Publications
Publications
- August 2021 (Revised March 2022)
- HBS Case Collection
Camera IQ and the Metaverse: Building Augmented Reality Brand Experiences
By: Jill Avery and Rayan Nahas
Abstract
Camera IQ, a camera marketing software company that empowered brands to create and launch augmented reality experiences (AREs) across social platforms, had just raised an additional $5 million to fund further product development and expand its marketing and sales efforts. In the four years since the company’s founding, Camera IQ had worked to “democratize the camera,” breaking down the significant technological barriers that prevented companies from easily harnessing the power of AR at scale in their digital marketing campaigns. Now, the business stood at a critical juncture. It was time to accelerate the company’s growth. Several issues were on the table for discussion, including how to segment and target their customer base to drive exponential growth. Second, the founders had to decide how to direct their engineering resources to refine their platform to meet the needs of an expanding and diversifying customer base. Some in the company were advocating for the development of a much cheaper product tier with capped features to capture the mass market, while others were arguing that the company should focus on refining a more intricate enterprise solution. Still others were excited about the possibility of launching a two-sided marketplace for AR content and templates. Third, as Camera IQ refined its customer value proposition, they would have to further differentiate AREs from other types of digital content and move beyond traditional notions of advertising toward the achievement of a richer, more immersive and engaging branded experience.
Keywords
Brand Management; Virtual Reality; Augmented Reality; B2B; Technology Platform; Marketing; Marketing Communications; Marketing Strategy; Brands and Branding; Digital Marketing; Internet and the Web; Growth Management; Customer Relationship Management; Customer Value and Value Chain; Social Media; E-commerce; Applications and Software; Digital Platforms; Advertising Industry; United States
Citation
Avery, Jill, and Rayan Nahas. "Camera IQ and the Metaverse: Building Augmented Reality Brand Experiences." Harvard Business School Case 522-002, August 2021. (Revised March 2022.)