimized, and scaled.

Where AR falls in the customer journey

AR has the power to influence your customer’s journey at each stage. McGowan reflects on the impact of AR at these touchpoints.

“For consumers early in their purchase journey, AR helps capture consumer intention, much more so than standard banners or videos.”

“For those in the consideration stage, it can help establish positive opinions about the brand as being more up-to-date or differentiated.”

Moreover, he argues that it is impactful for those ready to purchase. From cars to fast food, it can drive intent, bring the brand back to top-of-mind, improve favourability, and drive sales.

This will also impact the metrics and KPIs marketers should use to track performance. Shares, swipe-ups, impressions, opens, views, add-to-cart, sign-ups, and playtime. These are all KPIs that marketers should measure for any channel. As a core part of the marketing mix, this should be no different for AR.

How marketing leaders can champion AR

As this emerging channel finds its footing and becomes more mainstream, numerous case studies exist that demonstrate the power of augmented reality. Using a show-and-tell methodology is powerful, but marketing leaders should move beyond garnering interest to clear education about what it is good for, how to use it, and how to measure it.

It is not only fun but practical and will define customer shopping experiences in the years to come. Marketing leaders should develop their understanding of AR to serve their team and equip them with the tools they need to give customers a differentiated shopping experience.

Timestamps

00:13 – Introduction

01:01 – What makes a great marketing leader?

02:24 – How does AR fit into the traditional marketing mix?

03:49 – What best practices exist for brands who create AR shopping experiences?

06:16 – Where does AR fall into the customer journey?

07:50 – What metrics or KPIs do you recommend for brands measuring their AR strategy?

09:59 – How can marketing leaders champion AR within their organization?

11:31 – What is the most exciting use case that springs to mind?

13:00 – How will AR define the future of digital marketing?

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Matt McGowan is the Director and General Manager of Snap Inc. in Canada. He sits on several boards in the tech, media, advertising, and non-profit industries, including but not limited to Strawberry Frog, Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada, and CPA Ontario. Matt is a partner in the early-stage venture capital fund C2 Ventures and a mentor with Adweek and Elevate.ca.