Augmented Reality: When Real Life Isn’t Enough

Gary Moneysmith — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:34:33 +0000

OK everybody, hunker down for the next wave of technical wizardry known as “augmented reality” or AR for short. Bantered about by engineers and geeks for nearly two-decades, AR is finally going mainstream thanks to smartphones (such as the iPhone and Droid) as well as experimental, mainstream marketers.

Per Wikipedia, “Augmented reality (AR) is a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical real-world environment whose elements are merged with (or augmented by) virtual computer-generated imagery – creating a mixed reality.” The best exampled offered in Wikipedia’s explanation is the National Football League’s use of the yellow first down and blue scrimmage lines superimposed onto the game field. You know they’re not really there, right? It’s a great addition to the game watching experience for avid and novice fans alike.

The basic premise is that additional data (such as layered on visuals and sound) can be geographically triggered to give you a better, more useful experience. Think about a fighter pilot flying in the dark through a cloud. He literally can’t see anything, but can fly perfectly fine as the plane’s computer system visually superimposes data onto his helmet visor. While he’s in an actual jet flying thru the air, he might as well be playing a video game as he responds to the location-specific, computer generated data he’s using to fly.

Bringing this technology down to earth, practical and entertaining applications can now run on everyday mobile devices. The below video introduces augmented reality to help visitors in New York City. Basically, the application detects where you are standing in the city and offers arrows to the nearby subway stations:

In the splashiest use of augmented reality by a magazine publisher, Esquire magazine’s Best & Brightest of 2009 issue offered a half-dozen AR features. After you visit the Esquire web site and download their software, you simply hold the magazine up to your webcam which reads special symbols printed in the magazine. Fancy audio/video is triggered to then play on your computer. Seeing this system really gets the creative juices flowing. You have to see it to understand it, so check out the below video. I really enjoyed the novelty of Esquire’s system, but didn’t like the 70+ MB download it took to play. Non-geek people wouldn’t tolerate that. Perhaps the Esquire AR application software can automatically update itself at night once the next AR-enabled magazine is available. So while the download would remain large, it would essentially happen without hassling the user.

While I’m a big fan of Papa John’s pizza, their augmented reality project is underwhelming. Yes, the technology is cute, but the payoff is weak. A virtual driving game? C’mon — people need more than gimmicks to make their efforts worthwhile. But hey, give Papa John’s credit for giving it a go.

Finally, it wouldn’t be an official new media post without mentioning zombies and Skittles. So check out the following AR gaming video and be prepared to be blown away – literally and metaphorically speaking.

I predict that augmented reality technology will be woven into experiential marketing programs in the very near future. In my next post, I’ll offer a host of ideas on how to make my smartphone even more useful than it is today.

Is Your Brand a Social Media Zombie?

Gary Moneysmith — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:46:40 +0000

When it comes to using social media, some companies thrive by monitoring their brands online, participating in meaningful conversations and reaching out to key stakeholders — all breathing life into their brands. At the same time, too many organizations are neglecting their brand presence in social media, dooming them to the fate of zombies.

Brand zombies are mindless, incapable of communication and show no signs of personality. They’re controlled in an undead state by mysterious outside forces.

Sound like any brands you know? To prevent your brand from becoming a flesh-eating drone, consider following these steps:

ANALYSIS
Gauge the relative health of your brand in various social media channels such as blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and niche social networks. Though you might not personally frequent these places, don’t assume people aren’t talking about your brand. Online comments and conversations absolutely affect the associations and feelings people have about your brand. Here are 5 easy research tools:

PARTICIPATION
After identifying key places and people that may be influencing your brand online, begin participation that proves you’re alive and well. Post some blog comments. Answers some Twitter questions. Be an active member in these mini-communities to show you’re not living in an ivory tower, insulated from the people that help keep your business/brand alive.

OUTREACH
Once you’re reasonably comfortable knowing your online brand dynamics and have established a baseline presence, you’re hopefully ready for proactive outreach to people important to your business: customers, partners, suppliers, employees, etc. What brand experience can you offer that delivers value to these key people? FedEx created tracking widgets, Best Buy launched TwelpForce, a Twitter-based tech support system, and GM opened up their FastLane blog. Each of these offerings reinforces important brand attributes: FedEx: Delivery Timeliness, Best Buy: Accessible Tech Support and GM: Innovation & Transparency.

Zombies are scary business. Don’t let your brands languish to the point of being undead versions of their former selves. Use readily available social media tools to ward off unwanted spirits and build your brand so it thrives for years to come.

Social Media @ Work & Play » Zombies

Augmented Reality: When Real Life Isn’t Enough

Is Your Brand a Social Media Zombie?