Even if the number of users of the AR, the augmented reality, continues to grow, companies wishing to invest in this technology still face many challenges, the least of which is not the ROI …
Have you noticed that augmented reality (AR) is less present in the news? Certainly, other areas squarely our attention, such as AI (Artificial Intelligence) and IoT (Internet of Things). But especially the first projects that have experimented with this technology have trouble seducing to move to the industrial phase.
Few professions have seized technology, even if the projects are multiplying, in aeronautics for example to document industrial processes. But it is still PoC or experiments. Marketers, in particular, are struggling to find a place for him. Why?
Lack of maturity, measurement, ROI
A BCG study, conducted in January 2018 with US marketers, confirmed that while 21% plan to use CA to support the customer journey, they also face a number of challenges. Starting with the lack of maturity of the market:
- 42% – Low ability to satisfy a sufficient audience (usage scale);
- 35% – Too new and experimental, lack of measurable results;
- 35% – Demand too much investment;
- 4% – Difficult to target the desired audience.
This is not the population of potential users – 51.2 million users in the United States, up 36% from 2017 – which is questioned, even if we are far from the massive adoption announced for several years. There is already an audience for the RA.
The BCG study demonstrates that it is the impact, measurement and return on investment of the RA that poses challenges and makes marketers reluctant to engage in it.
- 42% – The impact or ROI is unclear;
- 27% – Impact or ROI is clear but too weak;
- 27% – The lack of robust measurement capabilities.
Where are the skills?
But most importantly, the AR is a new technology, one of the main challenges is the lack of skills and availability within the marketing teams and the company.
- 31% – Lack of in-house expertise;
- 16% – Lack of consciousness;
- 08% – Lack of time or staff to manage a new platform;
- 08% – Difficulty getting agencies what asked.
If the use cases emerge from the industry, the AR – too new, too technical, lack of skills, and poorly defined ROI – struggling to impose itself in the companies. But marketing is interested in its potential. Just access to maturity will certainly take longer than expected.
