Volvo’s Mikael Karlsson takes aim at augmented reality
Augmented reality is cropping up everywhere. Backed by enormous demand from consumers, the technology is quickly solidifying its place as a staple in the world of mobile technology, marketing, and entertainment. While this may be good news for consumers interested in augmented reality, some involved in the mobile marketing business believe that augmented reality is being set up to fail. According to Volvo mobile marketing manager Mikael Karlsson, augmented reality is receiving too much attention too quickly.
Technology may be overrated for its use in mobile marketing
Karlsson was recently part of a panel discussion at Apps World, a global developer event that was held in the United Kingdom. The panel discussed matters regarding mobile marketing applications and strategies. The topic of augmented reality was a prominent focus of the discussion panel, in which Karlsson suggested that augmented reality was nothing more than a marketing gimmick. According to Karlsson, the technology is both “overhyped” and “overrated.”
AR may be more suitable for practical purposes
Though Karlsson is not a fan of augmented reality in marketing, he does believe that the technology has some value in more practical uses, such as in vehicles as a navigational aid. In terms of marketing, Karlsson suggests that current mobile technology is not adequate enough to provide consumers with a high quality experience, thus limiting the impact of mobile marketing strategies that make use of augmented reality. Karlsson noted that the technology’s reliance on QR codes or other such markers was a serious problem. The technology has, however, evolved beyond the point of using such markers, thus eliminating QR codes from the equation.
Consumer demand for AR continues to grow
Augmented reality has certainly made its presence in mobile marketing felt. The technology is a large part of many mobile marketing strategies coming from some of the world’s largest advertising agencies. Despite the apparent constraints of modern mobile devices, consumers have been mostly pleased with their encounters with augmented reality and many are demanding to see more of the technology implemented into their lives in the future.
