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Digital agencies

Starting a career in augmented reality

Augmented reality is steadily claiming its spot not only in the digital universe but also in the career field. How can you leverage your existing skills to start a new career in AR? Here are seven smart ways to begin with.

You’ve always wanted to make your own augmented reality app. But the time, money, and coding skills required to build one have kept you from realizing your dream. Or what if you’ve been successfully building AR social filters and now consider turning it into a full time job? There are many ways to level up your career and kick off a promising future as an augmented reality expert. 

Start off as a junior developer, then move into AR

To make the most of your career, you’ll want to start off as a junior developer, then move into augmented reality. 

Some skills you’ll want to develop include: 

  • Programming. The first step on this path is learning how to program in a language that can be used for both AR and mobile app programming. If you’re not sure where to start, take a look at some online resources like Udemy or FreeCodeCamp
  • 3D Modeling and Graphic Design. Understanding how 3D models work is essential if you want to create compelling digital objects for users. You should also have an eye for design if you intend on creating user interfaces or other visual elements that are essential parts of any great experience using AR technology. Learning how 3D models work is easy with online courses like those offered by Google’s Udacity program. There are also plenty of free resources available online. 

Level up from game designer to AR game designer

There are many ways to level up your career as a game designer and kick off a promising future as an AR game designer. 

It’s important to understand the difference between AR and traditional video games. Video games that use AR technology allow players to see their surroundings while playing the game on their device or computer screen. In other words, they interact with virtual objects that appear in real-life settings while still seeing through their physical eyes rather than looking at a screen alone. 

This form of gameplay has been used for years by Nintendo’s Pokemon Go and Microsoft’s HoloLens headset but has only recently gained popularity among gamers worldwide. To kick off the transition, dig into Augmented Reality for Everyone course that FreeCodeCamp provides.

– Consider becoming a 3D modeler

It’s a good starting point for anyone looking to get into augmented reality, 3D printing, CAD, VR and animation. Your skill set will most likely already has a lot of crossover with the gaming industry and engineering fields.

– Get creative with your experience in graphic design

Being a graphic designer can be a great entry point into augmented reality. Graphic designers are skilled in visual communication and often have experience with tools like Photoshop and Illustrator, which are used to create 3D models. This can come in handy when designing AR experiences because these apps and games often use 3D models as visuals. 

Graphic designers can also take their skills in designing 2D layouts and apply them to creating the user interface (UI) for an app or game—for example, designing buttons on the screen or menus that users will interact with using gestures on their smartphones or tablets. Keep this in mind when applying for jobs at companies that create AR applications! 

– Work on your design skills to become an industrial designer

If you want to work in augmented reality, there’s no better place to start than with industrial design. As an industrial designer, you’ll be tasked with creating objects that are functional and appealing, but also new ways to use technology that most people haven’t considered before. This requires a great deal of creativity and imagination—but also means that once you’ve got the hang of things as an industrially-trained designer, it will be easier for your ideas to get off the ground. 

If this sounds like something that interests you, consider getting into industrial design. You’ll need some training in engineering first (which is always helpful), but then all it takes is hard work and perseverance on your part. 

As augmented reality continues to grow, there are many different types of jobs that you can do with the technology. Here are some extra ideas to explore:

Business managers are responsible for overseeing an AR company’s overall operations and ensuring it is profitable. They might be tasked with hiring employees or finding new ways to promote the company’s products.


Content developers create software programs or other content for AR applications. This type of work includes writing code, building 3D models for games and apps, creating graphics for game engines like Unity or Unreal Engines, conceptualizing ideas for apps and games through sketches or illustrations, creating user manuals and instruction guides, managing databases used in development projects. 

According to Karl Hughes, there are even more career paths that software developers can take.

Looking to get started? Here are even more resources:

With all of the technology and growth in augmented reality, you can make a career out of it. We hope this article has given you some insight into which skills will help you succeed in the field and how to start building those skills today. Remember that it takes time and effort to build a successful career, but with persistence and passion for what you do (and no matter what age), it is possible!

We’re all about the future of augmented reality, and we want you to be a part of it! 

Categories
Digital agencies

4 ways AR transforms the customer journey

The digitalization of the customer journey is an inevitable leap for every brand. AR is here to help!

Digital transformation has been fueled by a series of events in recent years, making brands think on their feet and reactively adapt strategies on all levels. The customer journey has become one of the areas in the limelight.

While the pandemic imposed restrictions on daily lives and affected purchasing habits, the online dwelling time has propelled, giving the marketers a solid reason to take a closer look at emerging technologies such as AR.

Brands worldwide show that digitalization of the customer journey is a necessary step. Luckily, advanced technological solutions are here to help make a leap. Thanks to its versatility, AR solutions gradually become a vital component in accompanying the customer throughout the entire sales funnel and beyond.

Awareness: advertising of tomorrow

Starting from the very top of the funnel, marketers could use AR to boost brand awareness and customer engagement.

Let’s take advertising. AR-powered ads that we know and love rolled out just a couple of years ago. Snapchat pioneered programmatic AR ads in 2017. This pushed other social media giants like Facebook and Instagram to catch up on the trend and present their take on using AR in advertising. According to Digiday, TikTok gets ready to introduce a new AR ad format soon.

What started as a beta-testing for selecting industries, was rapidly scaled and implemented on a broader scope, based on raving feedback of advertisers and end-users. As AR technology becomes progressively light-weight, various platforms can integrate solutions without additional workload.

For customers, “seeing is believing” is synonymous with AR commerce. As brands tell their stories in new ways, customers experience products and services in simulations that feel real. With social distancing coming to stay for a while, trying things out through AR or learning about the product without physically visiting the store becomes vital.

The transit through customer journey stages gets streamlined and leads the prospects directly to the next stage.

Interest: a new dimension of customer experience

After the attention is caught, how do the brands spark interest and make a customer spend time exploring more? Immersive AR solutions make it possible. Advertisers who chose to tune in, receive a new toolset, powerful enough to flip the established paradigm of customer-brand interaction.

The AR industry provides technology to seamlessly create new customer and brand experiences on a larger scale.

A bonus for agencies and marketers is the high adaptivity of the AR solutions, meaning they could be customized for each industry’s specifics. Powered by cutting-edge AR products, brands leverage their ROI and supply customers with digital content that can be directly engaged with.

