AdTech London: Expectations for Augmented Reality apps

LONDON -I am psyched about attending AdTech next week in London –not only is the AdTech event franchise now a fixture around the globe when it comes to digital marketing, but it promises to offer a great blend of brands, publishers and agencies.

What do I expect from AdTech?

I expect to see some great examples of mobile marketing apps from big names and learn about success stories but hopefully also app flops, as these can reveal even more about what to do and not to do.

I also expect to hear about the challenges that ad agencies, app developers and brands have in providing innovative features like AR to end-users. Do they feel that users “get AR”? Is it the case that brands see AR as embedded in their mobile app experience or as a side feature of mobile?

Finally, I’m keen to find out what new channels publishers are looking to distribute their digital content through and what success they are having with AR in doing so.

At the forefront of the AR e-volution I've had a lot to do with the latest trends in AR and how this is expected to look in the future (it is not just about the wearables…)

I am hoping to help agencies at AdTech de-mystify AR –even though I am often surprised to hear people ask what the acronym “AR” stands for, most people are not familiar with the term. This is changing quickly, but separating the wheat from the chaff is still necessary to be able to reach out to a mass audience of mobile users.

AR can be easy for brands to implement. I’ll be sharing success stories from Ikea AR app (the no.1 most downloaded branded app in 2012) as well as other case studies . Each different but with common needs when it comes to image recognition and AR.

Any new technology needs to entice users by painting a picture of how they can be used. AR is no exception and I see many great use cases on a regular basis that I will be  sharing: from Museum Apps, Wine Apps, AR Maps through to Mobile Commerce apps (shoot and  add to wish list or shopping cart).

Last but not least, I’ll be demoing the speed and simplicity of image recognition and explaining why I believe it is the key gateway technology to a great AR experience within mobile apps.