As the news broke, #IPL2020 started trending across social media and cricket fans went craze. BCCI is set to start IPL 2020 in September and tournament will take place in the UAE. Fans are excited and started pulling legs of opponent teams. This time fans are behind locked doors, cannot visit the stadium and feel the vibes. Also with the UAE hosting the event, fans are going to miss the homeland nostalgia.
Teams and sponsors need to find out ways to engage with fans as physical interaction limits the experience. Keeping fans engaged, close to the team is important in keeping their interests high. While the current COVID-19 crisis limits brands to host live events and promotional programs, augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) seems a promising technology to explore limitless engagement with the fan base.
AR can bring any merchandise, fan mail, tickets, match day programs, and 3D Avatars to digital life in viewers’ smartphones.
AR Booklet for Brand Marketing
Sponsors can use multiple sales channels to market their brands. For instance, a brand can offer free booklets about the team during a purchase from a retail store or a digital booklet over an online purchase, which takes fans through the team’s journey with advertisements promoting the sponsors. Viewers can scan the QR code in the advertisements to experience the product in 3D. For example, Puma with a shoe advertisement can make the viewer try shoes virtually. Thus, an augmented booklet can make customers engage with brand products.
Over to this with QR code scanning, brands can offer exciting gifts and a special discount on the purchase of products. Also, videos from team players about the product they use and player promoting for a virtual try-on can bring more brand confidence/promotion of the product.
Membership e-Postcards with Brand Logo
Brands/clubs can organize an email campaign using postcards with a brand logo, which can have information about the team, player stats, video content, and images. Using the QR code in the postcard, viewers can unlock AR content to take selfies with team members. Also, more engaging and interactive content can be offered. For example, 3D projection of player information, key movements from players in 3D (Helicopter shot of Dhoni), dance with players, bowling/batting with players and augmented tour of teams resort.
Brand logos projected with every content can bring more visibility to brands. Additionally, offering tailored AR filters/virtual try-on for selfies with the brand name on the bottom and a hashtag promotion can enhance brand marketing. For example, hashtag “#pepsiwithchennai”, quoting the association of Chennai Super Kings with Pepsi, can attract more audience driving engagement and buzz on social media such as on Instagram/Twitter.
Digital Match Day Programs
Using augmented 3D avatars– keynotes, thoughts and exciting statements from players can be visualized in a webpage or smartphone application. Key highlights from the previous face-off can be visualized here with stats and other information.
Brands can host different activities engaging players so that viewers can experience the brand advertisements in real-time. Also, brands can showcase their future digital customer journey strategy with real-time feedback. This way brands can educate customers on how in the future they can access brand products. Along with this, brands can have a CSR video/campaign marketing, streamed with a 3D model explaining the initiative on how they follow best practices or supported communities during the COVID-19 crisis.
Location-based Games
You might have played or at least heard of AR game Pokemon GO, where we went around the city to catch 3D pokemon characters. Brands can make fans play the AR game for collecting their products through the camera. Brands can initiate these game using own/third party applications and make fans collect their products from different parts of the city using a camera and get bonus points for collecting each product.
These bonus points can be redeemed later during the purchase of the product in retail/online stores. For example, collecting 3D figures for their product 5 times can offer 5 bonus points which are equal to 5 rupees. By this approach, brands can market their new products, make customers aware of their products, and know their features. The game can be made available through the team’s membership/e-post cards about the IPL match.
Augray’s Augmented IPL
In the new normal world, brands are looking for innovative solutions to connect with the audience. AR can transform marketing and advertising in sports. Augray recognized this opportunity and aims to transform this space with its XR products, which can bring constructive changes in sports marketing.
AR allows brands to collect information about the customers and offer personalized advertisements. Thus, AR in sports marketing creates fan engagement and can boost sales. On event pamphlets or e-postcards, brands can advise fans to download their AR application and check ads to unlock special deals. As the adoption of AR in marketing continues to grow, brands need to add AR into their marketing media mix.
Augray believes AR can be a potential game-changer during this IPL season that can offer a unique experience to fans alongside promoting brands.
Thinking about ways to connect with your audience? Augray will get you connected, Contact us
