I’m sorry!
Really, I am sorry. My apologies for sounding like a sour, sarcastic, vinegar oozing bitter old man but I really need to get this off my chest!
More and more I’ve been noticing how every single AR company out there claims itself to be a leader in Augmented Reality! And if they’re not Leaders in AR they call themselves “Thought leaders”. Which is a lot smarter because you can never prove I haven’t thought of that before.
Actually, I should call myself thought leader and increase my level of authority in the AR market. I’ve pondered over things you can’t even begin to imagine so please, respect my authority! (Play that famous Eric Cartman audio fragment in your head)
But then again: Maybe I got this whole thing wrong.
I could simply be misunderstanding the different levels of leadership because it seems there’s a distinction. It seems there are:
- Leaders,
- Global Leaders and
- Worldwide Leaders (or World Leaders)
Maybe a Leader is just your like your local 2nd hand car dealer. There’s lot’s of them and they’ll do just about anything to make a couple of bucks.
Above the 2nd hand car dealer is the Authorized Toyota Dealer (the Worldwide leader). Specialized in one brand only they’re way more sexy and powerful than the local chumps.
On top of that there’s the Toyota manufacturing plant (the Global leader). They are in charge of the entire specialized market from the earth’s nucleus all the way up to the ozone layer.
I know this sounds ridiculous and I have to admit that most of the brands/people mentioned in blogs don’t actually refer to themselves as being world leaders but get branded as such by journalists trying to add bling to their stories.
Anyway, here’s a list of “leadership” hits I found in the last 30 minutes.
Companies:
“Total Immersion ( www.t-immersion.com ) is the global leader in augmented reality.“
Source: marketwatch.com
“Augmented Reality Leader, Gravity Jack, Welcomes Telect CEO to Board“
Source: emailwire.com
“The worldwide leader in advanced Augmented Reality solutions, metaio, will today release a free version of … “
Source: Wired.com
”Augmented Reality Leader GoldRun Brings OMGPOP’s Mobile iOS game Puppy …“
Source: Realareal.com
“The new smartphones will also include Wikitude, the leader in mobile augmented reality, which overlays contextual information on what the …“
Source: rim.com
“Augmented reality leader Layar just took its system to a whole new level by…“
Source: Fastcompany.net
“(Nasdaq: MSFT) has entered into a licensing agreement with GeoVector® Corporation, the world leader in Augmented Reality and …”
Source: Engadget.com
But it seems some people have realized that claiming to be a leader in AR technology as a whole was a bit too much. So they just chose a specific branch of AR or activity to proclaim themselves World Leaders of.
AR derivatives:
“And then there’s: The World Leader in Augmented Reality Hardware Systems…”
Source: Vuzix.com
“… 2009. As the author of Games Alfresco (the leading blog for augmented reality) and President of the Augmented Reality Consortium…“
Source: Ogmento
“… Augmented Reality Development Lab – We are the leader in augmented reality technology for education…”
Source: ARDevelopmentLab
“About Mr. Robert Rice: Robert is an author, technology entrepreneur, futurist, and a recognized world leader and pioneer in mobile augmented reality…“
Source: Naymz.com
“…Now Mobilizy, the leaders in augmented reality geo-location applications…“
Source: Augmented Planet
I rest my case. It seems quite obvious to me that if you’re not a World Leader at what you do then you just don’t count.
Thanks for hearing me out! I’m glad to have gotten this of my chest.
Now back to work. It’s a hard day’s work being a World Leading Augmented Reality Enthusiast and author.
P.S.: Please link to my blog so I can really become a World Leading Augmented Reality Enthusiast. I haven’t found anyone yet with that title! 
Hi mennobb
I know what you mean but of course everyone will make the claim to be first or the leaders, there is no sense in calling yourself second best. “Try our burgers, they’re second rate and our coffee is passable”. That doesn’t have quite the same appeal as a marketing slogan.
As for you making the claim to be the worlds leading augmented reality enthusiast. Do it, no one else is going to bestow the tile on you so the first rule of marketing is make the claim and sooner or later others will believe it.
Incidentally, at Augmented Planet we ask members of the augmented reality community to vote each year on their favourite augmented reality applications. The reason Wikitude (formally Mobilizy) were bestowed the title of leaders in geo-location AR is because they have been voted by the community as the top AR browser for 2 years in a row.