Web comment – what you said

Lara O’Reilly started a vigorous debate when she questioned the value of the use of augmented reality in some marketing campaigns. Read the blog at MWlinks.co.uk/AugmentedLara and comment extracts below.

Ticking the right boxes
When new and shiny tech matures for mainstream use – often after many years of development by passionate geeks – we immediately have so-called marketing agencies eager to tick the various boxes for their clients: Is it new? Check. Is it youthful? Check. And is it latest tech? Check.

But when the paint is still metaphorically drying on the tech, it gets a bad rap, which sets it up for a dive into the trough of disillusionment. As a creative developer in the AR and virtual world space, I have seen this happen with so many new areas over the past decade. I only wish we would let a new tech grow out of adolescence before we throw it in front of the masses.
Gary P Hayes

Masses see potential
If you look at the personal computer to the internet, we didn’t wait until we could achieve 10 Mbps internet speeds and 2GHz dual-core processors before releasing it to the masses because those are acceptable speeds and less clunky. The masses understand new tech will improve and are smart enough to see the potential.
Elle

Economic reality check
As technology emerges, economics dictates that it is largely underwritten by marketing and promotions, not necessarily deeper, more useful experiences that would drive research and development.
Greg Davis

Learn from history
Marketers are only using AR for its own sake, gaining nothing from its key features, because everybody is just learning about it. Just check back the first product/brand microsites, Facebook campaigns or ads, or the first trials of any other newborn marketing channel.
Szabolcs Budahazy, ARworks