Now and then, something new appears on the market that sends a rupturous blast wave through the branding and advertising environment. In the year 2004, Facebook was launched. In 2007, the iPhone was released. In 2016, Pokémon GO! Ushered in the era of augmented reality.
These and other paradigm-shifting events have all profoundly changed how companies think regarding their go-to-market strategy. Now, if we are to trust the buzz, it looks like metaverse marketing is poised to be the “next big thing” to enter that illustrious list.
Opportunities for Metaverse Marketing
How do digital advertisers get started with the metaverse?
The video game industry is a wonderful place to go for inspiration since advertisers are currently experimenting with how the social side of virtual worlds can improve brand connection and open up new data-gathering possibilities. Of course, not all video games are part of the metaverse, but many of the most popular ones today feature key metaverse features like customizable avatars, multiplayer modes, and the opportunity to communicate with other players in real-time. Roblox, Fortnite, Decentraland, Somnium Space, and Animal Crossing are just a few of the games that include all of these characteristics, making them ideal for advertisers wanting to test paid and organic indicators.
Let’s take a look at three of the most common strategies used by businesses:
Creating Immersive In-Game Environments
Gucci was among the first big brands to stake a claim in the metaverse, collaborating with Roblox to produce The Gucci Gardens, a digital, two-week-long interactive art exhibit. Players could roam around numerous rooms that paid tribute to legendary Gucci advertisements, trying on and purchasing virtual Gucci products like bags, outfits, and glasses throughout this magical journey. After chosen in-game NFTs went “Roblox limited”, this time-limited promotion was becoming a viral hit, and it eventually helped Gucci acquire some useful early visibility both for its product and company before Roblox’s very young user demographics—that is, the next wave of customers.
These instances demonstrate how forward-thinking companies are addressing shifting customer behavior and delivering new, relevant solutions. Today’s advertising businesses often interact with their customers through their websites and social media platforms. However, as we near Web 3.0, these simulated in-game environments may become one of the future’s calling cards. Purchasers can do a lot of things now that they have this additional point of contact in their arsenal.
Developing Virtual Flagship Shops
Not each company requires or has the resources to establish its own unique microcosm. Many people are dipping their toes into the metaverse with something more basic. What’s an example? Consider the design and cosmetics industries, where several major players are striving to reinvent their go-to-market strategies by developing virtual flagship locations that can be accessed via VR headsets.
For customers and companies alike, the capacity of these immersive storefronts to simulate real-life shopping settings and ease the impact of browsing is an enormously appealing offer. The usual 2D e-commerce interface, which is typically built on a grid model, is wonderful for purposeful shopping if customers know exactly what they want, but it isn’t always conducive to discovery or motivating impulsive purchases. Customers don’t necessarily go out to buy something particular; they may do so to see what’s on offer, keep up with the newest fashions, or learn about different deals. Conventional sites hardly promote these activities, but virtual 3D retailers can.
Adoption of In-Game Marketing
Aside from the flash and glamor of world-building, in-game marketing offers other, more modest chances for multimedia outlets in the metaverse. This isn’t technically a novel idea: marketers have been delivering advertisements appropriate to the occasion in virtual surroundings for at least 15 to 20 years. One of the most well-known examples was when Barack Obama bought commercial space in a variety of video games from Electronic Arts to help fund his first presidential campaign. Today, the same concept exists, but it’s been extended into meta advertising.
Currently, we are still in the initial phases of the metaverse, but this will not be the situation for much longer. In the technology world, things move at a breakneck pace, but there are already a slew of opportunities for companies to explore. Advertisers may get ahead of the curve by comprehending and testing adoption today.