Reflections on the possible impact of Google Glass on digital marketing

The Project Glass, now known as Google Glass is one of the latest technology that was developed by Google.  Google Glass has already been released for the developers in February 2013 and possibly to the consumers in 2014.  The Google Glass “explorer version” cost US$1,500 and it is still unknown how much it would cost for the consumers.

Now, what is Google Glass and what exactly does it do? 

Google Glass is almost like a hands-free portable computer that you could wear it on you like a spectacle. This “portable computer” could take a picture, record a video, run a search on the internet and much more using voice commands.  So with these features, how would the technology of Google Glass possibly impact on digital marketing?

There’s a technology that is worth mentioning which is the Augmented Reality (AR).  You would have seen this in many movies- wearing or using a device to see superimposed images or texts on a real backdrop.

What kind of superimposed images or texts then?  Looking for directions when you’re lost, seeing arrows right in front of you navigating using the in-built camera on your mobile phone as a reference point for your current location.  Now, with Google Glass you can do so with both of your hands free.

With the convenience of hands free and the voice recognition technology in Google Glass, combined with digital marketing will make another strong marketing channel for marketers.  I personally think that every human being has an inheritance of “laziness”.  So there are some areas which I think marketers could capitalized upon using the Google Glass technology.

Marketers could make use of AR, Google Glass, mobile and digital marketing, to provide relevant information to consumers. On top of the already available mobile internet search for businesses near consumers while they’re outdoor, with Google Glass, businesses could provide directions to retail shops right in front of the consumers’ eyes. Other marketers could also provide “pop-up” business information along the way when consumers walked by, perhaps they wouldn’t mind dropping by a café for a coffee.

Another example for tourism industry to capitalize on is to provide directions for a heritage trail walk, providing relevant historic information such as text of brief history “popping up” in front of tourists eyes when they stopped in front of some national momentums.  With such convenience, it could possibly also impact on the tourism industries of many countries where travelers might find free and easy tours even easier.

While the Google Glass technology might be more relevant to some industries and businesses, it will be interesting to observe how it would evolved in many years to come.