Introduction
In 2023, interactive print will transform the way companies communicate with their audience. Print companies, marketers, manufacturers, and retailers are adopting strategies that seize on the ability of interactive print to bridge the gap between print, digital, and social messaging in omnichannel marketing. Interactive print turns practically every item a company prints – direct mail postcards, brochures, catalogs, posters, and even product packaging – into a 3D, video or ecommerce engagement with customers.
Embedding WebAR QR or other codes into printed content lets businesses give customers more information and connects them to videos, websites, ecommerce sites, and augmented reality experiences through smart devices. It allows them to invigorate print products with fresh and creative content to make every interaction enjoyable, memorable, and profitable.
Among the industries that will be dramatically impacted in 2023 are retail, product packaging, direct mail, marketing collateral print, and posters and signage.
Retail
Adding interactive print into an omnichannel strategy offers new and exciting ways for retailers to showcase their products and allow audiences to explore products for more engaging and enriching experiences. Retail product displays, demo stations, kiosks, and retail signs become opportunities to stand apart from the competition with messaging that begins with print but travels to digital destinations that lead to higher conversions and increased sales.
Westside BMW, a leading Australian BMW dealership, wanted to display inventory inside a retail shopping mall in high traffic hallways, a time-proven successful way to attract audiences. However, the dealership didn’t want to deal with the cost to transport a large number of cars, worry about security, pay insurance against damage, or spare valuable inventory off the lot. The solution: Interactive print banners enhanced with augmented reality displayed throughout that mall that replicated the car shopping experience with video and augmented reality content delivered through WebAR QR codes and viewed on the audience’s smart phone. The customer’s final destination was a call to action to book a test drive.
Product Packaging
Interactive printing on product packaging and labels provides opportunities for businesses to share additional messaging that goes deeper into the shopper’s experience. Interactive print provides innovative ways to capture a shopper’s attention with engaging storytelling that can use animation, video, and 3D modeling that leaps off the packaging and label through a customer’s smart phone. Products are often judged by the attraction and creativity of their packaging and interactive print adds an exciting element of appeal.
PMD, an internationally recognized importer of fine teas and tea products, was looking for a way to communicate their company values and commitment to ethically sourced and produced tea to their customers. The solution? The company enhanced their product packaging with QR codes that connected viewers with exclusive AR and video content that relayed the company’s mission and values. The last stop on the viewer journey was a call to action to visit the PMD Tea online store for more shopping options.
Direct Mail
One area where interactive print has proven to make a dramatic impact is when it’s deployed as a direct mail component of a business’ omnichannel marketing strategy. On its own, direct mail has an impressive ROI and consistently high conversion rates. Add interactive print experiences enhanced with augmented reality or video and direct mail success soars to entirely new levels. According to USPS Delivers, marketers who coordinated direct mail with digital marketing increased response rate by 63%, website visits by 68% and leads by 53%.
UnitedOne Credit Union, one of the oldest and most highly regarded credit unions in Wisconsin, wanted to optimize their traditional direct mail campaigns and boost its effectiveness. The solution? UnitedOne Credit Union seamlessly integrated innovative augmented reality technology with variable print software to create personalized and targeted message that included a handwritten welcome from the branch manager. It also included a 360-degree tour of the local office and a WebAR splash page and integrated call to action that allowed UnitedOne to track and measure every interaction.
Marketing Collateral
As the cost of integrating interactive print into marketing collateral continues to become more affordable, businesses of all sizes are reimagining the role print plays in omnichannel marketing. Posters, rack cards, post cards, brochures, catalogs, and other collateral can come to life through a WebAR QR code and a smart device. Print has always been one of the most trusted marketing channels and adding a new dimension of engagement through interactive print only makes it more powerful.
Harcourts Stafford, a leading real estate agency in Brisbane, Australia, sought an innovative way to connect with prospective buyers through an augmented reality enhanced property booklet. The solution? Readers could scan images of properties appearing in the booklet with a smart device to enjoy video overviews of the properties and experience interactive 3D walkthroughs for a totally immersive experience. They were then linked with an agent to receive more information or to schedule a private, physical viewing.
Posters and Signage
Interactive print invigorates posters and signage used for promotion and advertising by turning what was once a 2D dimensional, static experience into a unique way to grab an audience’s attention and make it impressive. It’s been shown that integrating interactive augmented reality into printed content makes the content three times more memorable than regular print. With the number of mobile AR users expected to top 3.5 billion in 2023, interactive print enhanced posters and signage reach audiences that are on the move.
The Queensland (Australia) Museum Network wanted to transform the city of Brisbane with immersive and interactive art installations, posters, and signage as part of Curiocity, the city’s nearly month-long World Science Festival. Through their own smart devices, tourists and festival goers were treated to intriguing animations, images, and stories created by internationally acclaimed artists positioned throughout Brisbane. Stakeholders were able to monitor and adjust campaigns through an easy-to-use and intuitive dashboard and review customer engagement metrics from the comprehensive backend reporting module.
Conclusion
For interactive print, the future is now. Businesses that fail to capitalize on the vast opportunities this innovative technology offers risk falling behind the competition. For companies that embrace interactive print for their print products, the time has never been better for creating engaging print integrated omnichannel campaigns to increase customer response rates, improve brand position, and increase sales with interactive print.
Contact UnifiedAR to learn more about creating successful interactive print campaigns.