Burberry ups its marketing game with Augmented Reality

Today, the fashion industry does so much more than set the tone for fashion trends; it also serves as a platform to debut new technology. In the right race to win the consumer’s heart, fashion brands are banking in on technology to act as a competitive differentiator.

When it comes to favorites, immersion technology, an umbrella term that encompasses virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), is almost always at the top of the list.

It transforms the way one interacts with products: instead of viewing the content, users would instead find themselves fully immersed in virtual worlds. This is appealing to the consumer, as they can now try before they buy, without any strings attached.

Recently, the luxury fashion giant Burberry launched a new AR shopping tool with Google Search technology. With their smartphones, consumers can now have an AR experience when they search for selected Burberry products through Google Search.

Currently, this is only available for the Burberry Black TB bag and the Arthur Check Sneakers.

The tool is also incredibly easy to use; all the user has to do is key in, say, ‘Burberry Black TB Bag’, hit search, and click the “View in 3D” button. This immediately projects an AR version of the product at scale against the user’s environment. Not only does this simulate the in-store experience, but it also gives the customer a better understanding of a product before purchasing them.

This isn’t the first time Burberry dipped its feet into using technology to enhance customer experiences. In December 2019, the company launched a digital pop-up experience in London where, through their smartphones, users can see an aerial live feed of themselves among a herd of Burberry fawns.

The company definitely has its game going strong when it comes to digital marketing.

A Burberry wave is currently sweeping across Asia, and the brand has a huge, loyal following in China, where almost 80 percent of online shopping is done on mobile devices. This is evidence of digital marketing done right. Burberry’s digital success strategy hinges largely on improving a user’s mobile experience, and engaging its 51 million followers (in 2019) on social media.

The key takeaway here is that technology can be the retailer’s best friend. There are countless ways technology can be leveraged, especially in enhancing customer experience and establishing and maintaining market presence, both online and offline.

We are living in a digital age, no doubt, but there is no need for an annihilation of brick and mortar stores. Technology can be used to complement both online and physical stores, allowing retailers to get the most out of their investments.

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