WPP and Snap have announced an AR collaboration to deliver state-of-the-art marketing and commerce solutions for brands.
British creative communication technology company WPP, and Snap Inc., have announced a new global partnership called “The AR Lab.”
The project will help brands build and deliver immersive experiences for consumers through the use of Snap’s leading AR technology, combined with WPP’s integrated capabilities across creative, media, commerce, and technology, with a particular focus on e-commerce.
Furthermore, it will grant WPP clients access to Snap’s Augmented Reality tech, including creative production and measurement. Through The AR Lab, they will be able to better connect with their customers on Snapchat and drive meaningful business results.
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WPP is also set to collaborate with Snap on new products and technology. One of these is the recently-launched Snapchat Trends tool, which provides proprietary insights and data for teams to base their creative and campaign development on.
A custom AR Lab Strategy Guide will provide WPP clients with best practices for creative development using Snap’s AR technology. With this tool, teams will be able to bring branded AR experiences to market faster and more efficiently than ever before.
In addition, the two companies have developed a custom optimization scorecard that WPP clients can use to generate more effective campaigns. The co-created methodology will provide insights on the performance of these campaigns as it allows teams to measure success and adapt in real-time.
The partnership has also birthed a new structured learning environment, AR Lab Academy, an industry-first training program centered on AR technology and products, run in collaboration with a dedicated team at Snap. The program aims to certify a minimum of one thousand WPP employees by the end of this year.
“AR has a major role to play in the future of marketing and commerce, from virtual try-on to immersive digital experiences,” explains Sanja Partalo, Executive Vice President, Strategic Development & Partnerships at WPP. “Snap has built an impressive AR platform, and we are delighted to partner with them to ensure our people can access Snap’s latest AR technology and in turn develop richer, more innovative commerce solutions for our clients and their customers.”
Snap recently conducted a study that found that 94% of people are expecting to use AR for shopping purposes. It adds that advertisers on Snap platforms believe in the potential of AR campaigns to drive business results.
“Over 200m Snapchatters engage with AR every day. This partnership will help brands reach that community through the camera in ways that are engaging, impactful and drive real business results,” said David Roter, Vice President, Global Agency Partnerships at Snap Inc. “We are thrilled to debut this initiative with WPP and look forward to driving this important frontier in marketing and commerce together with their clients around the globe.”