Bringing back a marketing dinosaur

Marketing has been going through a seismic shift over the last decade. A field that used to be dominated by print advertising and billboards is rapidly being replaced by miniature smart phone websites and pay per click advertising. Even though new technology has begun to phase out the traditional methods of promotion, there are some new methods that actually make use of decade old tools such as print advertising.

AMC Theaters is one of the largest entertainment venues in the country. They bring in billions of dollars in revenue each year and are one of the staples of the entertainment industry. Even though they have evolved their marketing with smartphone applications and pre-movie screening advertisements, they have found a way to integrate new technology into the most basic of their industry’s marketing, the movie poster.

New technology  has allowed for smartphones to create augmented reality. User will look at the outside world through their mobile screen and be treated to a different experience than their eyes initially perceived. AMC has integrated this into movie posters. By viewing the poster using the phone camera, movie details, movie trailers, and ticket information will pop up on the screen. This process works on movie posters inside the theater, as well as VR enabled posters that are present in print magazines and on websites.

Applications for your business

If you have print marketing efforts, including posters, signage, or magazine ads, it may be worth seeing if you can enhance these marketing efforts with some digital technology. QR codes are scan-ready media that will take a customer to your designated mobile website once they scan it. You can also go the AMC Theater route and create a complete augmented reality experience with your print advertising. This method will greatly enhance the level of interaction that your print advertising has for customers. Even though this method can be effective, here are a few pointers to use when integrating this software:

  • Make the destination as good as the journey: If you create a beautiful print advertisement and then have a scan area to give the customer more information, make sure that the mobile experience is as good as, or better, than the print one. QR codes and VR efforts have been criticized for their marketing effectiveness because they are misused. A company will create the possibility for this interaction, but when customers use it they are taken to a non-mobile website, or worse, the link may not work at all. Having the technology work correctly and seamlessly is key to success.
  • Put it in the right place: This type of technology is well suited to a movie theater inside a mall where the majority of people have a smartphone and cell service & wifi are in abundance. However, virtual reality marketing will not work if it is being used on a roadside billboard where people drive by, or in a section of the city where cell phone reception will be hard to come by. Make sure that customers will be able to access your great content whenever you present the option.

Virtual reality and augmented experiences were only seen in science fiction movies a few years ago. Now everyone with access to a smartphone is able to participate in this futuristic marketing. At DigitalParc we have the app development tools to help you get on the cutting edge of marketing promotion. Good luck with your digital and print advertising, and thanks for reading!