If there is one thing we can all agree on, it is the only remotely positive outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic is how the world has adapted to accommodate our every need from the comfort of our own home.
Whether it be the food service industry, health care, or education, every sector providing services has had to adapt to some form of the online format. As a result, as we move on towards a post-pandemic world, online shopping is becoming the norm. Brands have to answer their consumers’ needs to shop in a sanitary and hygienic way, especially in the beauty and skincare industry, which sets a complicated challenge.
How do brands accurately deliver their products online? How do they inspire trust from their consumers to buy a product before trying it on? The answer is beauty technology and that is where PulpoAR comes into play.
What is beauty technology and why you should keep an eye out for it?
Despite the fact that beauty tech has been around for quite a long time, it is just lately that the sector has seen astounding market growth, which is expected to surpass 34 billion by 2024. So, when beauty brands decide they want to incorporate technology as a selling strategy for their products, they turn towards Augmented reality (AR).
It is important to understand that the AR beauty technology, especially offered by PulpoAR, is much more complex than just facial recognition technology used in Instagram filters. Lighting, colors, details of the face, and much more need to be taken into account in order to deliver an accurate and realistic augmented reality experience tailored to each consumer. The goal is to provide an equal if not higher level of satisfaction than the in-person shopping experience. AR in beauty can, for example, help match a foundation shade, see how a certain eyeshadow or lipstick color looks on your skin tone and see if it is worth buying.
Although a lot of AR is used at home via a brand’s app or website, it can also be a powerful tool to enhance the customer experience in person, as it allows for more hygienic solutions with products such as touchless smart mirrors.
Who does it help: The benefits of AR beauty technology
Augmented Reality in beauty has many benefits for both the consumers and brands using it to sell their products. Indeed, for online shoppers, AR allows for easy and convenient purchase: there is no need to go to the store and try anything on and there is no need to have to go back to the store if you bought the wrong shade because the AR should get it right the first time around. AR also allows a tailored experience, as the technology adapts to a consumer’s unique features. Moreover, AR fits perfectly within the target market’s (millennials and gen Z) use of day-to-day technology, and its integration on beauty brand’s different platforms will become a core part of every consumer’s phone.
On the other hand, there are many benefits for brands. Beauty brands also gain from offering AR technology that creates a tailored experience for their clients, as it gives them an advantage in terms of differentiation from competitors. On top of that, brands are able to increase their sales conversion rates. It is possible by boosting customer engagement and minimize costs related to product return.
All these benefits are a reality for our partners who trust us and use the AR beauty technology we offer here at PulpoAR.
What will the future of AR beauty technology look like?
Over the next couple of years, AR technology in beauty will keep expanding and perfecting itself and will become a norm for not only brands to offer but consumers to use. It may never completely replace the in-store buying experience but most definitely be the primary way people make purchases. Another possible outcome is that AR would allow people to “wear” makeup during digital events such as online meetings and interviews. AR beauty could also become, combined with CGI technology, a permanent solution for TV and movie sets when it comes to makeup & hair.
One thing is for certain, in the next decade PulpoAR will be leading the AR technology for e-commerce whether it be in the beauty, jewelry, or retail industry and we will keep perfecting its services to be the best for its future partnerships.
PulpoAR’s essential role within the industry
PulpoAR is driving this change by offering a multitude of services using AR technology to allow their partners to reach their customers through five different channels. Indeed, PulpoAR works to deliver their technology through the desktop web, mobile web, mobile app, social media, and smart screens (in-store solution) in order to close the interaction gap between the consumer and the brand. This omnichannel strategy allows retailers and customers to have the best shopping experience, with heightened customer satisfaction, adapted to all the safety measures we will keep in place post-pandemic, such as the absence of makeup testers in cosmetic stores.
