What are the Applications of AR in the Food Industry?

Augmented Reality is the immersive tech that superimposes digital data and images on the physical world.

This world we live in is three-dimensional, while all the data and information available to us exists mainly in 2D. This wide gap between the real and the digital world can be reduced immensely by using Augmented Reality.

Even though AR is still in its development stage, it is growing rapidly, and in the coming years, it will completely transform the way we interact with our physical world. It will become the new interface between humans and machines and will help in bridging the physical and the digital world.

Application of AR in Food:

AR is being applied in far more meaningful ways in both B2C and B2B settings. Augmented Reality in food has benefitted the food and beverage industry massively and has shown a path with immense untapped potential.

Food augmented reality is being used by almost all the big names in the industry, and those who haven’t got their hands on this immersive tech yet, will want to get started as soon as possible.

How Does AR Create Value?

AR creates business value in two broad ways: first, by becoming a part of the products themselves; and second, by improving performance across the value chain - in product development, manufacturing, marketing, service, and numerous other areas.

The best part about AR is that it is not limited to a particular vertical; it enhances whatever vertical it’s put in. AR in food apps, AR in menus, AR in food labels, AR in food packaging, AR in food delivery are some of the verticals that have benefited largely from AR.

Proactive Use of AR In Food and its Impact on Your Business:

Proactive use of AR in food can be the real game-changer for your business. At its core, the power of AR grows out of the way humans process information. This can be put to good use in the food industry.

With the Help of AR, You Can Bring Your Food Menus to Life.

All the customer needs to do is scan the QR code on the food menu (or it can also be placed on the table). On scanning this QR code, the customer can see all the dishes, their ingredients, how they look, and choose whatever they want to eat. Not only is this impressive, but it’s also eco-friendly too. This way you can save paper and go paperless.

AR applications are being deployed in a number of products and across the value chain, and their number and breadth will only grow.

It enables new efficiencies that every firm must explore. It can significantly lower the cost of training, service, design and other parts of the value chain. In terms of staff training, AR is replacing the traditional manuals and training methods at an even faster pace. It eliminates dependence on out-of-context and hard-to-process 2D information on pages and screens while significantly improving our ability to understand and apply information in the real world.

With AR, every business can ensure better and more efficient staff training at reduced costs. It prevents wastage of resources and ensures quality training. Since service is one of the major pillars in the food industry, every business should take benefit of this feature of AR.

Another Benefit of AR in the Food industry is That it Can Reduce and Eliminate Errors in Food Preparation and Processing.

AR can help superimpose tasks/processes for workers to follow while processing food items, thus reducing and to some extent eliminating errors.

Apart from the dine-in experience, AR can immensely help in the takeaway and delivery aspect of food too.

The packaging of food, backed by AR, can be a great medium to interact and engage with customers and enhance customer satisfaction. By simply scanning the QR code or the image (image recognition), you can either provide a sort of background of your business (as done by Jack Daniels) or some other unique, innovative way to create a lasting impact on your customers.

One of the biggest challenges of the food industry is ‘customer retention.’ AR is already proving to be a solution for this problem.

With AR, you can easily enhance customer experience: gamify the process of buying and eating, provide restaurants specific vouchers, introduce new offers, build customer relationships, educate them about your brand and its legacy - what went into the making of the brand and what goes into the making of the food you offer; and by doing all this, you can develop a personal bond with your customers, ensuring customer loyalty and customer retention.

Another benefit of AR is Advertising.

AR provides immense marketing and advertising opportunities. In the right hands, AR can boost your sales manifolds. AR can be used in pamphlets, print ads, billboards, newspapers, etc. By providing a potential customer with just a QR code, you can attract several customers to your business.

Wrapping Up:

The Augmented Reality market is a rapidly growing industry. AR is working its way up in the present and, is without a doubt, the future of tech across industries. It will change how enterprises serve customers, train employees, design and create products, and manage their value chains, and ultimately, how they compete. Hence, proactive use of AR in food is bound to make a positive impact on your business.