AR and Brand Experience: Lessons from Manchester Tech Festival

Augmented Reality (AR) has long been positioned as a way to create novel brand experiences. But as immersive technology matures, the more important question is no longer can brands use AR, but how they should use it meaningfully.

This article reflects on a talk delivered at Manchester Tech Festival, exploring how AR and emerging immersive technologies can be used to build authentic, memorable brand experiences. Rather than focusing on spectacle, the session examined how spatial computing, storytelling, and user context are shaping the future of brand engagement.

While the talk took place in 2023, the ideas discussed remain highly relevant as organisations continue to navigate the shift from experimentation to purpose-driven immersive experiences.

The talk took place at Dish Manchester

AR Beyond Novelty in Brand Experience

One of the key themes explored during the session was the risk of treating AR as a gimmick. Early brand experiments often prioritised novelty over value, resulting in short-lived experiences that failed to connect with audiences in a meaningful way.

Effective AR-driven brand experiences share common characteristics:

• They are designed around user context, not just technology.

• They support a clear narrative or message.

• They respect attention rather than demanding it.

• They add something that traditional media cannot.

When AR is treated as a storytelling medium rather than a technical feature, its value becomes much clearer.

Spatial Computing and the Convergence of Technologies

The talk also explored the growing convergence between AR, virtual reality, cloud computing, and machine learning. Rather than existing as isolated tools, these technologies increasingly operate together within what is now often referred to as spatial computing.

This shift has implications for brands and organisations:

• Experiences are becoming more persistent and context aware.

• Physical and digital spaces are blending.

• Data, environment, and narrative are increasingly intertwined.

Understanding this convergence helps organisations design experiences that feel coherent rather than fragmented.

Designing Brand Experiences with Purpose

A recurring message from the Manchester Tech Festival session was that immersive brand experiences must be rooted in purpose. AR works best when it supports understanding, emotional connection, or participation, rather than acting as a visual overlay without substance.

This applies across sectors, from marketing and retail to culture, education, and heritage. In all cases, immersive technology should serve a broader experience strategy, not sit outside it.

Reflections That Shaped Future Thinking

Many of the ideas explored during this talk went on to inform later thinking around immersive technology, including reflections on where AR, VR, and mixed reality were heading in the years ahead.

Those ideas were later expanded into a broader future-facing article on immersive technology trends, exploring how spatial computing, mixed reality, and purpose-led design were likely to shape the coming years.

How This Thinking Connects to AVimmerse Today

Since this talk, AVimmerse’s work has increasingly focused on immersive experiences that prioritise meaning, place, and story over novelty. This includes projects across immersive heritage, education, and public engagement, where technology is used as a supporting layer rather than the centrepiece.

The lessons from Manchester Tech Festival continue to influence how immersive projects are approached today: start with intent, design for people, and choose technology carefully.

Explore how AVimmerse applies immersive thinking across projects on the Studio page.

Many of the ideas explored during this talk later informed a broader reflection on immersive technology futures.