The level of interaction with such content is unprecedented and goes well beyond reading and liking. Given that augmented reality allows adding any digital content to the real-life environment, it sparks genuine emotions that no video or image could beat.

Desire: expanding functionality

Growing in functionality year to year, AR moves from a single-use experience to becoming a connecting tissue for many uprising technologies – such as AI, machine learning, and robotics.

Being less hardware dependent than VR, augmented reality proves to be a go-to solution that offers a lot of ways for deployment while being more user-friendly and highly customizable. Customers already carry AR-powered devices in their pockets (aka smartphones), creating an additional touchpoint to deliver experiences anytime.

Thanks to AR features such as Object Tracking, users can freely move around and actively interact with 3D content. Instant tracking allows the experience to take place literally everywhere – from the screen of the user’s smartphone or laptop to physical objects around, like buildings and city infrastructure. AR solutions open a new dimension of indoor and outdoor advertising.

Action: show and shop

Now, that the customer is attracted and engaged, how can we harness that attention and convert it to engagement and sales? AR comes in handy not only to present the product but also to add branded content of various complexity, showcasing product functionality and innovation.

With 3D instructional overlays, customers can visualize and learn more in real-time: be it a particular campaign or brand’s mission. Imagine allowing customers to try things virtually. Let’s say, verify if a piece of furniture fits in the room.

With AR, you can go a step further and even guide the assembling of the product. The augmented reality experience can spread throughout the entire customer journey, creating a comprehensive roadmap for brands to act on.

Design Ar GIF by Wikitude - Find & Share on GIPHY

Augmented reality solutions have the power to reimagine the customer journey as we know it. From harnessing customers’ attention by creating unique experiences that spark a genuine interest to boosting engagement and driving sales – this technology has it under its belt.

How are you leveraging AR in your customer journey? Let us know in the comments below.

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Digital agencies

Augmented Reality Experiences For Hotels: Innovative AR Ideas For The Lodging Industry

Learn how augmented reality experiences for hotels can help boost your digital strategy, improve ratings, and increase bookings.

Successful hotel mission statements usually revolve around excellence in hospitality services with the ultimate goal of delighting guests and satisfying their expectations. But what if you, as a hotelier, could go beyond? 

Including augmented reality experiences in your hotel offerings has the potential to provide hotel guests with a memorable experience that they would be likely to share and recommend to others.


Interested in standing out from the competition, increasing brand awareness, and improving business? Continue reading to explore some augmented reality ideas for hotels and learn a bit about the technology behind these projects.

Marketing your hotel with augmented reality

Boost your hotel booking rates with the help of augmented reality

Transform print media into interactive multimedia AR platforms

By using Image Tracking AR technology, you can attract new and repeating customers to your website and establishment through augmented advertisement posters, banners, brochures, catalogs, magazines, or any other printed material.

When scanned by potential guests, these images could then be superimposed by digital content in the form of audio, video, text, image galleries, 3D models, or whatever suits the use case best. The AR image scan could also prompt exclusive discount codes or allow users to access a virtual tour of the hotel rooms and amenities. One could even have a digital representation of the hotel owner greeting potential guests and inviting them for a stay.

With this interactive AR function, you can better engage with your customers by offering innovative entertainment while educating them about your establishment.

Image Tracking AR experience by German travel magazine Abenteuer und Reisen

As an illustrative example, the AR experience seen above shows Image Tracking scans that prompt travel guides, videos and digital animations, virtual tours, and 360° videos.

AR social media campaign for hotels

The cool AR experiences you create for your customers can and should be incorporated into your social media marketing campaign. Allowing users to capture and share the Hotel AR experiences with others, has the potential to make your campaign go viral.

The idea here is to create a sharable AR use case that fits your hotel theme/business goals to help boost your social media strategy.

For example, let’s say your Hotel is in Hawaii. A part of the AR experience could allow guests to capture and share a picture of them wearing a digital Lei garland, the necklace of flowers given in Hawaii as a token of welcome or farewell.

When clients book exciting trips, they tend to want to spread the good news. Giving them creative ways to do so, brings extra traction to the hotel’s social media presence.

Enhancing your hotel with augmented reality

Boost the overall hotel user experience with the help of augmented reality

AR hotel entertainment

A pioneering hotel AR example created as a temporary Holiday Inn campaign during the 2012 Olympics allowed hotel guests to use their smartphones or tablets to see athletes in virtual action in the reception, lobby, hallways, and bedrooms.

augmented reality for hotels: BMX World Champion Shanaze Reade can be seen performing tricks on her bike in the hotel's lobby
Virtual spin: BMX World Champion Shanaze Reade can be ‘seen’ performing tricks in the hotel’s lobby. Source: Daily Mail

Additionally, guests could also have their picture taken standing next to the digitalized athletes. The example above – made possible thanks to Instant Tracking AR technology – is a great source of inspiration for the many possibilities that AR can enable. 

Using this use case – digital characters appearing seamlessly in the hotel premises, one could convert it to any theme of their liking: astronomy, ancient Egypt personalities, local legends that make the city famous, important cultural and historical figures, pop and rockstars, you name it! Your imagination is your limit here.

AR hotel gamification 

The most successful AR game to date is Pokémon Go. By using Geo AR Tracking technology, the game developers were able to lock digital Pokémons to certain geographical points of interest throughout the world. Players would then visit such locations to capture them. The game has been a big hit since its launch and still attracts crowds of all ages and backgrounds.

Your hotel could offer a similar dynamic in and around its premises. As an example, one could create a treasure hunt AR game, locking collectible digital augmentations to various points of interest. These digital AR treasures could lead guests to hotel areas with the possibility of cross-selling (gift shop, bar), or less-visited areas of the hotel itself which need a little more traction, or even take them to affiliated partners (restaurants, museums, shops) around the city. 

Ideally, guests who complete the treasure hunt could be rewarded with a prize (free cocktail, discount for the next booking, free guided tour around town, etc).

AR in hotel dining 

An interesting augmented reality use cases, created by a Michelin-starred restaurant and bar in London, could inspire many hotel dining facilities across the world.

When visiting the City Social restaurant, guests can point their phone’s viewfinder to enjoy a series of artistic styles digitally layered around cocktails, brought to life through Image Tracking augmented reality technology. 

