Benefits for Corporate Sponsorship and Branding
Augmented Reality (AR) is in its infancy. Yet, many technology publications and business analysts have already proclaimed that it has the potential to be larger and more profitable than social media or Web 2.0. Maybe. For now, most AR applications are quite simple. With the proper smart phone, users can walk down a real or virtual street and access Yelp-like business and restaurant reviews, transit schedules and simple public services information. As new devices come on-line, expect a steady stream of innovation. Simply pointing a digital or mobile phone camera can trigger video, audio and informative graphics.
In some ways this new technology is the latest marketing dream. We’ve already seen glifs incorporated into print and television advertising: BestBuy includes AR coupons in some of their print ads, even Kia motors uses simple AR to trigger an on-line game. There is some danger that the hype will overshadow the innovation. Perhaps Robert Rice, CEO of Neogence Enterprises and Chairman of the AR Consortium said it best;
“Don’t be misguided by the gimmicky marketing applications now. Look ahead, and pay attention to what the visionaries are talking about right now….AR has long-term implications for smart cities, education, entertainment and global industry. This is serious business, but it has to be done right.”
Doing it right opens a world of corporate sponsorship opportunity. It provides the corporation and their foundations a highly visual platform to associate with innovations in education, city development, technology and communications. Wireless carriers, device manufacturers, broadband providers, infrastructure technologies, online enablers, even credit card companies all have a stake in associating with this new technology. And what better way to do it, than branding a high profile innovation in education?
This sponsorship and branding opportunity doesn’t stop with name association. One very unique feature of Imagined Communities is bringing virtual designs to life in the real world. Imagine a student learning a digital paint program and virtually painting their own house in their virtual neighborhood. After some selection criteria, Home Depot, Lowe’s or Sears foundations actually have the house painted exactly as envisioned by the student. It doesn’t take much imagination to see the television commercial – brought to you by Sherwin Williams or other brand.
Suppose students virtually renovate a vacate lot or run down playground into something new – perhaps with a basketball court. Wilson, Voit, Nike, even the National Basketball Association through their foundations or community outreach can make this vision real with corresponding branding value and community involvement.
Many of the features, both planned and yet to be envisioned, within Imagined Communities lend themselves to corporate tie-ins. Where appropriate we will seek sponsorship and give ample credit including the right to use this involvement in branding and advertising. However, this will not be overdone. Fewer and larger associations are better than too many smaller ones.
It is valuable and important that Washington D.C. be the first city deploying and benefitting from this program. Numerous very large corporations count all levels of government as major customers. Some, for example telecommunications, financial services, banking and health care may engage sponsorship just to be good citizens. Large design and construction firms such as Fluor and Bechtel are a near-perfect fit. But the greatest fit of all are the technology providers; Google, Intel, Microsoft, Cisco, Yahoo, IBM, Apple and a host of others.
A strategic case can readily be made that over 300 of the Fortune 500 companies have business, public relations and/or foundation interest in being involved with the development of innovative education solutions enabled through Imagined Communities.
