Augmented Reality (AR) added a new dimension to the brands' advertisement performance due to visuality and creativity features which combine virtuality and reality that focus on and its possibility for consumer experience. The acceleration of AR based advertisement projects; it is found out that the necessity of a research which aims to constitute the AR campaign effects on consumer behaviour in Turkey. At this context, this study aims to find out that the brands' AR campaigns' effects on consumers and the benefits for the company due to advertisement liking level and advertisement effectiveness variables. For this purpose, Cafe Crown, Laviva, Vivident, Sütas Ayran brands AR based campaign which are operated via Blippar in Turkey are analysed with an experimental research which is applied with the participation of Kocaeli University Communication Faculty students as appraisable research. The research found out that AR ads have positive impact on total likeability and effectiveness advertising.
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The rapid development and expansion of technology has also made new media environments such as digitality, transactionality and demassification develop and spread; and this situation has changed the expectations, service and experiences of individuals and brands. Along with this change, individuals who are exposed to more and variable information are looking for real experiences in their attitudes and purchase behaviors toward brands. On the other hand, marketers are in the need of reaching their target groups among a great number of information and advertisement mass by appealing to them in every aspect and therefore creating brand loyalty (Singh & Pandey, 2013). In these experiences based on the human-vehicle interaction, Augmented Reality (AR) applications that can be integrated to smart phones and tablet computers has come into prominence along with the increase in the use of mobile devices.
AR is described as a new generation technology that can provide connection between the real world and virtual world and creates simultaneous interaction between the objects of both kinds (Azuma, 1997). AR, which provides empowering and support for reality, provides a participative experience by integrating the information related to senses of smell and touch into perceptions of users in real world as well as the transfer of digital objects into real world. AR as a rising form of interactive narrative that combines computer generated elements with reality, fictional with non-fictional objects, in the same immersive experience. Insofar as AR is regarded an interactive experience it shares key features with interactive narratives. AR gives the user control at the level of the point-of-view or at the level of manipulating virtual objects (Shilkrot, Montfort & Maes, 2014). For this reason, AR technology, which is now used in several fields and disciplines such as defense, industry, medical, fashion, education, games and entertainment, has come into prominence in advertisement applications as a part of marketing mix in recent years.
It is appealing for advertisers that AR provides positive brand attitude and customer satisfaction for brands by forming interactive and personal interactions with the customers (Eyüboğlu, 2011). Especially in recent years, AR, which effectively contributes to positive customer-brand relationship and customer satisfaction by creating perceived experiential value (Bulearca & Tamarjan, 2010), affects advertising studies in this direction. AR technology, which is more often used in printed magazines, newspapers, billboards, outdoor advertisements in advertisement sector, offers different experiences such as personalization, information, excitement, entertainment, interaction, participation, ease of use, less time and cost by combining the data of real and virtual worlds in today’s conditions in which content consumption is more common in online environments. There are studies that show that AR positively contributes to advertisement liking, attitude toward the advert, attitude toward the brand, purchase intentions and believability of the advert as a result of these experiences (e.g., Jensen, 2013; Singh & Pandey, 2013; Uğur & Apaydın, 2014).
Nowadays, we can see that many brands that are aware of these advantages benefit from AR technology in advertisement studies. In Turkey, brands like Renault, Avon, Domestos, Cafe Crown, Vivident, Laviva and Sütaş Ayran transforms their printed adverts to interactive experiences with AR technology. These brands both develop their own AR applications and take service from companies developing these applications. İkea, Vitra and Marshall are some of the brands that develop their own applications. Most brands such as Nike, L’Oreal, Dominos, PepsiCo, Coca Cola, Renault, Avon, Domestos, Cafe Crown, Vivident, Laviva and Sütaş Ayran take this service from companies developing AR applications. One of the application companies that offer AR service to brands is Blippar. Blippar, which transforms physical images, prints or products into a digital experience simultaneously with image recognition technology, is one of the mostly used platforms in the world by the brands to introduce their products and conduct their campaigns. Blippar, which has a number of over 4 million downloads and over 25 million blipping, has over 20 thousand users in Turkey and it prepares adverts and marketing based campaigns for several brands (https://blippar.com/).