The idea behind this specific AR-enhanced cocktail menu is to depict “art through the ages”. Ranging from Michelangelo to Banksy, each drink represents a different artist or period of time. The interactive art animations can be captured in photo or video and be shared on social media. 

Augmented hotel ARt

  • Augment existing 2D Art

Known for hosting framed art from famous or interesting local painters? 

Allow guests to learn more about the artwork, and artists with a simple phone scan that could trigger audio guides, videos, text or a digital version of the artist himself explaining his piece and personal story.

  • Augment existing 3D Art

Cool monument, fountain, or architectural feature inside the Hotel?

Use Object e Scene AR Tracking technology to have digital augmentations attached to objects, sculptures, or the building structure itself.

  • Host digital AR art 

Invite digital artists to feature their art throughout the hotel premises. Users could scan murals to view, capture, and share the digitally hidden art on social media.

In-room hotel AR experiences

It is not uncommon to find informative paper folders and brochures inside hotel rooms which include hotel information, room service details, menu listing, frequently asked questions and more. Modernize your communication with augmented reality.

Strategically position scannable spots around the room which could trigger a series of different informative or entertaining augmentations. Think AR operating manuals that show how the coffee machine works (users can scan the machine itself to see the digital instructions appear directly on the machine), digital representations of the food menu, or entertaining stories about the hotel and the area.

AR-enhanced hotel tourism services

Boost your Hotel Services with the help of augmented reality

AR pop-up booklet

If you already have printed materials with information on local sights and attractions, consider adding digital augmentations representing the most important sightseeing destinations of the region.

Inspired by augmented reality pop-up art books, your hotel could enhance physical informative booklets by having scannable pages that bring more information regarding important sightseeing destinations of the region. Including 3D models of the sights themselves.

AR maps

Hotels often offer touristic maps of the surrounding areas to help guide and inform guests during their visits. Similar to the idea above, hotels could use the actual map to reveal landmarks, famous constructions, and monuments digitally popping out of the map in a realistic or artistic manner as seen in the one earth augmented map below.

AR Tours 

Many hotels offer guided tours as an extra service offering. To create a long-lasting memory, consider innovating with the use of augmented reality smartglasses.
As seen below in the experimental AR tour created by TUI Destination Experiences with Epson Moverio smart glasses, tourists can have a hands-free experience while blending the digital and physical worlds. When wearing AR glasses users can look at specific outdoor landmarks or constructions to view information about the construction process and architectural history. For indoor experiences, the same would apply to sculptures, paintings, and other showcased pieces.

AR guide and navigation

A hotel AR guide app would allow users to scan historical landmarks, monuments, and geographical points of interest to view instant interactive digital information. Furthermore, Extended Tracking AR technology could allow digital directions to point the way to other destinations, as seen in the example below.

AR smartglasses

Since the majority of the hotel consumer base is in possession of a smartphone, AR is easy to be made available as it typically doesn’t require investment in hardware.

However, keep in mind that most of the experiences described above can be made with AR smartglasses. When done well, AR glasses could produce an even longer-lasting positive experience.

Wikitude Augmented Reality SDK

Want to create an augmented reality experience that will delight your hotel guests? Contact our team to learn how to get started today.

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Digital agencies

6 Innovative Augmented Reality Product Packaging Use Cases

This article covers six successful augmented reality product packaging campaigns created with the Wikitude AR Software Development Kit.

Augmented reality technology is gradually expanding its outreach by establishing its presence throughout various segments of the market. The product packaging sector, in particular, has been getting a lot of AR traction.

After covering the marketing advantages of augmented reality in packaging, we will now explore six Wikitude AR-powered use cases that brought innovation and excitement to the product packaging industry.

Jack Daniel’s AR Experience

The Jack Daniel’s AR Experience, from the Brown-Forman spirits and wine company, takes consumers on a virtual journey of the Jack Daniel Distillery through a series of pop-up book-style dioramas.

The Jack Daniel Distillery’s AR app offers a virtual tour of the distillery, allowing users to take a closer look at the whiskey-making process, and learn stories about the man himself—Mr. Jack Daniel.

AR app: Jack Daniel’s AR Experience [ Google PlayApp Store ]

Thirty days after the official global Jack Daniel’s AR Experience app launch, 30.000+ iOS and Android users watched over 110,000 ‘Jack Stories’ AR experiences with an average of 5:42 minutes of total session time per user.

Herbal Essences AR Experience

Herbal Essences AR

The haircare brand Herbal Essences wanted to drive more attention and encourage more consumers to make better choices when the products they use reach their end-of-use cycle.

The AR experience digitally displays an interactive beachscape around the bottle while displaying an informative video that speaks of the product and the plastic waste problem.

AR app: Herbal Essences AR Experience [ App Store ]

As the AR experience progresses, users see plastic waste washing up on the augmented shore and are invited to swipe the screen to help clean the oceans.

Mojokaii AR animated booster

Mojokaii AR

Mojokaii premium gaming boosters were created specifically for the gaming community. Tapping into the target audience’s affinity to immersive experiences, the Mojokaii AR companion app gamifies tasting and engages customers to collect all product varieties.

Augmented reality effects were created by an international team of VFX artists. By pointing to the packaging label, gamers dive into an immersive digital narrative, unique for each product variation.



The video on the labels and the visual effects around the product is shown in real-time, allowing customers to look at them from different angles. The Mojokaii app uses Wikitude’s curved marker-based tracking that recognizes label designs and shows unique stories and effects for each product.

Francesco Rinaldi® AR App

Francesco Rinaldi is a pasta sauce company that has been on the market for over 45 years. The company wanted to link tradition with innovation by bringing its brand icon, Mrs. Rinaldi, to life. The AR app enables Mrs. Rinaldi to share her stories of what makes her pasta sauce different from other brands.

After downloading and opening the app, users can use their smartphone camera to scan any of the Francesco Rinaldi pasta sauce jar labels. Depending on the pasta sauce line, Mrs. Rinaldi will magically come to life and deliver a specific message for that particular product. 

Each AR scan has a “Tap for More” button which invites the customer to the Extended Experience. Every click leads users to different landing pages containing more information about the company, packaging design, list of recipes and more.

AR app: Francesco Rinaldi® AR App

The AR experience has increased customer loyalty, brand and product differentiation, customer interaction, and brand recognition.

