By Jeff Ridgeway, Zappar
Football season is kicking
off and, as with each new season, retailers are thinking about how to make the
game day experience bigger and better for fans. Queue Augmented Reality (AR).
This emerging technology is becoming increasingly tied to how sports fans get
the most out of the games they go and see, and the products they purchase
there. AR is about enhancing an experience by combining physical reality with
digital content, and combining the creativity of AR with the excitement of
sports is a match made in heaven.
Here we explore some of the
ways retailers are using this technology to transform the way they market, connect,
and serve their NFL-supporting customers — driving app dwell time, enhancing
the in-store experience and boosting customer engagement.
A Drink Cup Can Be A Key
A souvenir cup is always a
cool thing to bring home from the game, and with AR it can be even more. Think
of it as a potential key to more content, player stats, and game highlights — all
by simply scanning a code on the cup with a phone. The 49ers have committed to
implementing this exact example by adding scannable codes to souvenir cups that
give fans the ability to launch a highlight reel of the greatest moments from
the team club’s history, straight from their phone.
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Adding small but creative
touches in an effective way to a fan’s experience has the power to ensure they
walk away with a rewarding and fun moment that supplements their overall
experience of game day. It does not always have to necessarily be a souvenir
cup, but just about anything that someone can bring home from the game. These
kinds of interactions leave a lasting impression of a brand.
A Phone Can Be A Front Seat
Through the creative power
of AR, even fans who are stuck in the nosebleeds can have an intimate game day
experience. Similarly to maximizing the value of a simple souvenir cup, AR has
the ability to transform the phone into a portal, bringing fans closer to the
game with close-up views of the action and real-time pop-ups of game and player
stats. Again, it just takes some creativity when prompting fans to engage. When
perfected, it could be as easy as pointing their phone’s camera at the field.
The Minnesota Vikings, for
example, have been implementing codes for fans to unlock additional content,
including interviews and videos of their favorite players, using their game day
program. As a result, they’ve experienced an increase in app downloads, which
were 58% higher than on normal game days during the week one home-opener — indicating
that fans are more than willing to engage and participate.
Content That Goes Beyond The Bleachers
The capabilities of
providing AR content do not need to be restrained to the stadium alone. Dozens
of other diverse industries are finding ways to implement AR into their
marketing, especially in retail. Take 7-Eleven for example, which recently
launched its own AR football mini-game. Players are rewarded with 7Rewards
points for their performance tossing a pigskin through hoops projected into
their physical environment, which are redeemable for drinks and snacks
in-store. More AR experiences can also be unlocked by scanning codes in-store.
Additionally, sports teams
can take a page out of skatewear brand Tilly’s book. To enhance the in-store
experience, the brand partnered with YouTube influencer Shonduras to create a
unique AR campaign for customers, by scanning codes for discount coupons and
participating in a scavenger hunt across a two-week period (wherein 80% of
vouchers were redeemed). Given that the world of sports outside of the stadium
is primarily driven by team paraphernalia, retail AR experiences are a way for
teams and companies to infuse AR into the fan experience, even without being at
the game.
With the seemingly endless
possibilities for AR tech to bring sports to life in new and exciting ways for
fans, there’s no telling what creative projects could emerge in the near
future. There’s never been a more innovative time for sports entertainment, and
the retail landscape is riper than ever for new technologies to give people
meaningful and memorable experiences.
Jeff
Ridgeway is SVP of Business Development – North America at Zappar,
the market leader in AR-enabled product and infotainment experiences on mobile.
