Polaris leverages augmented reality, mobile brochure to generate roadster sales
Polaris' Slingshot roadster sold half its advance sales thanks to the help of a mobile brochure with augmented reality technology that aims to reproduce the exhilarating experience of riding it.
Users? ability to bring to life the sights, sounds, and feel of the Slingshot riding experience by downloading an Integer Group/Bully Entertainment-supported mobile application helped garner more than 5,300 downloads, and led to deposits being taken for over half the first production, without a single test drive experience. The campaign shows how augmented reality can be leveraged to boost an emotional connection with a product that can drive sales.
?Due to the fact the roadster wouldn?t be in dealerships until mid November, we needed to create an experience as unique as the roadster itself,? said Mark Edwards, director of mobile with the Integer Group.
?As with all augmented reality applications you can use either a location or marker based approach. In this case, we used a marker as our foundation, but designed three different marker experiences.?
3D model
Polaris, with 2013 sales of $3.8 billion, makes off-road vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles and motorcycles.
App shows 3D model of roadster.
When buyers pointed an Apple or Android mobile device at a page on the downloaded app, a 3D scale model of the roadster appears in detail.
Users can rotate it around 360 degrees and zoom in closely to get a better look at the dash and interior.
The app also allows users to tap on hotspots to read more, view enlarged photos, and watch videos highlighting the roadster?s distinct features.
A demonstration video can be found here.
Since no roadsters would reach dealerships until the middle of November, the company needed a showroom experience that allowed the shopper to interact with the Slingshot at retail.
Polaris? target customer is a tech-savvy early adopter who lives life in fast-forward, Mr. Edwards said. Any campaign produced for that buyer had to provide head-turning exhilaration that ignited the senses.
?The Slingshot was designed for one purpose: exhilaration, so our digital strategy had to bring the incredible sights, sounds, and feel of the Slingshot experience directly to our customers in a style as exhilarating as the ride itself,? Mr. Edwards said.
?Every virtual touch point was purposely designed to generate customer excitement while simultaneously satiating their appetite until the roadster hit showroom floors."
Automotive is an area seen as well suited for augmented reality campaigns.
In the spring, Chrysler previewed its three-dimensional augmented reality application at the New York Auto Show.
The new app allowed visitors to experience the 2015 Charger and Challenger models on their own tablets or mobile devices, giving them the ability to custom design vehicles, take 360-degree tours of the interior and exterior offerings and test drive their cars on a virtual track.
Engaging experience
Other automakers have adopted augmented reality to showcase modification options.
Using augmented reality to drive sales.
?While this is an extremely engaging and innovative experience for this specific product launch and target market, it is also pretty rare,? Mr. Edwards said. ?Nine times out of 10 we discourage the use of augmented reality within a shopper/retail environment.
?The fact a user has to download an app to interact with a shopping experience is a huge hurdle within a path to purchase,? he said. ?The only reason this works is simple: content.?
Final Take
Michael Barris is staff reporter on Mobile Marketer, New York.