• by Colin Kirkland , November 22, 2022

To highlight the potential future importance of 3D digital initiatives for brands' marketing efforts, Snap partnered with market-research company Breakthrough Research to conduct a study covering consumer views on augmented reality (AR) and how influential these experiences are in terms of the shopping experience.

The report stems from a survey of 7,500 respondents across the U.S., the U.K., and Germany and their shopper journeys within the auto, beauty, entertainment, fashion, retail, and travel verticals, which show that consumers are excited about AR, as it helps them make faster decisions and therefore persuades them to make more purchases.

Snap found that there was a $24.9 billion increase in annual spending among personal care and beauty consumers ages 13-40 combined across all three countries when AR was part of their shopping experience.

Familiar results surfaced within the fashion vertical, with AR driving an estimated $11.2 billion increase in spend, as well as in travel, which shows Snapchatters expecting to send more than they typically would when AR is part of their travel-planning journey.

Snap said that the increase in spend here “is because AR helps them be more confident in making decisions about the trip and ultimately planning longer trips by adding travel excursions or other add-ons to the itinerary.”

With AR introduced, Americans increased their total average spend of a planned trip by 12% (or $225), Brits by 18% (or £292), and Germans by 39% (or €481).

“Although Snapchat first created Lenses because they were a fun and entertaining way to enhance the way we communicate with our friends and family, the technology has evolved from being just a toy to a fully utilitarian tool that brands can leverage to drive impact for their businesses,” Snap wrote in the study.