Augmented Reality and 3D for Shoe Marketing - How to Sell Today
In the future, there will be no way around immersive content formats like Augmented Reality, and it's already widespread for shoes.
How often is a new shoe available in your shop?
How many different variations are there per shoe?
And in how many different colors are these shoes offered?
Customers want to see the variety of a single shoe model before making a purchase. It would be even better if they could get a more accurate idea beforehand, without having to go to a shopping mall. This, conversely, has been proven to reduce the return rate.
Anyone who tries to meet these customer needs and provide the corresponding user experience with photography has had a hard time for many years.
But those who stubbornly stick to it will be squeezed out by the competition.
The good news: You don't have to be Nike or Adidas to use the latest methods of product visualization.
Therefore: Get an idea of the current status of product visualization for shoes in this article.
Perhaps your customers will be able to get an even better picture of your products in the future. Other industries, such as the furniture industry, are already demonstrating the efficient application of Augmented Reality.
You will learn about these two most important methods in this article:
3D Rendering and Augmented Reality for shoes.
Why 3D Rendering for Shoe Product Visualization?
There are actually a whole host of advantages to 3D rendering over traditional photography.
- Cost-effectiveness: Traditional product photography can be expensive, especially when it comes to a large number of products and variants. 3D rendering eliminates the need for physical photo shoots, saving time and money in the long run.
- Flexibility and Adaptability: With 3D rendering, product variants can be easily created and modified without the need for physical samples to be used and shipped. This allows for quick adjustments of color, texture, or design, effortlessly serving different market segments or customer preferences.
- Consistency: Ensuring consistency across all product images is crucial for brand identity and customer experience. 3D rendering guarantees uniformity in lighting, angles, and presentation, providing a consistent and professional appearance for all product representations.
- Dynamic Visuals: 3D rendering enables the creation of dynamic and interactive product visualizations. Customers can view shoes from different angles, zoom in for close-ups, and customize colors or materials in product configurators, making the shopping experience even more engaging.
- Time Efficiency: Product launches can be accelerated with 3D rendering. Designs can be quickly visualized and refined even before the product is finished, speeding up the decision-making process and shortening the time to market for new shoe collections or variations.
- Adaptability in E-commerce: E-commerce platforms often have specific requirements for product images, such as dimensions and file formats. 3D rendering allows for easy adaptation to these requirements, ensuring seamless integration of product images into online shops and websites.
- Future-proof: As technology advances, so do the possibilities. 20 years ago, having a product image on Amazon was sufficient. Today, various formats are needed for platforms and social media. Visualizing products through 3D renderings directly enables the creation of animations and even AR models for e.g., Virtual Try-Ons, 3D Views, or interactive advertisements.
Why Augmented Reality for Shoe Marketing?
Depending on whom you ask, you'll get very different opinions on the topic of Augmented Reality in marketing and as a tool for product sales. While some decision-makers dismiss AR as a toy and gimmick, other companies have been gaining experience for almost 10 years on how to interactively place products on customers' smartphones.
From our experience and solid statistics, however, there is no longer any way around Augmented Reality solutions for many product categories.
Here are the 3 arguments, perhaps you can identify with them?
1. Augmented Reality Increases User Experience and Drives Purchases
The conversion rate increases with Augmented Reality representation provided to up to 94%.
The share of returns in e-commerce decreases by up to 25%.
71% of companies, that use Augmented Reality report improvements in customer satisfaction.
67% of advertising agencies believe that Augmented Reality significantly increases engagement and interest in advertising.
What is stored or encoded in memory is 70% higher with AR experiences.
Attention with Augmented Reality is 45% higher than the average observed in TV or online.
2. The Pioneers and Big Players Have Long Had Augmented Reality in Their Portfolios
Amazon introduced its own technology for virtual try-ons in 2022.
Gucci was an early adopter on SnapChat with the first Virtual TryOn.
Puma released its own AR filters for new sneakers in 2019.
As early as 2018, Adidas gained its first experience with Augmented Reality and Virtual TryOns:
In the meantime, these initial experiences and experiments have evolved into established benefits on major e-commerce platforms, social media, and in the online shops of many manufacturers. This is shown by further examples from Armani, Timberland, and Nike.
