The Next Dimension: Why AR is the Next Big Move for Business

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The world is undergoing a major shift as our digital experience moves from behind 2D screens into the physical 3D world around us. In The Next Dimension, AR pioneer Tom Emrich has crafted a new playbook to succeed in this next great digital transformation. Focusing specifically on augmented reality, this guide is packed with insights, real-world examples, and practical roadmaps to equip businesses to not only keep pace with this change but to lead it.

Here are five concepts from Tom’s book every business needs to read to prepare for the era of spatial computing. 

1. Harnessing Space as the New Medium

Advanced sensors and AI, particularly machine learning, are transforming computing by gifting them with perception—the ability to sense and understand the physical world. This evolution moves technology beyond flat, 2D screens into 3D space where the digital and physical merge. Augmented reality exemplifies this shift, blending virtual content into physical spaces to create contextual, personalized, and interactive experiences.

This presents a new opportunity for businesses to deliver more meaningful engagements, from virtual agents that understand what is happening around us to AR applications that remix our reality with virtual content embedded in our real-world surroundings. Embracing a 3D strategy is no longer optional; it’s a critical step for businesses to start understanding how to harness the medium of this next wave of computing: space. 

2. Collapsing the Marketing Funnel with AR

AR is reshaping the traditional marketing funnel by collapsing it into a more dynamic and seamless experience. Instead of a step-by-step progression, AR allows consumers to move through multiple stages—discovery, consideration, and decision-making—all in a single, immersive flow.

For example, Selfridges transformed its in-store shopping experience with an AR fashion show. Customers scanned QR codes placed around the store, unveiling a life-sized AR runway show showcasing the latest collection. This not only captured attention (discovery) but also allowed customers to evaluate items in an engaging, personalized way (consideration).

By linking the AR experience to product details and purchase options, Selfridges empowered shoppers to make informed decisions on the spot (decision-making). AR experiences like this reduce friction and abandonment and create a tightly connected funnel where stages blend effortlessly together. 

3. Engaging Generation AR

Meet Generation AR—a cohort of digitally native consumers. Leading the charge is Gen Z, the gaming generation that makes up over 20% of the U.S. population. Having grown up with platforms like Roblox and Snapchat, they not only expect 3D experiences but thrive on them—60% report that AR makes marketing feel more personal.

Following close behind, Generation Alpha is growing up in a world of wearable technology, from smartwatches to mixed reality headsets, creating a new relationship with computing early on. Looking further ahead, Generation Beta is poised to be a wearable-first generation, especially as AR glasses become mainstream, which should be just as impressionable as the iPad, which shaped childhoods in the 2010s.

For these audiences, static, 2D content isn’t enough. Brands that want to remain relevant to future generations must embrace immersive and interactive storytelling.

4. Presence: the Fifth “P” in Marketing

Integrating AR into the marketing mix changes the game by adding a new "P"—presence to the classic 4 Ps of marketing. This goes beyond product, price, place, and promotion by making digital content feel real and part of the consumer's world.

For example, Treasury Wine Estates used AR to elevate their 19 Crimes wine brand with the Living Wine Labels app. By scanning a bottle, consumers unlocked interactive content, such as historical figures on the label telling their stories through animation. This experience didn’t just inform—it created a memorable and personalized connection with the product, driving engagement and increasing sales by 40%.

AR allows brands to bring campaigns to life, offering experiences that create meaningful, emotional connections that foster loyalty and excitement​​.

5. Transforming E-Commerce into AR-Commerce

AR is making online shopping more tangible by allowing consumers to virtually try out products in a lifelike way in their own space.

Saatchi Art's "View in My Room" feature, for instance, enables customers to use their smartphones to visualize over one million artworks on their walls. This tool has driven remarkable results, with AR users spending 17% more and being four times likelier to make a purchase than non-AR users​​.

On the other hand, AR is digitizing the brick-and-mortar experience, allowing in-store visits to feel more like a game. Minecraft gamified retail by inviting shoppers into a scavenger hunt at Big W stores in Australia. Participants scanned markers around the store to unlock Minecraft-themed digital experiences, collecting gems to redeem prizes. During its one-month campaign, the experience was played over 12,500 times, boosting SKU sales by 250%​​.

Bonus: An AR book that walks the walk

A book about spatial computing wouldn’t be complete without showcasing the technology in action. The Next Dimension is an AR and AI-activated book featuring a front cover that transforms into a digital portal using web-based augmented reality and a GPT companion that lets readers talk to an AI about the book.

This innovative combination of AR and AI marks a first in publishing, enriching the reading experience and underscores the book’s role as a lighthouse to guide brands and businesses to succeed in this next wave of computing.

The Next Dimension is available now. Get your copy at thenextdimensionbook.com.