Fishing magazine Copes Lietas opted for simple augmented reality video materials to enrich its advice and best practice features. Its team inserted multiple AR markers within their print issue to let readers watch tutorial-like videos and behind-the-scenes stories.
With a reader community made up of middle-aged men and above, we thought augmented reality content would cause some interest, but not a revolution. But guess what? The scans went through the roof, which let AR find a permanent role in the magazine.
The success of Copes Lietas lies in the fact that they know their audience. Representing a niche sector, they know that anyone who’d buy their magazine has an evident passion or interest in fishing.
They also know that the save fishing fans scour the likes of YouTube for best practice examples or watch fishing-related TV shows. The only difference was that the online content was utterly separate from the print magazine.
By introducing simple AR video layers, the publisher bridged the traditional and digital media gap. Readers could explore the topic through reading and launching AR video content. As a result, the audience engaged with the magazine for much longer.
Although adding 3D fishing rods to the magazine’s sales pages may drive conversions, this customer story is notable for the publication’s ability to first of all focus on adding value to the reader.
While a newspaper that is read by a vast demographic may struggle to easily (without trial runs) pinpoint stories that would benefit from AR content, niche press has a clear reader persona. They already know what that persona enjoys and can take steps to meet their needs.
Remember, AR is not just an add-on to drive sales. Print media’s digitalization with augmented reality can save traditional media outlets from complete online transition and provide excellent value to customers.
