How to choose the right augmented reality agency for your brand

So, you’ve got this great idea for an augmented reality experience, but you don’t have the resources in-house, so you need to find an augmented reality marketing agency, stressful, right?

Running a successful augmented reality (AR) marketing campaign is a tremendous challenge without the right expertise to nail the application.

Did you know that the augmented reality market is valued at over $25 billion and is projected to exceed $50 billion by 2027? With more brands implementing AR into their customer journey, getting your foot in the door ‘early’ with AR could have a massive positive impact on your business operations.

Knowing how to select the right augmented reality agency is difficult though, and although getting it right isn’t the be-all and end-all (it may as well be though), it is still an incredibly important decision. So here’s a hand on how to choose the right augmented reality agency for you.

So, how can an AR marketing agency help?

How could an augmented reality agency help? Technically, you’ll need support unless you have a team of specialised 3D artists and developers, but we doubt you’d be here if you had that. But augmented reality agencies do not just help with the technical side of things, but also the purpose, story, and application of augmented reality. Our owner and founder, Matt Key, has seen it too many times where prospects may want AR, but have no purpose behind it.

“Clients see something they want to do but they’re not sure why they want to do it, we can help to not only develop AR solutions, but also to guide projects in the right direction to provide true value”

Now, let’s get into what you need to consider when choosing an augmented reality agency.

Finding an augmented reality agency

There are plenty of ways to find an augmented reality agency:

• Quick Google with location-based settings
• Checking out some reviews
• Having a browse on LinkedIn
• Personal recommendations
• Seeing if any pop up in your emails
• Scouring directories

But the problem isn’t finding them, it’s choosing one that is the hard part. Keep all of this in mind when you start your journey.

Do your research, what agencies catch your eye?

So, this is the easy bit (as we just mentioned), it’s time to find some augmented reality agencies that catch your eye. Once you’ve found some that look the part, it’s time to look a bit deeper.

Have a look at the augmented reality projects that they’ve worked on before, this could be an early indicator of whether they can fit your bill. Let’s say you’re looking to add 3D AR viewers to your website, you could eliminate any agencies that specialise in AR gamified app development or outdoor AR experiences instantly.

Make sure to analyse their capabilities as well. You’ve found agencies that specialise in the AR solution you’re after, but does their previous work look good? Can they offer a solution that suits the needs of your project, and can you test out their solutions? Although AR as a concept isn’t incredibly new, it still feels new to many. If this is your first time diving into augmented reality, make sure you understand what you’re getting through demos or trial experiences. Head to our AR demo page or test out the 3D AR viewer below to get a feel for our AR solutions:

Trust

Augmented reality is an ever-evolving technology, new applications, solutions, and processes are developing every day. Can you trust your AR agency to keep up with these changes and offer you the highest quality solutions with the newest technology?

You may not be able to fully trust an agency until they have completed work for you, but whilst you’re researching and communicating be sure to keep an eye out for any red flags. Does anything put you off any of them? Do any do anything better than others? Could you trust them if something went wrong in the project?

Sometimes talking to the AR agency will be the best bet, to get a true feel for what they’re like and ask them directly about their knowledge and experience with the latest technology and their approach to staying current in the field.

Are they transparent?

Transparency weaves into trust, and most AR agencies are going to tell you what you want to hear. But are they telling the truth or just saying to try and win the project? Setting you up for bitter disappointment.

It is all about building foundations and supporting those foundations, it is likely that AR agencies who mislead you from the beginning, will do it again at some point. Ask the right questions to get an early insight.

Ask questions about their:

• experience with similar projects
• processes for staying up-to-date with the latest technology
• approach to communication and transparency during the project
• plans for addressing any potential issues or delays
• references or past clients you can contact for feedback
• and anything else that is important to your specific project and concerns

Working for you… or with you

When you hire an augmented reality agency there are two mentalities to consider, is the agency going to be working for you, or with you? Answering this question for yourselves will help narrow your decision further as any that fall outside of your values, will not be right for you.

Ideally, we would assume that you want the AR agency to work with you (no judging if not), so ensuring that communication is strong, goals are aligned, and the foundations of trust are beginning to be built, are vital to your decision.

If this is your first AR project, working with an agency is key as it will be a completely new area for you. Likewise the agency might be dealing with your industry or products for the first time. AR experiences are designed to immerse audiences and boost engagement, but this is only achievable if you understand each other. The more the agency has a chance to work with you, the more the AR experience will be a true reflection of your brand.

Judge for yourself, ignore the stereotypes

The most vital thing to remember is that you always need to make sure that the augmented reality agency that you choose, is right for your brand. That means that you may need to ignore some of the standard stereotypes or perceptions that some base their decisions on…

Bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better

Of course, larger agencies may seemingly have more resources and more clients, but should that let you drive your decision? Hopefully, your answer is no, as gone are the days of judging a company based on the number of names on its payroll. Larger teams do not equal work being done quicker or to a higher quality.

We recommend looking into the AR agency’s culture, communication, and expertise. Contact them, ask for a meeting, maybe a live proposal. See whether they communicate well, how well they listen and does their culture align with your own. Likely, those who you first speak with won’t be working on the project, so ask about who will. Large agencies may have your project spread thinly across multiple people, or they might even outsource work to other agencies, is this what you want? Or will this cause problems?

Price is important, but it isn’t everything

The price of augmented reality solutions depends on almost infinite variables but remember that there is a lot more to consider than price. Perhaps the price sounds incredibly low, sounds appealing but what kind of service will you get? Whereas an insanely high price almost creates an unachievable level of expectation. The expectation is the key, make sure both you and the agency understand the task at hand and how it will be achieved, and what deliverables are in place to warrant the cost.

Pay attention and take your time

Augmented reality is exciting, believe us, we understand. But make sure to take your time when it comes to selecting an AR agency, consider everything we have mentioned and take note of how each agency reacts even at this time. AR projects can be huge investments in both time and finances, so getting the right agency for your brand is crucial. Research. Communicate. Deliberate. Then decide.

How to choose the right augmented reality agency

We hope you’ll take some of what we said into consideration. And if you’d like to find out more about our augmented reality services and solutions then contact us to book a free demo.

We have been developing AR solutions for businesses for over 11 years, and have worked on over 300+ projects winning 27 awards, providing us with the expertise and skills to bring any campaign to life with stunning AR, what are you waiting for?