Both Vodafone and Virgin Media have reported a rise of internet usage by almost 50% during the current COVID-19 crisis across UK homes.
As lockdown continues, social platforms are performing well as we all seek to connect with others, engage in content and be entertained. With an increasing amount of time on social platforms, content formats that stand out are likely to be winners. As most of us crave social interaction, is this the time for marketers and brands to consider their Social AR strategy?
Snap posted its quarterly report last week showing a 20% growth in daily active users. Snap also highlights their continued investment in camera and AR platforms, stating on average over 75% of their daily active users engage with AR every day. They have also seen a 30x increase in the daily downloads of Snap Camera, a desktop app that enables AR filters on video conferring and live streams (Give it a try if you want to jazz up your conference calls!)
Facebook has reported more than a billion users have interacted with its Spark AR filters across its platforms.
TikTok is one of the clear winners during lockdown (who doesn’t know someone using their spare time to try and become an TikTok influencer?). App downloads are soaring, it has been consistently in the top 5 most downloaded apps each week for the last month (along with zoom and House party as you might expect) and has seen a reported 23% increase in viewing time in the last 3 months.
You can now publish AR effects on TikTok so watch this space as I’m sure we will see an influx of effects for users to interact with.
Taking this into consideration, the opportunities for Social AR and WebAR are growing. It offers creative professionals a new medium to play with and brands a way to interact with their fans, in a 3D world with real-time results. Brand awareness and engagement is an obvious starting point but there are many other ways to use AR to connect with consumers and share your messaging:
Publishers such as LADbible is using Social AR to bring to life public health messages such as #StayAtHome via Snapchat Discover edition. Verizon using AR to track active COVID-19 cases around the world.
Social AR gaming - for example Face Invaders created by one of our creators Ross Wakefield
Retail opportunities with AR eCommerce using Instagram's Virtual Try On shopping experience
In the absence of travel, AR lenses or WebAR experiences can transport yourself to different locations around the world
Social activism - you can use filters to drive donations or share support for specific causes.
It’s a great time to consider what AR could do for your business and help provide engaging and useful content experiences for your consumers.
Considering developing AR experiences but don’t know where to start? Blend MarketBlend Market is an immersive creators marketplace where you can find and hire the best AR creators from our global community.
How it works: Describe what you want to achieve as a project brief on Blend Market and we will match you with the perfect creator who can help you develop and deliver on this idea.
If you would like to discuss ideas with our team, please get in touch at Hello@blend.media