Ribena “Doodle your World” AR app

Ribena has been in the beverage industry for over 75 years. To bring life and user interaction to their ‘doodle bombing’ inspired campaign, they created the “Doodle your World” app to provide a fun augmented reality experience.

 The concept behind the AR app took its creative inspiration from the pop-culture art movement known as ‘doodle bombing’ and combined it with augmented reality technology. 

App users are encouraged to create their own doodle-bomb videos using the colourful Ribena character animations to share with friends via message and social media platforms – Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. 

The app experience goes on to reward users by unlocking more character animations from the content they create and share, and by purchasing and scanning any one of the limited edition AR ready “Doodle your world” Ribena drink bottles currently in circulation. 

Users can see Ribenary characters come to life on their screens anywhere they are. With the app, Ribena fans can also stream augmented reality videos in real-time, capture these special moments and share the fun with friends and family.

Fruit Bliss Interactive

Fruit Bliss creates wholesome snacks with simple ingredients. The company wanted to have a closer, more personal relationship with its customers and expand communication beyond the physical borders of their product packaging.

Customers use their smart device camera to scan select packages that will then trigger the AR experience.


AR app: Fruit Bliss Interactive [ Google Play ]

The solution was described as an “upgraded email newsletter”. It allows users to unlock augmented content in the form of news, info, social media links, newsletter invites, special offers, and more.



Technology and device capabilities have come a long way since the origins of AR. Today, developers equipped with the right tools have the ability to create various high-performing AR experiences that bring true value, and entertainment to the end-user.

The Wikitude AR SDK has a wide variety of augmented reality features that support can support your product packaging AR campaigns.

For Unity Experts, and due to popular demand, Wikitude is introducing AR capabilities for cylinder targets.

Wikitude Cylinder Tracking for Unity

Cylinder Tracking is the ideal AR feature for augmenting cylindrical-shaped drink cans, wine bottles, longnecks, aluminum tin cans, cosmetic bottles, and other tubular-shaped product containers.

Wikitude Cylinder Tracking technology covers a wide variety of cylindrical targets and label shapes. Unity developers can create campaigns that overlay cylinder targets with interactive digital augmentations such as videos, images, 3D models, audio, buttons, and more.

Interested in giving Wikitude Cylinder Tracking a try?

Want to enhance your product package with AR technology features? Access our store to choose your license or contact our team to discuss your specific AR requirements.

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Digital agencies

How to promote your digital agency on a low budget

5 impactful strategies to market your business

Digital agencies come in different shapes and sizes – from full-service to highly specialized and everything in between. Regardless of the type of digital agency your work in, your marketing and promotion strategies have to be on point if you wish to stand out and improve your market credibility.

There are numerous ways to promote your digital agency. Today we will focus on strategies that are not only high impact but also low cost.

5 ways to promote your digital agency on a low budget

1. Create client project case studies

Right off the bat, let’s talk about one of the most – if not THE most – important aspects of promoting a digital agency: client project case studies.

Even though it is well known that case studies are powerful tools for generating leads, many digital agencies fail to promote their successfully completed projects.

What makes a case study good?

YOU might be satisfied with the work you put forth for one of your customers and are fully aware of its awesomeness. However, it is others that need convincing. When putting together a project showcase, focus on demonstrating the benefits that other potential clients will relate to.

Keep it brief, make it cohesive, explain the challenge, and focus on the positive outcome of the solution you provided. And whenever possible ALWAYS include:

  • High-quality visuals: images, videos, sketches, GIFs
  • Quantifiable results: Return of investment (ROI), geo-metrics, registrations, downloads, social shares, etc.
  • Client testimonials: make a habit of requesting a few words from your clients expressing their content with the project itself, and your agency – to be continued on topic number 4 below

Special note for augmented reality case studies:

If your agency is specialized in or also offers augmented reality app development, we cannot stress enough the – often overseen – importance of creating and sharing video demos of the AR experience itself. If privacy policies are not an issue, make sure to get the approval from the client and start growing your online AR case study section for better exposure and lead gaining.

2. Cultivate mutually beneficial business relationships

Collaborative partnerships not only help to naturally promote your digital agency, but also open doors, accelerate growth, drive innovation, and increase your chances of being able to deliver what your customer needs and wants now.

Invest in learning how to leverage professional networking websites such as LinkedIn, Xing, and other platforms relevant to your market. Keep a lookout for providers that offer partnership programs, and make the time to expand your network.

Benefits of professional networking and partnerships:

  • Greater exposure
  • Grow customer base
  • Reach a new market
  • New business via referrals
  • Concentrate on your core competencies

If you are looking to expand your global exposure and get potential project leads, check out the Wikitude Solution Provider Program.

3. Participate in speaking engagements

No, we haven’t driven off-topic. We are still exploring LOW BUDGET high impact strategies to promote your digital agency. You see, speaking engagements do not necessarily have to be expensively paid talk slots in mega conferences – even though they most definitely could be.

Costless speaking engagement opportunities to explore:

  • Webinars: self-hosted or as a guest lecturer
  • Podcasts
  • Discussion panels
  • Onlive events
  • Co-branded seminars

When speaking to crowds, remember to avoid a sales-pitch tone and keep your speech educational and interesting. Catching the audience’s attention and positioning yourself as an industry leader and expert will naturally draw the wanted attention.

Keep in mind, topics 2 and 3 from this article are very much co-related and one exponentiates the other.

4. Gather and display customer testimonials

If you find yourself searching for and reading testimonials and reviews before making an online purchase or engaging with a brand, you are not alone.

As a matter of fact, the survey of U.S. online customers showed that 91% of respondents agreeing that positive reviews made them more likely to use a business (source: Statista).

Additionally, online testimonials and reviews have proven their value: 76% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations (source: BrightLocal).

So, let’s state the obvious:

Positive testimonials and reviews are an increasingly Influential part of the decision-making processes, help establish credibility, social proof and trust in front of your potential customers, and inspire customer loyalty within your digital agency.

Make it a habit of requesting, collecting, and displaying client testimonials to add value and reliability to your agency. Start by reaching out to your most loyal customers – those you know would be willing to give a genuinely positive word about your business and services. And encourage the bulk of your customers to make positive conversations about your brand to help promote your agency and enhance its reputation.

