Do you remember when virtual reality was a far-fetched notion limited to the silver screen? Blockbusters such as The Matrix Franchise and, more recently, Ready Player One have depicted a world completely lived online traversing the virtual space. However, since social media juggernauts Facebook have rebranded to Meta, the conversation has reignited like wildfire, and the once far-away future is now at our doorsteps.
Previously, the Metaverse was only explored in ultra-immersive gaming worlds such as the hugely successful Roblox and Fortnite. For naysayers, this seemed to have cemented the idea that the virtual world is nothing but a gaming space. However, the reality, it is quite the opposite.
As we adjust to a pandemic-induced normal, we are forced to adapt to the rapidly changing tides of technology and its effects on our lives. With this in mind, many industries have wasted no time capitalizing on current metaverse-like spaces in preparation for a completely online world. The Digital Marketing arena is no different.
What Exactly Is the Metaverse?
Source: “Metaverse Explorers” by Dimitrio Lewis is licensed by CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
The Metaverse is a shared 3D virtual platform where persons will have the ability to “live,” work, and immerse themselves in entertainment. Your virtual representation will be an ultra-realistic avatar, and the content in the world is entirely user-generated. where you may be limited in reality, the Metaverse holds no such boundaries.
While Mark Zuckerberg may be the modern pioneer of the term and concept, he did not invent it. Metaverse was first coined in 1992 by author Neal Stephenson in his science fiction thriller Snow Crasher. In his novel, characters use digital avatars to venture into an online world (Metaverse) to escape their mundane days in a dystopian reality. Sounds familiar?
What Does the Metaverse Have to Do with Digital Marketing?
Source: Pexels
Everything! Dubbed the successor of the internet, the Metaverse creates a whole new world within which to peddle your products and services and market them.
The Metaverse has the value-added benefit of giving companies the ability to engage with some of its most significant consumers – Millenials and Gen Z’s.
Major companies have already started flexing their prowess in the Metaverse. Leading luxury brand Gucci launched virtual sneakers created for Roblox. Gucci also hosts a Gucci Garden in Roblox, a digital rendition of the installation from Florence, Italy. But it doesn’t stop there. Skateboarding super brand Vans crafted a virtual skatepark in Roblox, with the brand reporting 48 million visitors to the park to date.
The Metaverse will be home to a captive audience of the subset of the population with immense spending power, giving digital marketers the ability to create engaging campaigns. Marketers can create product NFT’s, interactive advertisements, and gamification of brands, which is only the beginning.
Source: “Candy Factory-NFT” by Life Imitates Doodles is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Geographic locations do not limit the audience in the Metaverse, and participants continue to grow exponentially. People will attend events such as Mardi Gras or experience awards season like never before. These are all opportunities for digital marketers to leverage technology to expertly craft campaigns that will amaze, excite, and incite brand loyalty.
In the Metaverse, your digital marketing strategy will know no limits.
