The Metaverse is not the future; it is the present.
According to Google Trends, "Metaverse" is one of the most searched topics in the world as of November 2021, and, confirming the interest in Web 3.0, there is a tendency for many brands to want to understand what opportunities it can offer and for what areas it can be interesting. The answer is that there are so many possibilities and that it is potentially applicable to any type of business, as long as there is a clear and defined goal behind it.
Let's delve into the topic with Bebit Factory, the digital agency of Libera Brand Building Group, which offers consulting and services to enter the Metaverse.
The reasons for investing in the metaverse, as we said, are many, but at the same time can be grouped into four macro areas:
1. Positioning and know-how.
Defining a new brand positioning in terms of innovation and increasing skills with respect to new technologies allows one to be perceived as an "innovator" by users, leads to establishing a new bond with the brand, to activate a new way of communicating. In an era of continuous and daily evolutions such as this, keeping up with the times is more crucial than ever for the life of companies. An example of a company that has worked in this direction? Heineken with its Silver Metabar, the world's first Metabar, launched after introducing its new beer "Heineken Silver" in the Metaverse. Actually, the metabar exists in the real world and is located in Milan, but what makes the difference is what the Heineken wanted to recreate inside it: a temporary bar, which was open from April 7 to 10 and featured many artists from the music scene as guests, whose space consists of interactive displays, digital menus, holograms and special mirrors that transform the clothes of those who are mirrored in it. A real place to immerse oneself in the virtual, the so-called phygital experience made possible in a unique operation. This is how the Dutch brand wanted to reflect the company's pioneering approach and innovative DNA as it looks to the future and the new generations.
2. The meta-economy.
Opening a new sales channel. The metaverse is for all intents and purposes a new business opportunity, where you can expand your network and sell items, products, accessories, clothing, avatars, and access to exclusive experiences through blockchain technology and the use of TOKEN and NFT.
But are users really ready for this? According to a recent research conducted by SWG for Italian Tech (GEDI Group) in February 2022, involving a nationally representative sample of 1,000 individuals between the ages of 14 and 75, 42 percent of Italians (especially "Millennials") believe it is possible and are well prepared to buy in the metaverse. Therefore, we need to seize this opportunity by positioning ourselves as pioneers, somewhat like what happened in the late 1990s with e-commerce.
Walmart and Nike companies are working along these very lines.
The first, Walmart, has filed several new trademarks with the goal of producing and subsequently selling virtual goods. The second, Nike, was among the first to venture into the metaverse, creating its "Nikeland" on Roblox. Within it, in addition to offering and selling virtual reproductions of great classics such as the Air Force 1, it launched prototypes of shoes and garments for users in the metaverse to try on before starting production in the real one.
3. Intercepting and communicating with a new audience
Activating a new communication channel, and in particular embracing an audience among the most fascinated by the gaming universe and eager for innovation: generation Z. After all, it is precisely GenZ that has introduced certain socio-cultural trends in the way they understand their identity and socialization possibilities, thus opening up new opportunities. For most of these users, the metaverse is in fact seen as the natural evolution of social media. Positioning oneself in the metaverse thus allows one to make oneself known and to connect with a new, all-digital generation of users.
It is probably also with this in mind that HSBC, one of the largest international providers of banking and financial services, entered The Sandbox. It actually purchased a LAND (land) and signed an engagement with sports communities in the metaverse to co-create educational, inclusive and accessible experiences for all.
4. Meta-Storytelling.
Realize storytelling in an innovative way and, thanks to the endless narrative possibilities, offer irreplicable, unique and immersive experiences and content. In the metaverse, it is possible, for example, to launch new collections or special promotions, to tell about one's historical, educational, and value content in a completely new and experiential guise.
Gucci's entry on Roblox with its "Gucci Town" is one example. Inside the space it is possible to purchase virtual replicas of the Maison's iconic products and even co-customize them. As the brand itself says, this is "a place to learn more about the Maison, its heritage and creative vision.
As can be seen from this first glimpse given to Web 3.0 and its applications, the possibilities for communication, sales, and interaction that the metaverse offers are endless, as are potentially vast areas of application: from entertainment and gaming to e-commerce or live shopping, from customer service to internal marketing and education. This new world has no limits to expansion and reception; on the contrary, it makes it possible to realize innovative and surprising ideas. All that remains is to dive in and consider how to seize the opportunities for your brand.
For more details contact bebit.com
Roberto Botto. Ceo and Co-founder of Bebit, a Libera Brand Building Group company.
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