5. Expand social media presence and outreach

According to a Digital 2020 report, social media users have passed the 3.8 billion mark and the latest trends suggest that more than half of the world’s total population will use social media by the middle of this year. Now read that again.

If you do not want to miss a chance on potentially reaching out to half the worlds’ population – for free – you know what you have to do:

Invest in high-quality social media presence.

It is not enough to simply set up an account. Be thoughtful and plan your posts accordingly. Create, select, and share content that will attract your target audience. Use this communication tool to inform, inspire, and entertain and make sure to align your messaging across your different social accounts.

Keep in mind that video content continues to be on a high:

  • 86% of people who would like to see more videos from brands in 2020 (source: Wyzowl 2020).
  • 88% of video marketers are satisfied with the ROI of their video marketing efforts on social media (source: Oberlo).

All the more reason to invest in item number 1 from this article, to create nice shareable case study video content from previous successful projects.

Tackling these 5 impactful strategies will definitely elevate the positive market presence of your digital agency. Have any additional high-impact-low-budget strategies to share? Let us know in the comment section below.

Digital agencies, stay tuned! We have a special treat coming up. Follow Wikitude on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and sign up for our newsletter to receive the good news first hand!

Categories
Digital agencies

How to get started with AR as a digital agency

The importance of augmented reality in modern-day digital agencies, how to build (or hire) a development team, and pitching tips for new and repeated business.

Digital agencies know all too well that they need to go the extra mile if they wish to stand out and attract more leads. There are many ways of doing so, but, staying in touch with innovative technologies to create well-contextualized cases is key in maintaining market relevance.

In this article, we explore why and what it takes to get started with augmented reality technology as a digital agency.

Technology and Digital Agencies

Be the agency traditional, creative, or digital in its core nature – or a mix of the three – there is one commonality amongst these businesses: necessity to adapt to the evolution and demands of the market to maintain relevance.

In the present digital-age day, not surprisingly, marketing and advertising are mainly digital. However, simply working with digital technologies doesn’t cut it. It is necessary to captivate and truly connect with the target audience through inspiring and eye-catching campaigns that bring results.

Most – if not all – digital agencies have probably already encountered augmented reality features to some degree in social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat. And as fun as face filter may be, augmented reality has so much more to offer than that.

If your agency strives to be successful in the consumer-brand-experience field, consider including personalized, goal-driven AR content in your digital solutions and offerings.

Why include AR in your digital solutions?

  • Regain/maintain relevance
  • Score profitable projects
  • Create new brand experiences
  • Innovative and profitable way to enchant clients and end-users


AR is a must-have brand experience in various marketing segments:

Brand storytelling:

Inform, entertain, and engage your target audience while telling your customers’ awesome story.

Customer engagement:

Boost visitor interaction and satisfaction, and increase visibility, sales, and social sharing.

Interactive print:

Turn print materials into portable sales channels or add flair to company flyers, posters, business cards, and other branded marketing and sales materials.

augmented reality for agencies: use case example

For additional inspiration, check our vast collection of clients’ success stories and 7 ways to use AR in marketing today.

We covered a few of the advantages and diverse possibilities of working with AR. But, what does it take to create a successful augmented reality experience? Let’s talk about in-house and outsourced development.

Manpower: in-house or outsourced AR development

Depending on the size of your digital agency, you might already have the manpower in-house to get the AR ball rolling. If that is not the case, hiring an AR development partner might be the best way to go. Below we explore the details of both situations:

1. Outsourced development – working with an AR partner

When hiring an augmented reality developer, there are many things to take into consideration. Reliability, being one of the most important factors.

When searching beyond recommended AR app developers – such as the verified Wikitude Solution Providers, make sure to investigate if your candidate is reliable by checking ratings, reviews, and investigating their portfolio and client network.

Choosing the right developer or development firm is a critical aspect of your AR project. For in-depth guidance, access this complete guide with tips on how to choose the ideal augmented reality app developer for your project.

If you would like to skip the search altogether, contact the Wikitude team, tell us about your project and requirements and we will be happy to pair you with potential augmented reality app developers and agencies within our Solution Provider program.

REQUEST AR APP DEVELOPER RECOMMENDATIONS

2. In-house development: creating the ideal team structure

As a reference, an AR app development team usually requires a mix of specialists that varies between Business Analysts, UI/UX Designers, Project Managers, and, last but not least, Software Developers and QA Engineers.

You might already have some of these specialists within your team. To learn more about which role each of these positions play, final costs, and other aspects of the AR app development process, access this guest post by Wikitude premium partner HQSoftware, exploring the Client, Specialist, Functionality, and Content tetrad in AR app development.

How to pitch AR

Okay, so, you are already convinced that working with AR is a great opportunity to expand and improve your digital agency offerings. Time to transform your bright AR ideas into reality.

Below you will find some tips to successfully pitch AR to clients and potential customers:

  • Explain the added value
    Exceptional user engagement; unique brand experience; enhance brand value, drive sales, stimulate conversions; behavioral information.
  • Demonstrate return of investment (ROI)
    Show a clear example of how AR can be linked directly to revenue: e-commerce; in-game purchases in an AR environment; location-based deals; time-sensitive offers; augmented shopping; premium apps; etc.
  • Show the future of AR with facts
    Digi-Capital’s long-term virtual and augmented reality forecast is for the AR/VR market to reach around $65 billion revenue by 2024. And Worldwide spending on AR/VR products and services throughout the 2019-2023 forecast period, should achieve a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 77.0%
  • Highlight the simplicity of the tech
    The Wikitude AR SDK allows developers to easily create cross-platform AR experiences on multiple platforms and devices, according to their needs and preferences.
  • …and most importantly, show a demo
    We can help. See proof of concept section below.

We covered these topics in detail earlier this year. Access 5 tips to help pitch AR for your next project for an in-depth review of the topics above.

Proof of concept (augmented reality demo)

Can’t wait to dip your toes in AR waters? Prepare something you are proud of using a free Wikitude AR SDK trial license – no trial watermarks.

Download now to create your free AR demo

Enhance images, objects, and spaces with extraordinary 2D and 3D content, with support for Android, iOS, Windows & smart glasses. Choose to develop AR apps in JavaScript, Unity, Cordova, Xamarin, Flutter, & Native API.

