KUALA LUMPUR, 20 January 2021 – The immersive technology experience is revolutionising the trades of the world and is leaving no stone unturned. Retailers are beginning to turn to what technology can offer via augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR) and gamification to bridge the gap between consumers, especially following the COVID-19 outbreak.
In November, Accenture Interactive conducted a consumer behaviour survey and found immersive technology rising in the e-commerce landscape as a result of the pandemic. The survey of 3,000 consumers found that shoppers, especially in the Asia Pacific region, advocated and were ready to embrace immersive technology.
Enter Conten.T (Content Technology) – a brainchild of Fotobox Sdn Bhd, founded by Jason Ang. Having been largely involved in event technology the company now launches into immersive experience production through AR, VR, MR and other mobile-based technology to help brands create experiences to reach consumers at home.
“Having predicted a growing trend in immersive technology even before COVID-19, the adoption of immersive exploration was accelerated by the shift of digital-centric consumers largely caused by the pandemic,” said Jason Ang, Managing Director and Founder of Fotobox. The launch of Conten.T has proven to be a step in the right direction as industries are beginning to see the increasing need to craft their own experiences digitally.
Citing AR Insider, a publication eminent in the field of AR and VR, Ang said the world expects to see 598 million active AR users and 1.7 billion AR-enabled devices by the end of 2020 alone. Global research and advisory firm Gartner has also predicted that 70% of enterprises will be experimenting with immersive technologies for consumer and enterprise use by 2022.
Korean beauty brand Mamonde, adidas, Coach, Gucci, Calvin Klein, Ferragamo, Hendricks gin, and Scotch whiskey brand Glenfiddich are some of the brands that have crafted their immersive experience with Conten.T regionally.
In Mamonde’s case, Conten.T created a virtual retail experience by allowing users to enter a hyper-realistic virtual environment just by scanning a QR code. Within it, one can explore featured rooms and learn about the brand’s products besides chancing upon surprises in a few corners for users to redeem prizes and free samples. In partnering with an e-commerce site, consumers have the option to add products to buy.
“This is all experienced through mobile phones – no apps, no downloads – just scan a QR code and experience through your mobile browsers, and customers have access to this in the comfort from their home,” Ang said.
Most recently, adidas Malaysia has partnered with Conten.T for the launch of its largest flagship brand center in Malaysia. The campaign allows visitors to experience the athletes on the move on a AR journey that leads you to the store at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.
“It is an exciting time for brands to steer into digital experience – not just on the grounds of the shift in consumer behaviour but also in reference to the accessibility to technology. Fotobox believes that when one door shuts on physical retail, another opens into a new digital world; one that can reach today’s tech savvy consumers in an impactful, emotional and interactive way,” he added.
“Our company has grown into two divisions –offline focus and digital focus. With Conten.T we help brands in the region with Web AR/VR experiences, real-time 3D, hybrid social AR filters, gamification and web-based experiences among some of our expertise.” Ang shares.
Since its establishment, Fotobox has expanded its services beyond Malaysia, covering clientele in Singapore, South Korea, and Hong Kong amongst others. Most of their clients are from the fashion retail, beauty and cosmetics, the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and other consumer-based industries.
“Digital & Hybrid experiences are here to stay, we aim to become the technology partner every brand needs to venture into offline and online immersive engagements in SEA and APAC, as more and more younger, tech savvy consumers don’t want to be advertised to. They want to be part of the brand experience.” Ang adds.
