Why should you use an augmented reality presentation?

Augmented reality is already set to transform business communication forever as it takes users on an immersive, memorable journey that combines reality with elements of the virtual world.

Businesses can now leverage augmented reality presentations to engage their audience on a higher level, sell their products and services more effectively, and develop a memorable brand experience.

At AfterNow, for the past 3 years, we've created over two dozen augmented reality presentations and immersive experiences for large enterprises like Anthem and Sprint.

The impact and outcome of these AR presentations have been impressive. The consistent result: a significant increase in engagement, understanding, and a brand new perspective for the audience, regardless of the purpose of the presentation.

Across every industry, augmented reality presentations are proven to enable better lead engagement and deal closing thus creating a spike in productivity, business value and revenue generation.

By adding an extra layer of digital information to sales presentations, real world exhibits or training sessions, augmented reality presentations provide a far more interactive experience than traditional methods. They offer  a far higher level of engagement and creative possibility for B2C and B2B communications than established channels

The future of communication has arrived; it now makes sense for businesses to begin investing in AR because of the unique impact it has on an audience. Even with current AR headset limitations we are able to provide a significant increase in value compared to traditional communication tools like PowerPoint, video clips or brochures.

At AfterNow we have built and designed a number of successful AR presentations. We saw the need for a platform for clients to create and manage their own AR presentations without technical knowledge, and that’s what led us to create AfterNow Prez.

When are AR presentations most effective?

You may be wondering when the right time to utilize an AR presentation would be.

In place of traditional methods of communication such as 2d presentations on a board or a screen, one can explain a concept, tell a story, pitch a big idea or present a new product by fully immersing their audience in their message.

Today, Augmented Reality presentations are more effective, compelling and memorable than creating a brochure or a quick PowerPoint presentation.There already are a number of use cases where they really shine and provide a solid return on investment.

Our augmented reality presentations are regularly used for at least four major purposes: high stakes meetings, sales enablement, trade show activation and training.

High stakes meetings

When the stakes are high, the tools you use to communicate your point or value proposition will matter the most. Below are some of the high stakes meetings where we have assisted in executing AR presentations, many with successful endings or closed deals: .

• C-suite meetings
• Investor pitches
• Company board meetings
• Large sales deals

“AfterNow Prez has transformed how Anthem has approached storytelling by enabling our teams to visualize complex ideas for our clients. We believe that this medium of storytelling will continue to change how our enterprise communicates and collaborates, both internally and externally.

Recently, we used AfterNow Prez to tell an immersive journey of one of our members to our largest client. The “Wow” factor of AfterNow’s 3D models/animations and software cannot be overstated. Our partnership with AfterNow is one we will continue to champion.”

-Bobby Samuel, Vice President of Strategic Claims at Anthem

Trade show booth & experience centers

Augmented reality presentations; an interactive element to help companies attract interest at crowded trade shows and overcome the limitations of traditional printed marketing materials. They can be integrated into real world product displays to provide additional information or brand stories.

Immersive experiences can be utilized to highlight any details of your entire product or service line on demand. Product demonstrations are often far more effective due to the ability to showcase entire product lines and focus on specific details in a captivating manner.

Virtual showrooms can also be created to overcome floor space limitations - this is especially helpful for industries with products that are difficult to transport. Salespeople can take potential customers on an exciting journey through their cutting-edge products and help them visualize the possibilities using virtual elements that are presented in the physical world.

Here are some of the experiences we worked on for well known trade shows:

• During the Los Angeles MWC 2019 for Sprint’s VIP visitors, we augmented a physical model of a 1.5 mile autonomous vehicle test track to demonstrate 5G capabilities for self driving cars, drones, smart signal intersections and light poles. Read the full client use case.
• In April 2017 in partnership with VRLA (Virtual Reality Los Angeles) and Microsoft we created the first out of home augmented reality experience with the Hololens called the Mixed Reality Easter Egg Hunt. Read the full project use case.

Most of these experiences have taken their respective places as permanent installations. Projects such as the Sprint model travel to various conferences around the world and others are displayed at corporate headquarters and experience centers like Anthem’s Service Learning Experience.

