Editor's Note: The Future is Now

Notice anything different about the Editor's Note in this issue? Perhaps you see a "Layar" logo and some text in the upper left-hand corner of this page, above my head? No, we're not rebranding. What Retail Online Integration is doing is providing you with our first-ever augmented reality (AR) issue. As such, throughout this issue there are interactive elements and links that can make this print magazine as alive as any website.

Here's how to view the AR content in this issue: Simply download Layar's app on your iPhone or Android device or via layar.com/download. Then look for the Layar logo on pages in the magazine and scan those pages with the app. Interactive links will open on your phone or tablet to launch digital content, such as videos related to that article. Make sure, however, that you scan the whole page in good light for maximum effectiveness.

While this is very cool for us here at ROI — and hopefully you'll find it useful and entertaining as well — another goal of this expieriement is to inspire you to think about using AR in your business. Need more inspiration? Check out Ikea's 2014 catalog app, which launched on Aug. 25. It leverages AR functionality to enable users to see what different pieces of furniture in the company's paper-based catalog would look like in their homes. All users have to do is scan pages of the catalog, place the printed catalog wherever they'd like the sofa/table/bookshelf to go and then view a 3-D model of the piece in that particular room on their phone or tablet. Pretty cool, huh?

Another fun example is Moosejaw Mountaineering's Moosejaw X-Ray app, which launched in November 2011. The app lets users "see through" the clothing in its winter catalog, showing male and female models in their underwear. While some called it "sleazy," the campaign racked up 1 million impressions on Twitter, 160,000 video views and 75,000 downloads in five weeks, according to data from Marxent Labs, the company that developed the app. The campaign also drove up sales 37 percent over the same period in the year prior.

What do you think of these examples? And how about our AR experiment? Or AR in general? Please let me know by dropping me a line at mcampanelli@napco.com. I'd love to hear from you.

All About eMail Live! is Coming to NYC Sept. 24-25!
I wanted to let you know about eM+C's (ROI's sister publication) third annual All About eMail (AAE) Live! conference, which is taking place on Sept. 24-25 in New York City. AAE Live! promises to be a dynamic two days of workshops covering email marketing trends, best practices and strategies, including email acquisition, data management, email and social media integration, mobile email design, B-to-B lead generation, and more! This year we're hosting a fast-paced, interactive pre-conference workshop on Sept. 24. Participants will learn how to use email to build customer loyalty and profitably grow their business — while getting an up-close-and-personal look at what their peers are doing.

I hope to see you there!