Where consumers eat with their eyes first

It’s been said time and again that augmented reality marketing is “the future,” but for Gen Z, augmented reality is part of the purchasing journey already.

In today’s competitive market, consumers have more options for mealtime decisions than ever before, so connecting with them in personalized and memorable ways is crucial to any restaurant’s success. But launching big marketing campaigns can be costly, and physical brand experiences have many limitations, including reach, effort and scalability.

Meet augmented reality: The only engaging brand experience that has massive reach, is highly effective at driving ROI and provides depth of connection via meaningful interactions. This innovative approach takes social advertising from mere exposures that are easy to scroll past to full-on immersive experiences that users actually want to engage with and share with their friends. In fact, the earlier  restaurants jump on this, the better, because by 2025, nearly 75% of the global population and almost all people who use social/communication apps will be frequent AR users.[1]

From love at first sight to taking the first bite of their meal

In a 2022 Ipsos Augmented Reality Shift Study commissioned by Snap Inc., four out of five brands stated that using AR Filters and Lenses improved their brand awareness metrics.[2]

While video advertising is an effective way to get a message across, campaigns that leverage both traditional video ad content combined with AR ads via the camera, can be more memorable for consumers and more impactful for businesses across the funnel. 

A sprinkle goes a long way: Augmented reality has the power to drive real business results

AR can be used to increase brand awareness with always-on messaging, to promote limited-time offers or digital conversions and to drive recruitment. Reach new guests and remind frequent ones why they come back again and again, allvia easy-to-execute creative that helps them visualize menu items and ingredients, discover new seasonal ones and lead them to the check-out counter or online ordering site.

Additionally, AR inspires co-creation, inviting the whole community to engage with them, further amplifying brands through user-generated content. Augmented Reality turns people into more than just puppy dogs or potatoes—it has the power to turn them into brand advocates. Social media users constantly look to their friends and family for advice on where to eat, celebrate milestones and order meals from, so AR allows brands to be part of the conversation organically, without appearing promotional.

Snapchat is where consumers eat with their eyes first through augmented reality, enabling brands to build consumer appetite and drive brand relevance.“AR on Snapchat is a tested and proven product, driving full-funnel results for UberEats,” said Kevin Watterson, Brand Marketing Manager, Paid Social Media at Uber in a statement.