Sales Force

For a sales force, AR Glasses like Hololens or Magic Leap are portable and easy to travel with, serving as a powerful, portable sales presentation tool. Your sales force can transport a full 3D dimensional catalog of your products or an immersive presentation communicating your value propositions like never before.

By enabling your salespeople with the next generation of communication technology, you are sure to beat the brochures and videos of your competition, especially when you start now.

By starting now, you’ll get ahead of your competition before AR becomes widely adopted.

Training & Education

For training and educational applications, AR enhances how users visualize and therefore improves how they receive and follow instructions.

Immersive learning enhances the educational experience - the visual aspect of learning allows for users to retain information and increase productivity and learning efficiency.

AR allows educators to bring their lessons to life and deploy detailed 3D models, provide supplementary data and facts which can be viewed on demand by the students, and visually explain difficult concepts. AR has been successfully used as an educational tool in primary schools up to secondary schools and colleges.

Workplace training or safety presentations can be far more effective using augmented reality, as the trainees can access supplementary information on demand and learn visually. Tutorials can be overlay directly onto equipment for more engaging visual demonstrations. Early results pertaining to existing pilots and deployments of immersive training show higher engagement and retention rate than any other form of training.

Training and education applications are endless. We have only begun to scratch the surface of the possibilities for the uses of AR presentations in education and training.

What content works best for AR presentations?

Augmented Reality presentations work even better when you want to represent  your brand or product in a futuristic light. AR glasses tend to naturally look and feel futuristic, add compelling content to it, and your interlocutors will be blown away.

Therefore, AR presentations work very well for new and upcoming product demos. AR is also effective for training, business demonstrations, user manuals and more. A wide range of content types can be effectively communicated using AR.

3D content

If you are selling physical products, AR presentations allow you to bring your entire lineup to your audience on demand. You can provide them with detailed 3D presentations of every product feature and focus on any aspect of your product lineup as needed. Below is an example of an AR presentation of a plane.

Data visualization

By adding a third dimension to a data visualization model, one can relay more information and make more sense of data. Complex concepts can be visualized in 3D to simplify them while users are taken on a far more captivating and memorable journey of learning and understanding.

Virtual Characters

Virtual characters can be used to convey information during AR presentations and provide users with a greater sense of presence and engagement compared to a simple voice over. Virtual character utilization results in a more personalized and human user experience and can be ideal for demonstrating products, procedures, step by step instructions, or expected behaviors.

Below are some AR presentation applications where virtual characters can be highly effective:

• Corporate training
• Business presentation
• Product demonstration
• Training instruction
• User manual

First person narrative

The AR medium enables compelling storytelling through first person experiences. We can take the spectator into a first person perspective of the experience where we are able to convey complex concepts or stories and make them stick.

For example, during the Future of Health presentation for Anthem, a leading health care company, we simulated a body scan and extracted vital sign data like the heartbeat from the user and then displayed them as a diagnostic. Even though it was a pure simulation, over half the users experiencing it believed we were showing their actual heart rate.

First person narratives deployed in AR will emotionally touch the user, generating compassion and a deep understanding of your message. This will resonate for a long time after the presentation is over.

How do I start using augmented reality presentations?

Most presentation are still built from scratch using Unity3D, Maya, Blender and all the tools needed to create games or animated movies.

AfterNow and a few other companies provide full content creation and development services to create immersive AR presentation experiences.

If you want to create augmented reality presentations yourself and do not want to learn Unity3D or 3D modeling we provide a platform: AfterNow Prez that provides all the technology you need to create augmented reality presentations.

Right now our platform is optimized for Hololens, we have an Alpha for Magic Leap and Microsoft's Mixed Reality VR headsets.  We are also planning to release it on ARKit, Ximmerse RhinoX, and Nreal Light in the next few months.

Our enterprise clients use AfterNow Prez to distribute and manage their presentations across all their devices.

Let’s transform the way humans communicate. Usher your business into a new era of higher engagement and memorability through the use of augmented reality presentations.

Learn more about the unique benefits of using AfterNow Prez for your next major presentation and schedule a demo by emailing today@afternow.io or calling us at 424-258-0776.