Our vast documentation section will help you from your very first steps with the Wikitude SDK all the way through to advanced concepts and examples for developing your augmented reality project. Each section of our documentation accompanies a sample app. Use it to get a quick overview of the capabilities offered by your platform of choice.

Additionally, you can access the Wikitude developer portal for specific development-related questions. The portal hosts a very active developer community forum where Wikitude staff members are constantly assisting other developers with helpful tips and advice. You can find How-To’s and a constantly evolving FAQ section there as well.

Questions? Ideas? Curious to know more? Talk to one of our augmented reality experts for inquires and to learn about our special packages for digital agencies.

Contact us to get started
Categories
Digital agencies

5 tips to help pitch AR for your next project

Tips for agencies and developers to successfully pitch AR to clients and potential customers.

You get it – AR is incredibly cool, and most definitely the wave of the future – but your client might still be wondering if it’s time to ride the AR wave.

Have you pinpointed an excellent use-case for AR within a client’s project? We want to give you a few tips and suggest tools you can use to help get them on board. As a bonus, you will have an additional product for your portfolio you can really be proud of!

1. Explain the added value

Let’s talk about flash – and not the Adobe kind. Sizzle, wow-factor, attention-grabber, whatever you want to call it, AR has it.

It not only lets you see more of the world around you – it skyrockets user engagement with interactive content. A customized AR-experience is one of the most attention-grabbing features an app can offer.

For a little extra inspiration for your speech, check out 7 ways to use augmented reality in marketing today.

2. Demonstrate return of investment (ROI)

You’re a business, and they’re a business – the extra spending has to be justified.

The easiest way to do that? Show them a clear example of how AR can be linked directly to revenue – like in this video below from Takondi, one of Wikitude’s premium partners. Watch to see how easily AR can be used to implement mobile commerce.

There are a bunch of ways augmented reality can help businesses make more money. Here are a few of our favorites:

  • e-commerce – directly link real-world items to purchases
  • In-game purchases in an AR environment – you’ve seen the success of Pokémon Go – and remember virtual products have an excellent margin
  • Location-based deals – let users explore top deals near them (and guide them there)
  • Time-sensitive offers – reach people at the right time with the right offer
  • Augmented shopping – make every print material your user’s check out button
    Offer enhanced multimedia about products using 2D and 3D recognition
  • Premium apps – offer an entirely in-app shopping experience!

3. Show the future of AR with facts

When Google, Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft start heavily investing in augmented reality, it is safe to assume the tech is not only on the rise but on the verge of something great.

To have an idea of the current predictions, Digi-Capital’s long-term virtual and augmented reality forecast is for the AR/VR market to reach around $65 billion revenue by 2024. And Worldwide spending on AR/VR products and services throughout the 2019-2023 forecast period, should achieve a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 77.0% (IDC).

Access this AR facts and predictions article for more data. And for real-world examples, note that “Pokémon Go, once a viral sensation all over the globe, hasn’t fallen off the map. In fact, the augmented reality game is earning more money than it ever has before. According to mobile analytics firm Sensor Tower, Pokémon Go had a record year in 2019, taking in an estimated $900 million through in-app purchases.” – via the Verge.

Image: Sensor Tower

4. Highlight the simplicity of the tech

Excuse us while we toot our own horn, but, making AR easy is what we do. The Wikitude AR SDK is one of the most versatile tools available for developing mobile AR. Want to build your own Pokémon-Go-like app? You can do it with Wikitude in three easy steps.

5. …and most importantly, show a demo

Seeing is believing. So why not show your clients the great things they can do with AR? It’s a lot easier to want something you can see right in front of you. So the best and most important advice when you’re pitching AR? Show them a demo. Here are a few tips for doing that!

  • It’s best done live – find an AR app, either your own or from another company, and show it during an in-person meeting. If this means bringing the tools with you (like a magazine or product) bring them with you!
  • Undersell, overshow – a good AR project speaks for itself. Rather than building up expectations, casually throw it out there – “Oh, have I shown you this cool trick?” *whips out phone*
  • Make sure it’s going to work! Do you need decent cellular data or Wifi? Nothing impresses less than stalled technology. Check your connection before you move forward
  • And speaking of demos – remember, you can always use the Wikitude trial license to win over your client!
Categories
Digital agencies

7 ways to use augmented reality in marketing today

How to boost your marketing strategy with augmented reality technology

Augmented reality gives businesses a chance to create memorable experiences that spark emotional responses connecting people even more to a brand.

In this article, we share innovative ways to reach and catch the attention of your target audience using augmented reality.  

1. Brand storytelling

It is well known among the marketing community that brand values play an important role in the purchasing decision. But, truth be told, not everybody has the interest or the time to go through a company’s about and history pages. 

That is why HOW you tell your story really matters if you want to get your message and values across. AR provides an attractive option. Check the brand story-telling AR campaign created for Jim Beam® to celebrate its 225-year story:

Jim Beam decided to create the AR experience directly on the product itself, allowing users to engage with the story instore or while enjoying the beverage at home. The perfect opportunity to inform, entertain, and engage your audience while telling your brand’s awesome story.

2. Product demonstration

Using augmented reality for demonstration purposes is especially efficient for products that have complex functions that are hidden to the naked eye. But it isn’t limited to that.

Instead of transporting heavy and cost-intensive connectivity equipment to trade shows or to customers all over the world, Lufthansa Technik created an augmented reality demo to allow customers to see what happens inside the radome humps on top of modern aircraft.

AR technology also allows potential buyers to better appreciate the value of a product by viewing and understanding the full scope of its functionality in realtime and in the correct position. Nissan LEAF did this to help market and boost sales of their electric car in a retail store in Brazil.

Object Tracking augmented reality technology allows the device to scan and recognize the car, overlaying digital explanations of impressive car functions, such as the simplicity of the electric engine, the e-Pedal function, battery charging explanations, automatic pilot demonstrations, and more.

3. Product visualization

Allowing potential buyers to view a product is a decisive factor in the buying decision process, however, allowing users to have a realistic view of a product digitally placed in their environment is an inarguably a plus. 

Many are already familiar with the furniture visualization AR apps created by Roomle and IKEA. However, there is more than furniture-placement that can be done with AR.

To better present their products, the electrical installation company, Busch-Jaeger, used augmented reality to enable users to digitally view their product range.

