Over the last couple of years, augmented reality (AR) has been touted as the next big thing in marketing technology. The possibilities for this technology seem limitless. The ability to enhance real world settings with relevant overlays of information and visuals to create a complete,  immersive, experience is a marketer’s dream. While strides are being made in the augmented reality arena to bring the technology to the masses – many smart phone and tablet manufacturers already enable AR through cameras, GPS capabilities and processing power and companies like Intel and Qualcomm are working on getting AR features into chipsets – AR technology is still evolving and it may be some time before it is fully embraced by all.

That said there are currently quite a few compelling ways in which the technology is being used. And while most of the press about AR has primarily focused on the business to consumer benefits, there are ways that the business-to-business market can capitalize on it.

One of the most practical ways it can be used in b-to-b marketing is in the events and conferences space. For example, with augmented reality, attendees at a conference can use their smart phones to point at an exhibitor booth and get additional, rich information and visuals on their phones in real time. Using AR, attendees would also be able to point their phones at new product demos to get another level of graphics and information such as 3D video how-to guides.

Another interesting way augmented reality is being used right now is in business cards. Imagine being at a conference or networking event where you are meeting business prospects and giving them a card that not only has your contact information but can also tell them a little more about you as a person and your company. What a great way to stand out, not to mention the potential lead generation implications.

Here are some great examples of AR business cards compiled by Mashable.

The potential for augmented reality in the b-to-b space is worth exploring as the technologies that enable it reach maturity. While naysayers may think AR is a fad, if done right, it will be around for years to come.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 1st, 2011 at 5:22 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.