Augmented reality Magazines: An extra layer of content

What experiences can a magazine, showcasing a trailer of upcoming Bollywood movie can give to the reader? What, if mere a snapshot of Prime Minister giving an impulsive speech to the people of our country come alive at one ‘click’. The mere thought erodes the past stereotypes linked with the print magazine.

The declining statistics in print readership do not come as a surprise, with people heading towards digitization in all spheres. From real estate to healthcare, entertainment, and marketing, digitization has revamped all the sectors in a unique way. And, much of it can be attributed to the most nascent technology, Augmented Reality.

With publishing sector and print agencies taking a leap forward by incorporation of digital contents by means of AR technology, the reading experience is getting more enticing and engaging. According to a survey, the superimposed digital elements in form of additional sounds, graphics, 3D models, videos, and texts, add charisma to any book/magazine, holds the interest of readers for a prolonged duration. The same is enabled by using suitable computer interfaces and mobile apps like, Yeppar, to get the digital content running, which makes it more viral among the masses.

Comparison b/w Print media and Augmented Reality Media

What makes augmented reality magazines more interesting? A quick glance over the comparison b/w traditional print media and AR print media would highlight the driving factors behind the success of AR technology in the publishing sector.

As discussed, AR technology when applied in publishing, focusing majorly on magazine segment, can make the content more dynamic and interactive leaving a long-lasting impression on the minds of the readers. This indeed exhibits new ways of adding value to the traditional print magazines.

How can AR add value to the publishing domain?

Augmented reality offers a broad spectrum of benefits that help shape the future of publishing.  By fulfilling the goals linked with the promotion of publishing domino, AR stands out as a unique solution to enhance the print readership in following ways:

• Increase in quantity and type of knowledge available in the same act of enjoyment
• Enhance the level of reader’s engagement resulting in increased loyalty
• Increase in number of books/copies sold
• Increase the level of learning and retention
• Open up a new revenue stream from advertising
• Decrease the cognitive overload on the readers

With a prodigious number of opportunities and benefits pondered by AR technology, publishing agencies have already commenced giving a new dimension to traditional print media.

What drives attention is the flexible and modifiable nature of AR that makes it easy to introduce it with almost everything and anything. With the enabling factors like massive use of Smartphone’s and smart devices, the internet, mobile apps, the process of introduction of AR in publishing becomes more simplified.

What becomes apparent at the end is that AR indisputably provides added value to paper-based publication without the need of substituting them completely.