How AR Can Be Implemented in Food and Beverage Industry

Augmented reality food industry is something that we could have hardly believed existed before. Food is what we want to taste, smell and feel, AR can only make us closer to the restaurant overseas that cooks delicious paella or street food shop that sells warm and fresh cinnamon rolls. Companies are thinking of innovative ways to apply AR technology to the food and beverage industry and, so far, they have created a few extraordinary cases. We also recommend reading the article about virtual reality in food industry.

Consumer Experience

Apart from the food being essential for people’s survival, it’s also about pleasure and experience. When restaurants compete for the consumer’s attention in the era of abundance, they have to create the best experience for them when it comes to food and excitement. Experts of the 2021 Global Deloitte Digital Study predicted that by 2025 all smartphone users will frequently use AR technology, meaning that consumers expect the food and beverage industry to implement augmented reality technology.

Augmented Reality Menu

Research by the Food Institute has shown that interactive menus are helping to improve the consumer experience in US restaurants. For instance, visitors of the food places could use AR to see interactive pictures of the dishes that restaurants are offering. Customers can see the exact setting of the menu option on the table, how it looks in real life, and whether they want to try it. It benefits people that have trouble making risky choices and need encouragement to try something new. Augmented reality restaurant menus work by placing the AR QR code on the pages of the menu. When the visitors of the restaurant scan the QR code using their smartphone cameras, they can see the interactive pictures on their devices. Some food places also started using QR codes to let customers pay for their orders without waiting for the waiters.

AR Product Packaging

Augmented reality product packaging is the best tool in the marketer’s arsenal nowadays. Companies are placing QR codes on the packaging to give consumers more information about the product, let them explore the ingredients and recipes and, even, play games. By interacting with the product, customers want to choose it among others based on the positive experience it provided.

The most popular choice among manufacturers is AR labels. Using their smartphones, people can access whatever information that limited space on the packaging couldn’t provide. Recently, researchers admitted that AR packaging is benefiting the environment. Augmented reality discovered to be reducing plastic footprint if used correctly.

Viral Marketing Campaign

Augmented reality has played its role in modern product marketing. With the high number of companies on the market that have to distinguish themselves from others in the competitive food and beverage industry, every company finds a way to seem unique. AR with its endless resources is a precious marketing weapon. A good example of using AR in marketing is social media filters. That’s what Doritos thought of when promoting their brand on TikTok. Any user who uses the brand’s filter on TikTok can see flames coming from their mouth, resembling the feeling when they try “flaming hot” chips.

Interactive Recipes

Augmented reality technology found a way to make cooking even more fun with interactive recipes. For instance, ARCA, an AR cooking recipe agent, helps you follow the instruction of the recipe without even taking your eyes off the dish. The application is powered with voice-over and can apply video instructions over a real-life cooking place.

Employee Training

AR helped to solve the ongoing issue of employee training and staffing in the food industry that emerged in the wake of COVID-19. The food and beverage industry suffered a 75% turnover as people couldn’t come to work. AR managed to help with it, while also reducing the costs of employee training by 65%. For instance, TeamViewer took an AR approach and created a way to train employees with augmented reality glasses. New employees need to put on the glasses and scan a QR code to access the system. During the training, they can go through the instructions step-by-step, deal with the task and determine how suitable they are for the job.

Employee Safety and Efficiency

Behind the closed doors of the food industry, there are many processes that benefited from the use of AR. Augmented reality headsets are used by inspectors during the safety checks giving them a helping hand in doing the most detailed inspections. Training with AR restaurant staff is also influencing the safety of food, as trainees are less likely to make mistakes that can lead to food poisoning or worse.

New Food Product Development

Food AR industry learned to create new products to promote their existing lines with technology. For instance, Siwas energy drink created an interactive experience for its consumers, by taking them to different places like the moon and London, to resemble the brand’s flying dragon feature.

Efficiencies in the Logistics

AR technology is helping to improve food industry efficiency by elevating logistics and processes in the warehouse. Augmented reality headsets aid in locating exact spaces for the supplies, and calculating when more should be bought. Also, warehouse workers can track how much more food can be kept before having to be signed off.

Conclusion

Improving the safety of consumers and giving them an incomparable experience, AR is changing the food and beverage industry. There are no limits to what it can accomplish in the future. WE/AR studio has helped various brands to develop unique augmented reality solutions for their audience. The list includes Mojokaij, Bud and Pepsi. We will help you develop an AR solution and analyze the results. To start, contact us at hello@wear-studio.com for a consultation with one of our specialists.