And Nike is trying the opposite approach here: the shoe in reality, but with virtual customization added.
Adidas is already going a step further and has virtual clothing for the very young target group, who are already actively using the Metaverse.
And other labels like Hockerty or Allbirds in their own app also use Virtual TryOns.
Augmented Reality is the Natural Evolution of Product Content
The third argument is purely logical.
With technological progress, the possibilities in marketing and the expectations of users and customers have also greatly increased.
From product descriptions and plain texts with few and low-resolution images, to more and higher-resolution product images and video content for products, to 360-degree views, and finally to interactive and Mixed Reality solutions such as AR and 3D models.
4 Best Practices for Augmented Reality in Shoe Marketing
Nike Virtual TryOn - formerly Nike Fit
In 2019, Nike launched its first major Virtual TryOn App and, according to their own statements, significantly increased new customer business and - no less important - reduced the return rate on purchases by 28%.
Burberry Improves User Experience Even in Search
Burberry uses Augmented Reality in Google Shopping for exciting user experience and personalized shopping.
Zalando Relies on Virtual Fitting Room Experience
According to Zalando, customer engagement has increased, with about half of customers trying on more than one size using the avatar function in the virtual fitting room. The company aims to scale the use of virtual try-on experiences.
Dior Quadruples ROI with AR Launch Campaign
According to Dior, the Lens and Snapchat ads alone quadrupled the brand's return on ad spend by 3.8 times and generated an additional approximately 2.3 million views.
What Different Augmented Reality and 3D Solutions Are There?
- Virtual Try-On Apps: These apps allow users to virtually try on shoes using their smartphones or tablets. Customers can see how the shoes look on their feet without actually trying them on. These apps often leverage AR technology to overlay virtual shoes onto the user's real-world environment.
- WebAR / AR-enabled Websites: Some shoe brands integrate AR technology into their websites, allowing customers to see how the shoes will look on their feet using their device's camera. This immersive experience enhances the online shopping experience and helps customers make informed purchase decisions. A similarly simple solution (without AR) for the browser is offered by the WebGL solution; we have summarized a tutorial on WebGL here.
- AR Social Media Filters: Brands create AR filters for popular social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, allowing users to try on virtual shoes through their camera lenses. These filters can be interactive and shareable, increasing brand visibility and social media engagement. These filters are also excellent as shoppable content that can guide your target audience directly from the awareness stage into the purchase process within your online shop.
- In-Store AR Experiences: Retailers can integrate AR experiences into their physical stores to engage customers and enhance the shopping experience. For example, they can set up AR mirrors or kiosks where customers can virtually try on different shoe models and customize them according to their preferences.
- 3D View / Product Visualization: Brands can offer interactive 3D visualizations of their shoes on their websites or mobile apps. Customers can rotate, zoom in, and view the shoes from different angles to get a better understanding of the product before making a purchase.
- Google Search AR Integration: Google Search includes an AR feature that allows users to view 3D models of products directly in search results. Companies can use this to present their products in a new dimension.
- AR Advertising Campaigns: Brands can create AR-powered advertising campaigns that allow users to interact with virtual shoe models in real-world environments. These campaigns can be deployed across various digital channels such as social media, websites, and mobile apps to attract and engage potential customers.
Infographic: The AR Checklist - What Questions Should I as a Marketing Manager Check Off?
Conclusion
Allison Wood was CEO of Camera IQ, an Augmented Reality agency based in Los Angeles, from 2016 to 2022 and said some fundamental, but very wise things about AR, which we want to quote here without comment:
"AR advertising resonates for two reasons:
The first is that it’s not interruptive. Augmented reality is more of a product placement. It’s part of the content and contributes to the experience itself. What we remember is an incredible 70% higher in AR experiences.
Second, the user is in control of the AR ad. All other ad types are forced on us. AR ads are curious. They’re invitations, not intrusions. They are artful, entertaining tools for consumers to play with and connect to the brands they love.”
david wischniewski
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