Work with thought leaders and academic experts in Augmented Reality

Dr. Andrew Raij, Ph.D. is a principal researcher at the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, where he leads research on human-centered computing and virtual / augmented / mixed reality. For over 20 years, Dr. Raij has been helping companies unlock the transformative power of immersive technologies through **rigorous user research, strategic guidance, and creative problem-solving**. With a deep understanding of human behavior in immersive environments, he bridges the gap between cutting-edge technology and real-world needs. His career began in academia, where he was an Assistant Professor and Director of the Powerful Interactive Experiences (PIE) Lab at the University of South Florida. Later, he joined Universal Creative, where he applied his expertise to the challenge of using immersive, wearable technologies in the theme park environment. At Draper Labs, his research focuses on applying immersive technologies to training and situational awareness. Dr. Raij earned his Ph.D. in the Department of Computer & Information Science & Engineering from the University of Florida in 2009. Prior to this, he completed his M.S. in Computer Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2003 and his B.S. in Computer Science at Northwestern University in 2001.

I am a marketing professor who specializes in augmented/extended realities, metaverse marketing, brand storytelling, and influencer marketing. I am a public speaker and consultant who helps your brand thrive in today's and tomorrow's new realities. <br> \~ ⨏ \~ <br> MY PASSION is to explore augmented reality’s strategic potential for marketing: I published the first-ever conceptual article on AR marketing, which won Article of the Year award and is one of the most-cited publications about this topic. I have taught AR since 2015 as part of my social media and digital marketing courses at Cal Poly. At Brock University, I developed and teach the world’s first dedicated Augmented Reality Marketing courses for undergraduate as well as MBA students. <br> \~ ⚬ \~ <br> MY RESEARCH combines ethnographic methods with socio-cultural frameworks to cut through the complexities of marketing and consumption: I explore how augmented reality can deepen consumer/brand relationships, how it helps customers feel more competent and autonomous, how Pokémon GO players co-create and transport into hybrid-realities, how managers can deploy AR initiatives, and how various types of augmented realities offer different strategic opportunities for brands. My social media research explores how marketers can build their brands in today’s polarized and tribal societies by fighting back against online critics. <br> \~ × \~ <br> I LOVE building bridges between academia and the broader business community: I'm a member of Adweek's Academic Council and serve on the advisory board of Schulich’s Future of Marketing Institute. I regularly publish research-driven insights in Adweek, MKTGsquad, and other AR-specific publications. I provide expertise for marketing agencies and consult wine, CPG and technology companies in the US and Canada on branding and augmented reality marketing. I decipher the babel and help people see the big picture. <br> \~ 🦊 \~

# Augmented Reality (AR) Marketing Leader, XR Trainer & Speaker, User-centric Content Marketer for Emerging Technologies. Community Builder & Advocate I've been using XR (an umbrella term for AR, VR, metaverse, etc.) for marketing since 2015; taken 2 prominent augmented reality start-ups to market as their first marketing directors; and have built dozens of apps, filters, prototypes, and proofs-of-value for usecases for: retail, fashion, social ar, industrial manufacturing, remote assistance, education, social impact, and more. I've partnered with Fortune 50 brands to launch award winning AR apps that leverage LiDAR scanning, computer vision, AI guidance, gamification, and digital twins in the ecommerce checkout flow of an existing brand app. In addition to teaching dozens of XR for business workshops for creative agencies, marketing teams, brands, government agencies, I also host The AR Minute, an interview podcast focused on demystifying metaverse technologies. In the last year I spoke with 80+ metaverse professionals across all industries, roles, and applications.