Brand experiences in the metaverse are limited only by our imagination.
Many still don’t know what the metaverse is or how to take advantage of it. But one thing is for sure; people are gearing up to catch or create the wave in marketing and advertising swelling around it.
Jack Morton is a brand experience agency that exists to reimagine what an experience can be. We do that by pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. Here is a collection of some of our recent metaverse agency work and thought leadership pieces.
Some brands dip their toes in to test the waters, while others dive in headfirst.
And eager audiences are willing to not only experiment but bet the house. Recently, a Dolce & Gabbana tiara, exclusive to the metaverse, fetched $300,000 at auction, and metaverse real estate now sells for millions.But where do you start? We recently talked with experts from Activision, Unity Technologies, Meta, Friends with Holograms, and JOURNEE: The Metaverse Company about what brands should consider when designing metaverse experiences, and we spent some time debunking a few common myths and misconceptions:
Lets debunk some myths
- The metaverse isn’t real yet
- Metaverse experiences shouldn’t overlap with IRL experiences
- One failed metaverse experience will break your brand
- The metaverse is just gaming amplified
- DEI isn’t as important in the metaverse as in the real world
The metaverse isn’t real yet
People have been dreaming and building a metaverse since the mid-1930s (for reals). In about 30 years, we’ve come from the first humble webpage to the social web, the internet of things, VR and AR, and web 3.0, which tells you where we’re headed.
Today, when we say metaverse, we’re talking about a shared persistent interactive experience in an online virtual world. Typically, it incorporates AR, VR, 3D avatars, video and/or other means of communication. Today, anyone with an internet connection and a device can partake. That could be through gaming, an entry point where many people will have their first experience, to a more robust user-generated communal experience in Decentraland.
The metaverse is real, and it’s evolving to become more hyperreal alternative worlds where people co-exist. Right now, it’s a field of green with limitless possibilities.
Metaverse experiences shouldn’t overlap with IRL experiences
This isn’t either-or. There can be interplay between both worlds or extensions from one into another. For example, you purchase a product in the metaverse and get it delivered to your doorstep. The key is finding ways to connect IRL to the metaverse and add value to the customer.
The critical component of any metaverse experience is creating a sense of presence, whether virtual or real. And while metaverse experiences don’t yet mimic real-life multi-sensory interactions (tastes, smells, feels), they don’t need to.
That is the beauty of the metaverse. You can balance what’s known with what’s unknown and play with dimensions like space and time to create ‘surprise and delight’ moments. You can bring unexpected real-world concepts like scarcity into the space. For example, queuing up for a concert.
Right now, brands are experimenting in the metaverse, and they should. No one is an expert yet. Some are tracking early success. Some haven’t quite figured it out yet. And that is okay. The first step is taking a step. That could be a full-blown experience or creating a digital twin of your store to get the tooling right in 3D and never release it. It’s essential that whatever steps you take, your metaverse experience is an authentic extension of your brand. It needs to be seamless, and you need to give people a reason to go.
Nike’s virtual space in Roblox, Nikeland, is a massive hit because it got the interactivity right and gave people a reason to be there besides to buy sneakers. Brands need to accept that metaverse experiences are still a work in progress, but it’s important to get in early and try. Throw things against the wall and see what sticks, be open to expanding and finding new dimensions of expression because the last thing you want is to be left behind or, even worse, for someone else to jump in and represent your brand.
Sure, many people’s first metaverse experiences will be through gaming – like Roblox or Fortnite. And gaming is influencing the progress and development of the metaverse. But the metaverse isn’t just about gameplay.
Gaming is one aspect that fuels the metaverse along with its community and interactions, but the metaverse has the potential for more – like commerce or other activities. Gaming is also not one singular world – there are hundreds of thousands of separate worlds operating at once, whereas the metaverse concept, which isn’t there yet, is one world of interaction.
The metaverse may take a cue from gaming, but it will be something entirely new, and there is an opportunity to invent new designs and creative around it.
Inclusivity is equally as important in virtual worlds as it is in IRL. Community is a core part of the metaverse, and the foundation of community is shared interests and creating a welcoming environment for all.
Inclusivity can start with a few basics – like making avatars that are customizable to reflect not only gender or race but body size, hair texture, and other defining characteristics. Inclusivity in the metaverse also starts with who is building it – the companies investing in metaverse experiences. It starts with those developing the technology down to brands that show up. Both need to ensure that diverse teams are part of the creation.
The metaverse is a blank canvas
We’re just at the beginning, but it’s filled with potential. There will be a lot more innovation in the coming months and years as we go through new phases of transformation. We don’t know what the metaverse will become, but it will continue to grow and change. And as it takes shape, it’s critical that brands, as they flesh out a metaverse strategy and start to build experiences, prioritize being flexible, inclusive, and purposeful.