The metaverse and implications for brands in 2022

It's early in 2022 to have identified a word of the year, but if I had to pick one so far, it would have to be ‘metaverse’. The news is abuzz with the metaverse, whether it is the world’s largest technology companies racing to build it first or luxury brand’s selling virtual versions of their products. And in their latest research, Gartner predicts consumers will be spending one hour per day shopping, learning and socialising in the metaverse. 

In his Metaverse Primer, venture capitalist Matthew Ball asserts that we shouldn’t seek a single definition of the metaverse, as it has only begun to emerge. What we do know is that the metaverse is iterating on the internet to offer persistent 3D experiences - taking the internet from a flat newspaper-like format to a multi-dimensional world we can explore akin to a bricks and mortar experience. Within this new realm, immersive engagement, gaming principles and adult learning techniques can all be leveraged to heighten training, engagement and communications for organisations and brands alike. So the metaverse isn't so much new content as a new and more efficacious way to explore the content you most want your audiences to access.

Getting started now

Business leaders know that to stay relevant and remain competitive, innovation is key and pioneering in the metaverse is no different than mobile apps were years ago. It was suggested brands create them to gain presence in mobile phones everywhere before the world grasped the great utility they serve. The metaverse is already disrupting communications planning, providing a new platform for interaction with valued stakeholders. 

Ahead of holograms, avatars, virtual real estate and advancements in AI - jumping into the latest evolution of information sharing can be as straightforward as building a virtual destination for audiences to be immersed in your brand story. A digital experience centre where users can enjoy prolonged interaction and discover product offerings provides businesses an opportunity to cultivate connections through unique, creative interactions that educate and improve loyalty. 

Tennis Australia has just embraced the metaverse as well, extending the atmosphere and interaction of a day at the Australian Open to viewers at home. From having a hit of tennis at Rod Laver arena to exploring the grounds - AO was the first major sporting event hosted in the metaverse. According to Ridley Plummer, Tennis Australia’s NFT and metaverse project manager: “We want the AO to be the world’s most accessible and inclusive sports and entertainment event. With the unique challenges fans have faced getting to Melbourne we’ve fast-tracked our launch into the Metaverse. ”

Metaverse for enterprise

Access to the metaverse is not dependent on new hardware. Immersive experiences can be had with laptops and mobiles. VR headsets will eventually be ubiquitous, but if organisations wait for that, they will be left spluttering in the wake of their competitors. By embracing the communication and learning opportunities of the metaverse on devices already in people’s hands, they democratise the engagement afforded by the metaverse and capitalise on the wealth of data accessible when a 2D web experience becomes (truly) 3D.

Whether your maiden voyage into a digital world with dimension is an event with a perpetual resource centre for attendees to access and revisit materials in flow of work, a walk around at the Australia Open or the chance to make training more sticky - an opportunity awaits in the metaverse.