Augmented Reality Integration Boosts Brand Love Through Perceived Closeness

Why It Matters

This research highlights a powerful avenue for brands to deepen engagement by leveraging AR technology. By making brands feel more present and accessible in a consumer's physical environment, AR can cultivate a sense of closeness that translates into greater brand affection and loyalty.

Key Finding

Augmented reality marketing makes brands feel closer to consumers, which in turn increases their affection for the brand. This effect is stronger for brands consumers already know.

Key Findings

• Using AR increases perceived physical closeness to a brand.
• Increased perceived physical closeness leads to greater brand love (emotional closeness).
• Higher local presence (perceived brand presence) drives perceived physical closeness and brand love.
• The positive effect of AR on brand love is amplified when consumers are already familiar with the brand.

Research Evidence

Aim: How does augmented reality marketing influence consumer-brand relationships by affecting perceived closeness and ultimately driving brand love?

Method: Empirical studies (experimental and pre-/post-use design)

Procedure: Researchers conducted two studies. The first compared the effects of using an AR app versus a non-AR experience on perceived brand closeness and brand love. The second study examined how local presence (perceived brand presence in the physical environment) influences perceived physical closeness and brand love, also assessing the impact of prior brand familiarity.

Context: Consumer marketing and brand engagement

Design Principle

Leverage immersive technologies to bridge the perceived gap between consumers and brands, fostering emotional resonance.

How to Apply

Develop AR filters, virtual try-on experiences, or interactive product visualizations that place brand elements directly into the user's environment.

Limitations

The studies may not account for all types of AR applications or diverse consumer demographics. The long-term impact of AR-driven brand love requires further investigation.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: Using AR in ads makes people feel like the brand is right there with them, which makes them like the brand more, especially if they already know it.

Why This Matters: This research shows how new technologies like AR can be used to build deeper emotional connections with users, which is a key goal in many design projects.

Critical Thinking: To what extent does the novelty of AR itself contribute to the effect, versus the inherent design of the AR experience?

IA-Ready Paragraph: This research indicates that augmented reality marketing can significantly enhance consumer-brand relationships by fostering a sense of perceived closeness. By integrating virtual brand elements into a user's physical context, AR reduces the perceived distance, leading to increased emotional connection and brand love, particularly among consumers already familiar with the brand. This suggests that for design projects aiming to build brand loyalty, exploring AR applications to create immersive and accessible brand experiences is a promising strategy.

Project Tips

• Consider how AR can make a product or brand feel more tangible and accessible to users.
• Explore how to design AR experiences that enhance a sense of 'presence' for the user.

How to Use in IA

• Reference this study when discussing how interactive or immersive technologies can influence user perception and emotional response in your design project.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate an understanding of how emerging technologies can be strategically employed to achieve specific user-centered outcomes, such as increased brand loyalty.

Independent Variable: ["Use of Augmented Reality (AR) vs. non-AR","Local presence (perceived brand presence in physical environment)"]

Dependent Variable: ["Perceived physical closeness to the brand","Brand love (emotional closeness of relationship)"]

Controlled Variables: ["Familiarity with the brand"]

Strengths

• Empirical validation of a theoretical framework.
• Investigates the role of perceived closeness as a mediator.

Critical Questions

• How might cultural differences influence the perception of closeness through AR?
• What are the ethical considerations of using AR to foster emotional connections with brands?

Extended Essay Application

• An Extended Essay could investigate the long-term impact of AR-driven brand relationships or compare the effectiveness of different AR interaction types on brand perception.

Source

Augmented reality marketing and consumer‒brand relationships: How closeness drives brand love · Psychology and Marketing · 2024 · 10.1002/mar.21953