As Global Director of Arcadia, the AR Creative Studio at Snap Inc. based in Recent York, Resh Sidhu manages a team of augmented reality (AR) pioneers who’ve helped make the platform the highest one for sharing shopping moments. With over 250 million users who engage Snapchat with AR every day, Snapchat is vital to creating shopping experiences more relevant and fascinating for consumers — especially younger demographic cohorts comparable to Gen Z.

For fashion and sweetness brands that leverage the technology, the outcomes are startling.

For instance, in a Christian Dior Couture sneaker try-on campaign, the brand successfully drove sales to its website. And overall, their campaign, which included AR lenses and Snap Ads, drove a return on ad spend that far exceeded expectations – along with driving greater than 2.3 million views of its Snapchat Lens!

At Ulta Beauty, AR shopping campaigns drove 30 million product trials and $6 million in purchases. At MAC Cosmetics, AR on Snapchat drove 1.3 million product trials at lower than 1 cent per trial and with a 17X higher purchase lift amongst female shoppers. Gucci, LaCoste, American Eagle Outfitters, and other top brands, have also leveraged AR try-on Lenses to attain similar results.

Here, Sidhu shares insights into what makes AR relevant to shoppers and the way brands can leverage the technology to drive conversions and higher engage consumers.

Fairchild Studio: What makes AR so appealing to consumers?

Resh Sidhu: AR is an infinite creative canvas and operating system for a way we will explore the world,. Considering specifically about fashion and sweetness, it gives consumers the power to explore their very own sense of identity creatively and safely — and share those experiences with their close friends.

AR’s appeal also lies in its ability to democratize fashion and sweetness for all, transforming bizarre experiences into extraordinary ones. Through AR, consumers are in a position to truly visualize, try on and share products with their friends virtually,  making a more convenient experience.

For Snapchatters, AR isn’t a learned behavior, it’s a every day habit. By 2025, nearly 75% of the worldwide population shall be frequent AR users – a transparent indication that AR is moving from entertainment to a utility.

Fairchild Studio: How can AR be leveraged by fashion brands and retailers?

R.S.: Snapchat has at all times been a window to the world, but as James Baldwin famously wrote, a window can also be a mirror. As Snapchat becomes a way wherein we express and explore ourselves and our identity, we consider that brands can play a task in that exploration. The immersive nature of AR implies that the sort of connection built between a Snapchatter and a brand goes far beyond anything we’ve seen before in promoting.

So after all, it remains to be fun, expressive, and playful, but augmented reality also contributes to impactful ROI and is having an impact right through the funnel. Snapchatters who experience AR try-on Lenses are 2.4x more prone to purchase. AR try-on Lenses create an experience that you simply don’t easily forget while driving motion and constructing a stronger relationship between your brand and our Snapchatters.

Fairchild Studio: What’s the general value proposition for brands using AR?

R.S.: The shop changing room has at all times been a spot of self-exploration – with AR, we’re taking something good, and making it higher. Creating an experience where a brand can establish an intimate relationship with their customer, and help them to explore their sense of identity.

AR also blows open the size of the changing room – there’s no ten item limit with AR, as an alternative Snapchatters have the entire product portfolio on the swipe of a finger.

AR improves the shopper experience, increases conversion to sale through digital try-ons, and reduces the speed of product returns, which can assist consumers make more accurate purchase selections and help the environment.

Fairchild Studio: How else is AR redefining the shopping experience, and what’s Snapchat’s role in that?

R.S.: Today, AR has the facility to rework the buyer experience in unimaginable ways for our community, whether it’s through product education, in-store experience, or digital try-on. Snapchat is constructing AR experiences that transform how we interact with the world, and with one another.

Apart from higher conversion rates, branded AR experiences on Snapchat also see significantly higher levels of immersion in comparison with other marketing formats. Today, shoppers can virtually try on trainers, a pair of glasses or find the proper makeup look for his or her next event.

Fairchild Studio:  How do you see AR helping fashion apparel and retail evolve? What’s next for Snapchat and the industry?

R.S.: Within the near term, we consider increasing accuracy of ML and visual recognition will mean that buyers will find a way to search out a product that’s the proper fit for them. Moreover, we consider brands have the chance to grow brand affinity through AR. Snap AR offers brands the prospect to share their message  in an interactive way, inviting their audience to be lively participants and co-creators of their story. —

As we explore latest applications of AR, we hope to expand our AR capabilities beyond fashion and retail to numerous partners across industries to proceed democratizing personal and interactive experiences.