The following is a case study of how augmented reality overcomes logistical impossibilities and creates a selling experience that demonstrates all the nuances of high-ticket products with many complicated mechanisms.
BACKGROUND & PROBLEM
Sumitomo is a diverse company that sells products or services related to: Metal Products, Transportation and Construction Systems, Infrastructure, Mineral Resources, Energy, and Chemicals and Electronics. A problem that relates to these industries is selling incredibly large tools that are logistically impossible to demonstrate anywhere other than the factory. This made selling at trade shows an incredible challenge, relying on old-school sales collateral.
Problem: Logistically Impossible To Demo Their Product Resulting in Lower Sales
Sumitomo hosts many products that all hold the same problem: too big, too heavy, too difficult to transport, and can not show them off to potential buyers. Due to the in-depth engineering of their products, it was also valuable to show what goes into these ginormous machines to visualize incredible engineering. Creating sales material in a way that makes the product clear to the customer, an experience that stays in the client’s mind, and drawing attention at trade shows were a must for this project.
WE UNDERSTOOD THE ASSIGNMENT
Help Sumitomo create an unforgettable experience that draws traffic, educates leads, is easily transportable to anywhere in the world, and creates more sales.
KEY PROBLEMS
- Stand out from the competition for sophisticated products & sophisticated buyers
- Draw attention from anywhere in the trade show.
- Demonstrate a device that requires large heavy motors
- Being unable to travel with the device and needing a cost-effective solution
- Leave a long-lasting impression & educated consumer
- Streamline a complicated demo process
WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO
- User Research & Strategy – understand their customers, their industry & how an Augmented Reality solution fits in their sales process.
- Wireframing – to ensure the design, development, & Sumitomo were aligned on the goal
- UI/UX Design – Creating a branded & easy to use experience is what helps drive sales and keep Sumitomo top of mind for their customers
- Development – This is the nerd stuff where our team built out this experience
- Quality Assurance – Ensuring that each step of this process made sense to Cerec & adjusted in sections that needed feedback
- LAUNCH! – We smoothly handed this off to Sumitomo for their employees to begin crushing it at their trade shows.
WHAT WE CREATED
- A mobile app that trade show attendees could easily have access to that shows their product in a real space — great seeing how these machines fit in their factories
- Detailing features by showing the inside of the machine, building value in the complex machinery
- Highlighting the benefits of the machines and what it adds to a company’s bottom line
- Capture lead information from clients for effective follow-up
- Allows existing clients to receive support within the mobile app, saving time on flying, troubleshooting, improving the client experience with tools that offer clear communication, & helping Sumitomo employees support their clients.
- No set up, no clean up, no teardown, no travel fees, no hassle!
WHAT SUMITOMO RECEIVED
- A memorable experience where attendees participated- increasing time spent with their product, educating the customer, & leaving a lasting impression
- An app that captured follow-up information of qualified candidates resulting in more sales
- A customer service & sales application that can always be accessed
- A versatile booth experience that saves money on transportation and can go anywhere in the world
- A tool that doesn’t require Subject Matter Experts to be present at all locations.
And ultimately became… A dominant force at all trade shows!
