Augmented Reality And Today’s Marketing
Augmented reality (AR) has quickly moved from novelty to necessity in the modern marketer’s toolkit. As customers demand richer, more interactive brand experiences, AR presents a unique opportunity: let people not just hear your message, but live it.
We’ve already seen this play out across sectors. IKEA’s “Place” app lets users visualize furniture in their homes before buying, significantly reducing return rates. Sephora’s “Virtual Artist” allows customers to try on makeup virtually, bridging the gap between in-store and online shopping. And Burger King raised eyebrows with its “Burn That Ad” campaign, where users could scan competitor ads and watch them burst into flames in AR—earning themselves a free Whopper in the process.
To explore how this technology is being embraced at scale, we turned to Senior Executive’s CMO Think Tank, a select group of marketing leaders pioneering strategies in high-growth, high-impact sectors. From healthcare and disaster response to entertainment and aerospace, these CMOs are turning AR into more than a game or a gimmick. They’re using it to solve real business challenges and redefine the customer journey.
From Complexity to Clarity in Healthcare
“AR isn’t just a marketing tool—it’s a force multiplier,” says Amber Brown, SVP of Product and Marketing at Clario, a global provider of digital solutions used to evaluate drug efficacy and safety across clinical trials.
Brown sees AR as a means to simplify the complex, especially in science-heavy industries: “AR transforms complex value propositions into visual, interactive experiences, making science easier to grasp and retain. Real-time simulations, 3D procedural walk-throughs and virtual product demos eliminate guesswork, making every interaction tangible and memorable.”
Instead of pitching isolated products, Brown says AR enables organizations to showcase how their offerings work together holistically. “It bridges the gap between knowledge and experience, turning curiosity into conviction and interest into action.”
“You’re no longer just watching or reading about a product—you’re part of the moment.”
Creating Emotional Connections in Sports and Entertainment
Bill Hobbs, Chief Commercial Officer and Partner at Vector Holdings, sees AR as transformative for industries rooted in audience engagement. His firm helps enterprise brands reimagine their business through platform-based strategies and audience-first marketing.
“AR is revolutionizing customer engagement in the sports and entertainment industries,” says Hobbs. He points to interactive fan experiences like virtual player meet-and-greets and AR-enhanced merchandise try-ons. “Gamified features not only provide entertainment but also strengthen emotional connections with brands.”
Beyond entertainment, Hobbs notes that AR-enhanced packaging and location-based activations deliver dynamic content at key touchpoints in the customer journey, even in business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) environments. “You’re no longer just watching or reading about a product—you’re part of the moment.”
Showcasing Capabilities in Industrial Markets
For Ron McMurtrie, CMO at Honeywell, a global leader in aerospace, automation and energy technology, AR is a powerful way to showcase highly technical offerings.
“Augmented reality can enhance marketing by providing interactive, immersive and personalized environments to feature products, services and capabilities,” he explains.
In sectors like industrial automation and aerospace, where scale and precision matter, AR can offer customers a realistic preview of how solutions work in real-world settings—something brochures and pitch decks can’t match.
“AR makes abstract benefits real—supporting engagement, trust and long-term loyalty.”
Making Public-Sector Marketing More Human
Heather Stickler, CMO of Tidal Basin Group, a consulting firm supporting disaster readiness and public recovery programs, sees AR as a game-changer for storytelling.
“AR creates immersive experiences that allow customers to visualize a product or service for their specific needs,” she says. That’s particularly powerful in public-facing sectors like disaster recovery, where conveying impact and credibility is essential.
AR can also help increase brand awareness. One study of Facebook ads found that campaigns that incorporated AR ads delivered nearly tripled brand awareness when compared to traditional marketing techniques.Stickler notes applications ranging from interactive ads and gamified training to enriched retail and program navigation. “AR makes abstract benefits real—supporting engagement, trust and long-term loyalty.”
Looking Ahead: Marketers as Experience Architects
As AR technology becomes more accessible, CMOs are stepping into new territory—not just messaging, but experience design. Across industries, the opportunity lies in using AR to collapse the distance between brand promise and customer experience.
And consumers are eager for increased use of AR. According to a study by NielsenIQ, 61% of consumers prefer shopping at retailers that provide AR experiences.
But there’s a learning curve. Some brands have stumbled. Others have been caught off guard when third-party AR filter platforms shifted strategies, highlighting the risks of relying too heavily on borrowed tech. The key is thoughtful integration and clear return on investment.
Whether it’s explaining a life-saving drug protocol or letting a fan virtually try on team apparel, AR makes the intangible tangible. The future of marketing isn’t just about storytelling. It’s about letting the customer step into the story.