AR’s version of “try before you buy” helps companies reduce return rates and offers the shopper more security in the buying process. 

4. Customer engagement marketing 

By inserting interactive AR content into your marketing strategy, businesses can increase the engagement customers have with the brand. And that is precisely what the Philadelphia Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion did to boost visitor interaction and satisfaction, and have more visibility and sales due to social media sharing. 

Outside the Insectarium, visitors position their device over a large mural to watch how a monarch butterfly emerges from its chrysalis in augmented reality with a call to actions inviting users to the institution’s website.

Visitors could also take a photo with a virtual butterfly to save and share on social media.

5. Out-of-home advertising

Moving away from the traditional out-of-home (OOH) advertising categories such as billboards and highways, a new format is arising with augmented reality: Interactive AR building façades

Thanks to Scene Tracking AR technology, marketers and brands now have the opportunity to transform the actual business premises into an interactive AR trigger. 

How? The mumok museum in Vienna used AR to transform the institution’s building into a digital and interactive stage, giving the public an (almost) X-Ray view of what’s going on inside.

OOH was taken to a whole new level by allowing the museum to innovatively share information, advertising their offerings directly on the building itself.

6. Interactive print ads

Printed advertising mediums can be traced back to ancient civilizations. But, a lot has changed since the time of the papyrus. With AR, marketers can turn print materials into portable sales channels.

Check how Germany’s largest travel magazine had 95% of its app users accessing AR experiences within their printed editions. 

By expanding the magazine experience with AR, click rates increased, while destinations, tour operators, airlines, and hotel partners could innovatively advertise directly on the magazine to create a more intensive brand and product experience.

Additionally, businesses can use augmented reality to add some flair to company flyers, posters, interactive business cards, and other branded marketing and sales materials.

7. Instore navigation and shopping 

Drive foot traffic to stores and assist customers with navigation inside business premises. Direct users to sales and products you wish to highlight and set up Point of Interest campaigns to emphasize sales, endcaps, individual products, and more. 

Watch the video below to view how “PeekPerks” brought augmented reality to retail.

With AR, marketers can help boost sales and build customer loyalty while providing informative, engaging, interactive, helpful, and personalized content to shoppers.

Wikitude Augmented Reality SDK

Want to create an augmented reality experience that will boost your marketing strategy? Contact our team of AR experts to discuss how you can get started!

Categories
Digital agencies

How much does it cost to develop an augmented reality app?

Learn how the Client, Specialist, Functionality, and Content tetrad can influence the cost of your AR project 

Augmented reality has been growing in popularity and commercial significance, and is now expected to top 2,500,000,000 installed base and $70 billion to $75 billion revenue by 2023 (mobile AR, smartglasses), according to Digi Capital. With these and many more positive AR predictions and statistics arising, it is not alarming to see that so many businesses and brands are looking to invest in an AR project of their own. And, naturally, one of the big questions that come up, rather sooner than later, revolves around AR development costs.

With that in mind and in order to provide a realistic cost estimation to our AR community and readers, we invited an AR, VR, and IoT development company, and Wikitude Premium Partner to share their experience on the AR cost development topic.

Guest post by Wikitude premium partner HQSoftware

Client Input

The project starts with the client. The client might have a couple of ideas for an app, or the whole specification ready. That will determine the size of the team, influencing the cost of the app.

We can divide clients into three different types:

  • The client who might only have a rough idea of the application and no technical information. In this case, he/she has to work with the whole team of Business Analyst, Project Manager, Designer, Software Developers, and QA Engineer to kick off the project.
  • The client who has some ideas in any form of specification, so a Business Analyst (BA) comes in to polish these specs and make sure that everything is in order. After that, they are good to go with the development process.
  • And finally, the client who has the full specification ready. In this case, no BA is involved in the project. After making sure that the specification is feasible, the Project Manager steps in to decompose the project into tasks. Then, the project starts.
augmented reality app cost is influenced by the initial client input

AR app development specialists

Now let’s take a closer look at the role of each specialist engaged in the AR app development, and how their role influences the cost of the project.

  • The first specialist the client interacts with is a Business Analyst. He starts guiding the client to work out the ideas and come up with a project specification. It describes the value and functionality of the app. At this stage, the BA also determines if the client’s idea is feasible from a technical standpoint. 
  • After the BA has enough information on the app design, the UI/UX designer starts working on it. They may be engaged in the development process later as well to tweak and polish the design.
  • Then the development phase starts. During the process, the client can keep in touch with the team through the Project Manager. He communicates with the client and makes sure that the project is completed in time, with no technical issues, and within the agreed budget.
  • Software developers are the ones doing most of the work. If we are talking about AR applications, the BA might offer two ways to go about the development. One way is having both iOS and Android developers in the team to build separate iOS and Android apps. The other way is to have one team of cross-platform developers — they will build one app for both platforms. Each of those approaches has it’s pros and cons, and they both influence the project cost differently.
  • To guarantee that the final product meets the technical requirements and works properly, a QA Engineer is engaged in the project.
augmented reality app cost influenced by the amount of specialists needed in the AR project

AR app functionality

Apart from the team composition, the functionality of the application also determines its cost.

  • A simple AR application takes a couple of days to build. Such an application is marker-based: the app scans a marker and displays 2D or 3D content. The content can be created from scratch or purchased.
  • A more complex application may have several markers and more complex features. Such features can include social media sharing, marker gallery, etc. It takes around one month to build a complex application — around 160 hours of development itself. Add roughly 90-140 hours of BA, PM, Design, and QA work and you’ll have 250-300 hours of development.
augmented reality app cost influenced by app complexity x hours of development time

3D AR content

Apart from the regular app development costs, AR software costs also include the appropriate content

The client might want to build the app which is marker-based, markerless, or with points of interest. Each type of app is associated with the particular problem it solves, determining the type of content it needs.

  • The maker-based application is the simplest one. It may include 2D markers and somewhat simple 2D, 3D, buttons, video, or audio content to display. Marker-based apps with simple content can often be used in marketing.
  • With markerless apps, the development may get more complicated and take more time. With no markers, the application needs more complex recognition technology, which it will use to identify surrounding objects. In simpler words, the app needs to understand which way to put an AR couch on a real floor. Usually, the content for those apps is 3D and interactive. It also includes video or audio. Such tech can be utilized in product or interior design.
  • Apps with points of interest will display the AR content only at a certain place, meaning that the developer must build a geo-positioning tech into it. POI AR is often used in navigation, meaning that apart from 3D content, the app pulls the data from map services.
  • For more complex AR software, the cost of making the content may be even higher than the cost of app development.

