Kuoni to use ‘augmented reality’ in new campaign

Kuoni claims to be one of the first UK operators to employ ‘augmented reality’ in press and magazine advertising.

Kuoni claims to be one of the first UK operators to employ ‘augmented reality’ in press and magazine advertising.

This allows readers to be prompted to view extra content and video through smartphones and iPads using image recognition technology from specialist firm Aurasma.

Dynamic creative messaging is being used in online display advertising. More than 240 creative message variations have been created, all based on a consumer’s journey and level of interaction with the Kuoni website.

In this way future messaging can be tailored to the individual experience and stage in the booking process.

The use of these advertising methods are part of the operator’s new year integrated marketing campaign under the new ‘Requested by you… Crafted by Kuoni’ brand slogan.

A social media competition on Facebook is also being run, asking followers to create their own campaign poster. Entrants can choose an image from a selection of Kuoni brand images and write their personal holiday requests for a chance to win a £2,000 gift card for their next holiday. The competition runs until February 29.

Kuoni head of marketing Naomi Wilkinson said: “With a significant proportion of our online traffic coming from smartphones and tablets, augmented reality felt the next logical step in creating a seamless multi-channel experience for the Kuoni customer.

“Customers have shown us that they interact with Kuoni in multiple ways across all channels, and augmented reality helps to facilitate this journey in a fun and engaging way.”

She added: “Online re-targeting has proved successful in improving online bookings from display advertising. The dynamic creative messaging offers a further level of intuitive and relevant content. It aims to encourage people to interact further with Kuoni online.

“Kuoni has successfully established Facebook and Twitter pages with 15,000-plus and 5,000-plus followers respectively. The Facebook competition is a way for customers and followers to engage with Kuoni in a fun and creative way whilst bringing alive the essence of the campaign.”

Aurasma managing director Martine King said: “This campaign is visually stunning and includes the first ever integration of a “click to call” feature in the app. This makes it engaging and fast tracks the consumer journey from print brochure to booking line.”