Sobel Media: Augmented Reality: What is it and why should you care

I was excited to participate in a panel discussion hosted by Sobel Media on augmented reality earlier this week. The program started with David Curcurcito from Esquire showing off the AR issue that they did late last year. It was exciting to hear David talk about the value of AR to the magazine industry and what they future may hold for publishers looking to use AR. Once the panel kicked off, we had a great conversation about what's happening with AR today and where it may head in the future. It was an excellent panel and I was very pleased that Bill Sobel asked me to be a part of it. Lots of links below to find out more about the program and AR in general.

Masha Geller, writing in digiday:DAILY -- With AR, David Curcurcito said, “I’m able to expand on a number of images that a viewer is able to see. It’s added value to what you’re already getting. It expands on what you’re reading. Expands on the content. Not just a gimmick of what you can find on the web. It’s more.”

Should everyone be doing AR? The panel agreed that everyone should pay attention, but as Polinchock warned, the question to ask yourself is “What’s the story you want to tell and what’s the best way to tell that story today? Then people like us can tell you if AR will help or hurt.”

Kelly Samardak, writing in MediaPost -- Ponytailed David Polinchock, former Chief Experience Officer (CXO) at the Brand Experience Lab, donked the marketing crowd with his reality hammer, recognizing that while technology has caught up, what with everyone having computers and webcams, "sadly in the advertising industry it's probably just a fad, like everything in the advertising industry." And he wasn't being jerky - it's true, the bandwagon teeters on its wheels when shiny new technology slithers onto the scene, but once the proof of concept, sort of the one hit wonder of advertising with AR fades, real world applications will be here forever.

Finally, they addressed concerns. It's moot: the top two are privacy and ownership. How much does the user expose? How awesome is the value proposition to relinquish a certain amount of privacy? And once everyone starts tagging their entire world, who owns it? Who is the life information editor that controls the new content created around brands - to ensure facts, not necessarily to disrupt freedoms of speech (so chill out).

digiday:DAILY - Augmented Reality Is Ready For Its Close Up.

MediaPost Publications Just An Online Minute... Augmented Reality: The Heidi Montag Of New Media? 01/21/2010

January 21st Event "Augmented Reality".

Definition 6 - 6 THINGS.

Augmenting Reality Before Breakfast | Richard Carey > Digital Media Solutions.

MIT's Sixth Sense - Polinchock's Ponderings.

Scannable Retail Stickers to Extend Google's Local Presence - ClickZ - Polinchock's Ponderings.

10 Awesome Uses of Augmented Reality Marketing.

Augmented Reality - Esquire Cover Augmented Reality Software and Video - Esquire.

Esquire AR Project

Photo by Kelly Samardak