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‘ Animal Crossing: New Horizons’ was incredibly successful as it provided a social space that allowed its players to share their creativity at a time they couldn’ t do so in person. This opened the door for fashion and home brands to get involved. IKEA Taiwan capitalized on the in-game furniture craze by recreating its catalog in-game, which linked IKEA-themed islands in the game itself to its platform and store. KFC in the Philippines went one step further, offering realworld rewards for visiting its official island and spotting‘ the Colonel’- an employee in custom garb made up to look like the chicken brand’ s mascot.
These are only a few of the efforts by brands to capitalize on the metaverse- and only in a single game which, despite its popularity, was never designed to allow marketing of that kind to exist at all. Games with more robust creative tools- such as Minecraft and Roblox- and developer tools like those behind the scenes at Fortnite are set to capitalize further.
Gaming as an ecosystem seems to be every PR practitioner’ s dream. Whatever is not possible in other channels can be tested in gaming. Every marketer and PR practitioner can find something for themselves in the gaming world. From billboards to video, customized and interactive adverts, brands have vast opportunities to communicate with gamers- and gamers are ready for it.
However, there is still concern that brands’ intrusion into the metaverse is anathema to the core gaming audience. Given how gaming behaviors driven by the pandemic will persist, it’ s past time for brands to understand their audiences truly. PR practitioners must accept that games will become more and more critical spaces for brands to debut and launch in and exist permanently. And if we want to thrive, we should drop the debate and start understanding the culture and tribes immediately.
The metaverse as a concept was almost inevitable, given the rise of social games and virtual spaces. Despite that, it is yet to be fully proven as a marketing channel. As companies like Epic Games continue to push their virtual spaces- and games like Animal Crossing accidentally open the door for brands to reach those gaming audiences- we’ re set to see a considerable amount of experimentation around the metaverse.
So how can marketers and PR Practitioners adapt as this metaverse expands? First, there’ s a greater need to keep in mind the value of millennials as a target market. Millennials and Gen Z are avid users of one or more forms of the metaverse.
As marketing and communication professionals, we must create marketing experiences that tie in with real-world experiences or parallel what our brands already do in real life. With the metaverse, we can now offer virtual advertising. Since‘ metaverses’ are experiential and immersive in nature, it’ s best to take advantage of virtual advertising opportunities by providing an authentic, immersive experience with your adverts and marketing initiatives. We can now offer branded installations and events that users can interact with instead of just placing simple adverts.
However, it is essential to remain cognizant that, generally, people are averse to advertising. So as brands try to penetrate the metaverse, it’ s important not to show up and throw information at people’ s faces. More than that, you’ ll need the users’ positive reception since you will be trying to market to them. Therefore, user-generated content and genuine engagement is important, and so community members become integral parts of the execution of our marketing and PR campaigns.
Challenges In The Metaverse
The metaverse promises an exciting future for brands, but there are still some challenges to overcome along the way.
For one, while‘ metaverses’ are gaining popularity, they can still use some more traction. Because of the technological requirements of‘ metaverses,’ accessibility is an issue. Not everyone has access to the devices necessary to enjoy the metaverse, such as higher-end computers and Virtual Reality( VR) lenses. This dramatically limits the potential market for brands and hinders efforts for mass marketing.
Brands also need to be careful in navigating‘ metaverses.’ Seamless integration is crucial to avoid alienating players from the brand. Because the technology is new, brands might still have trouble finding their proper place in the metaverse and may come off as overly blunt in their messaging. Plan your placements well and make sure that it feels natural and well-integrated in the metaverse.
There are still many misunderstandings surrounding‘ metaverses.’ People often think of them as a simple game for children. Not everyone understands the value of‘ metaverses,’ so brands may risk not being taken seriously for their efforts in establishing a presence within these platforms.
Data privacy and security remain to be a challenge in the metaverse. With new technology comes the need for more evolved security measures. This requires building new data privacy and protection methods where there were none. For instance, personal verification might require more data from users, thereby increasing data privacy risks.
Lastly, because‘ metaverses’ are free for all, brands need to protect their image. The more control users have in a metaverse, the higher the likelihood your brand might appear next to questionable content. There’ s also the risk of getting your placements vandalized or disrespected by users. This is why it’ s vital to be seamless, mindful, and precise with your marketing strategies so that users can feel good about sharing the virtual space with you and engaging with you there.
Ultimately,‘ metaverses’ offer a promising future for computing and the internet. Even more so, they offer plenty of room for innovations by marketers and communicators alike. Yet, despite these challenges, the opportunity to be experimental, provide an immersive experience, and be innovative triumphs. ■
Irene Mbonge is the Group Head, Corporate Communication & Public Affairs at CPF Group. Talk to her on this or related issues via mail at: Mbonge. Irene @ gmail. com
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