Virtual Worlds

By Paul Janowitz, Principal, Sentient Services
There is a lot of hype – positive and negative – about virtual worlds right now. Most centers on a platform known as Second Life. To read in detail about these discussions, visit our blog at www.sentientservices.com/blog. However, for this short piece I want to chat about the how virtual and extensible worlds affect research, branding and advertising today.

The first thing to point out is that virtual worlds are not just Second Life – it is one platform and not even the largest. Second Life has major players including IBM, Dell, Starwood, American Apparel and others that have produced a mountain of PR, but there are many others coming online with different business models and approaches.

Finding the right platform for a given company is paramount. The current state of virtual worlds is similar to the multiple browser and coding platforms for the web at its nascent stages. Virtual worlds (those where fantasy rules) and extensible worlds (those that are more like 3D versions of MySpace where the platforms serve as extensions of one’s real world or social networking) are simply the next evolution of websites. Consider each building, island or room as a 3D website. When you start viewing them this way it becomes much clearer how to leverage these new platforms.
 
With this in mind, the first mistake most businesses make when entering virtual worlds is forgetting that they are web properties to be branded, promoted and managed just like a website. Virtual worlds must be compelling, interactive and engaging – a “build it and they will come” approach simply does not work. However, done correctly, these virtual worlds create an amazing opportunity to engage customers like never before.

Imagine doing customer research around the globe in a matter of hours. You can test store layout, get ideas and product development from bleeding edge technology users that normally can’t be reached and have users interact with products yet to be fully prototyped. The possibilities are almost endless for engaging customers in two-way research. As for advertising and branding, these worlds provide a chance for an immersive brand experience unlike anything else. The key difference, besides a 3D interactive environment, is the social aspect. Groups are now interacting with a brand and its “website,” creating many new possibilities for advertising to connect and then go viral.

The bottom line: times and technology change, but what doesn’t is the need to develop the right product, connect with customers, be genuine and deliver a brand experience. If we keep those points in mind when dealing with any new media, we leverage that media as platforms to engage with the market, not as substitutes for good business and branding.