In a previous post, we discussed AR and its potential to create entirely new shopping habits. For our first case study, we will discuss how paint companies like Benjamin Moore have utilized AR so that customers can virtually test different colors of paint in their homes and offices, making endless trips to the store for different paint samples obsolete.
Benjamin Moore’s Color Portfolio app
After downloading Benjamin Moore’s Color Portfolio app, customers can select either video or photo visualizer. The photo visualizer uses an existing picture of the space to be printed while the video visualizer allows you to simply hold up your device to the area to be painted and begin selecting colors (see images below). The app also contains a Color Capture feature to match existing paint colors to their correlating Benjamin Moore option.
Customer experience
So, how does the Color Portfolio app impact the customer experience? As one reviewer pointed out, it allows customers to test and match multiple colors in their spaces, leading to a more informed purchase decision: “It is a bit clunky to use at first but once you figure it out it’s a great way to visualize what a color will look like in a room. It worked best on my white walls.”
Another mentioned the advantages of narrowing down which sample pints to purchase, which start at $10.99: “It was nice to have access to all of their color decks to help me decide which paint samples I would buy. It is much more relaxing to flip through them this way than standing in the store.”
The system has its limitations, of course—lighting throughout the day may alter colors and it may take multiple coats to achieve the look displayed in the AR tool. As one customer mentioned: “It has some serious glitches but is fun. It doesn’t deal real well with changes in angles or items.”
Conclusion
Despite these drawbacks, for Benjamin Moore and other paint companies such as Sherwin-Williams and Behr, utilizing AR is allowing potential customers to play with redesign ideas from home at any time of day, increasing their odds of making the sale: “I will use the Color Portfolio app whenever painting! It is so much better to see the color on walls in a picture over a two-inch card.”
As these AR features improve, deciding on paint colors from home will only get easier.
