Next Gen Pop-up’s

17th October, 2013

We recently released a blog talking about the changed nature of the pop-up advert and how in reality we as consumers have taken on that role perfectly. By checking our mobile devices up to 150 times per day mobile marketers no longer need the all singing all dancing pink and green seizure inducing advert to entice our gaze.

This set me thinking though. Technology has a habit of continually evolving to transcend its previous incarnation and as such, the age of Augmented Reality (AR) is creeping up on us. News recently came that Apple have dropped their own version of an AR enhanced product to rival the much feted Google Glass project which is a shame; a genuine contender for an enhanced, wearable AR product would have promoted innovation whilst hopefully beginning to compress the cost.

Back to the ads: we check our smart device up to 150 times per day, but what about when we have wearable technology specifically designed to enhance our reality. Will we see a full turn around in pop-up ads?

At a very basic level, the feedback we contribute to the AR advertising will hypothetically provide a better advertising service for us but this still raises the question of continual exposure. As the services work currently, there is no market for advertising as many AR apps are designed to focus on one specific area; providing a dial pad on someone’s hand, or providing an overlay for review networks are two instances. But as the technology becomes more affordable it will become somewhere that adverts are displayed. A screen directly above an individuals’ eye will surely be too much for advertisers to resist.

As for research, I can see the potential benefit of on the fly research techniques and capabilities being massively enhanced. A continual stream of information being maintained by a selected panel would provide an exceptional insight into the panel opinion and psyche surrounding a topic, as well as allowing direct communication lines between researcher and respondent. It is difficult to pre-empt the effects that wearable AR technology is going to have, not only on these areas but also in education and the medical professions where non-intrusive additional information could enhance a surgeon’s accuracy, or provide a teacher with the means to rapidly expand classroom knowledge with exceptional up to date information.

With regards to AR, one thing we can be sure of is that it will not be disappearing any time soon, so perhaps it would be prudent for research companies to begin to take stock and understand this emerging technology.