The average cost of a 3D AR content can vary from $500 to $2000, and it can take on average from 3 days up to 2 months. Different objects require a different amount of work depending on the number of details. For instance, building a 3D model of a ship or a human head with complex facial animation will cost more than a simple model of a couch.

Collaboration Methods

While choosing a technical partner, don’t forget to negotiate the way you will collaborate. There are three ways to go about it:

  • Time and material. That approach is the most straightforward: you pay for the time it takes the team to complete your project. You can move the deadlines as long as you have new ideas or want to further polish the app.
  • Fixed price. A fixed price does not offer much flexibility but you can determine the price of the project before you start. You can’t change anything during the project since the deadlines and scope are fixed. Such projects are completely managed by the outsourcer.
  • Dedicated team. It basically means having temporary employees. You can have them work on your terms remotely or on sight. You select the specialists you need, set your own deadlines and change them whenever you want. Unlike the other models, dedicated teams are paid an hourly salary.

We hope the insights and information above will help you better understand the dynamic behind augmented reality app costs. If you are still in the planning phase, access the first article of the Wikitude AR app development series to learn how to successfully start and strategically plan your augmented reality project.

Want to calculate the cost of your AR project, consult on your idea, and get answers to your questions? The Wikitude team and premium partner HQSoftware will be more than happy to help.

Categories
Digital agencies

How to choose an augmented reality app developer

A complete guide with tips on how to choose the ideal augmented reality app developer for your project.

You’ve decided to incorporate an AR application as part of your digital strategy but don’t have the skills in house to bring the project to life. If looking for an app development partner is your next step, this blog post will help you achieve that. 

1. Define your AR project

Having a clearly defined AR project plan will make communicating and negotiating with your development partner candidates much easier.

Know the main idea behind your AR project and its core functionality.

If you take the time to properly plan your AR project, the chances of hiring a compatible and capable developer are much higher, and the development process itself and final AR project results should be much better. 

If you would like to have a more thorough outline of what you want for your AR project before contacting potential AR development partners, we suggest following the 7 steps contained in this article: How to start your augmented reality project: strategic planning and tips to succeed.

However, if you prefer to plan your AR project with the development partner from the get-go, we recommend having, at least, a few videos and/or links to provide as a reference so you can get the conversation going. Oftentimes, AR developers are willing to help with the creative process, by providing ideas, inspiration and sharing other examples currently available on the market.

2. Cost estimation x budget

Budget discussions should start early on in the AR app planning process, but it’s in the development phase when things transition from rough estimations to the real deal.

The complexity of your app will determine its cost estimation.

As with all else, different developers come at different prices. However, there is one common factor you can expect with certainty:

AR apps, as with other app types, vary greatly in development price. Expect a starting point of around 10 thousand euros. And depending on app complexity, that number could go as high as 300 thousand euros. 

If you have a fixed pre-established budget, inform your development partner candidates so they can state what can and cannot be done in that price range. If budget is not a limitation for your project, simply explain what you want to receive a price quote from the developer.

3. Market vertical expertise

Maybe your AR app will be used for a marketing campaign or is intended to be the next big gaming experience, or it has the purpose to help educate people or optimize processes in industrial maintenance. Naturally, these experiences can be quite different from one another even though they share the same technical background. 

Does your developer candidate have experience in the app category you have chosen?

Check the portfolio of the candidates, search the app stores to find and download other projects they have created, and analyze your findings to see if the quality standards and technology capabilities match your expectations and requirements.

Keep in mind, however, that even though having experience in a certain area is a clear plus, it is not necessarily a deal-breaker. If the overall quality of the developer projects across different categories is high, that could be a sign that they are capable of delivering even in uncharted territory. 

Speak openly with the candidates, ask how comfortable they feel with the type of project you wish to create and use your best judgment from there. 

Regardless of the app category though, it is wise to verify if your AR developer candidate has previous experience with augmented reality technology.

4. Experience with augmented reality technology

AR development requires an additional set of specialized skills that go beyond the traditional app creation process. 

Hire a development partner that knows how to work with AR developing platforms.

To avoid unnecessary negative surprises in AR app results, it is essential that you choose a development partner that has had previous developing contact with AR technology and feels comfortable delivering the precise experience you wish to create.

Ask not only to see previous augmented reality projects of their authoring, but also about the AR tools they work with, how many devices the AR experience will be compatible with (which varies depending on the AR SDK of choice – Wikitude offering the most expansive support on the market), which augmented reality features they can create and any other specifics related to your AR project.

5. Location of the augmented reality app developer

From our experience in pairing clients with the appropriate AR developers (more on that on item 6), we noticed that a few elements usually come to light before the final decision: location, language, business culture, and timezone (for availability reasons).

The world is your oyster: choose locally or overseas.

If some of the items above are important to you, we recommend searching for your AR development partner using a geographical division as shown below:

Keep in mind, however, that with today’s globalized facilities in communication, you are not restricted to having to hire locally. If the elements mentioned above are not a limiting factor sometimes the best fit for your project is located halfway across the globe. If it seems to be the right fit, go for it no matter the distance.

6. Reliability

To the unguided searcher, the quest for an AR development partner may seem overwhelming. But, we can help.

Work with an AR developer you can trust.

As AR technology providers dedicated to offering the best AR tools on the market, we do not develop apps ourselves. However, we do keep a list of trusted AR app developers that have successful experience with creating AR apps using the Wikitude AR SDK

We call them Wikitude Premium Partners.

Not all Wikitude clients are Premium Partners, after all, we have more 130.000 registered developers that use our augmented reality technology. But all Wikitude Premium Partners are highly qualified AR app developers with proven AR experience.

When searching beyond our recommended AR app developers, make sure to investigate if your candidate is reliable by checking ratings, reviews and investigating their portfolio and client network.

Without a doubt, choosing the right developer or development firm is a critical aspect of your AR project. 

If you would like to skip the search altogether contact the Wikitude team, tell us about your project and requirements and we will be happy to pair you with potential augmented reality app developers and agencies within our Premium Partner program.