For the past year Metaverse It has grown from buzzword du jour to buzzword del’année. Technology companies, game developers, and brands are also competing to claim a corner of the upcoming virtual world.
However, while Metaverse hype continues to grow, brands that are interested in effectively activating, at least in the marketing department, need to take precautions to avoid overwhelming potential customers. Multiple sectors such as gaming, social media, and blockchain technology are currently competing to become the builders of the Metaverse, and consumers are constantly struggling to stay on top of the latest jargon and technology development. If a brand puts a virtual cart in front of a horse, there is a risk of burning up the audience in the Metaverse before it is fully formed.
To better understand how regular consumers are approaching the Metaverse, Digiday has drawn important insights from five data reports and surveys on consumer sentiment and activity in space.
Most people still don’t know what the Metaverse is
A January survey According to market research firm Ipsos, 38% of Americans say they are very or somewhat familiar with the Metaverse, but this number varies greatly depending on the age of the consumer and the presence of children in the home. More than 50% of respondents in households with children were familiar with the Metaverse, while only 20% of respondents over the age of 55 said they knew the term.
As shown in the graph above, respondents who claim to know about the Metaverse have very different explanations of exactly what the Metaverse is, associating terms with social media or virtual worlds. Did. As brands continue to activate within the Metaverse platform, it may be wise to use these activations to educate consumers rather than assuming prior knowledge of the Metaverse. ..
Most brands don’t even know about Metaverse
If consumers are still uncertain about the Metaverse, some brands may be even more cautious about immersing their toes in virtual water. According to a December survey by social analytics firm ListenFirst, only 18% of brand marketing and analytics executives said they understand the Metaverse and its impact on brands. MediaPost.. That said, 49.5% of survey respondents said they understand the metaverse “to some extent”, so this number could increase as metaverse activation becomes more mainstream.
Anyway, this data is in spite of the presence of flashy activations like using VR. AT & T stationGiven the relatively untested nature of the Metaverse platform and the lack of clarity about what a more fully realized Metaverse would look like, all brands are ready to follow these big names in the Metaverse. Not that.
People are willing to spend money on the Metaverse
Only some consumers are familiar with the Metaverse, but those who are accustomed to working in virtual space find virtual commerce to be an attractive outlook. A quarter of consumers shop online in 3D virtual stores. January study By experience-based e-commerce platform Obsess. In that cohort, virtual commerce activity was the highest among millennials, with 77% of millennial respondents saying they bought at virtual stores.
It is worth noting that the languages surrounding virtual commerce have not kept up with the concept of the Metaverse. Commerce in a 3D virtual environment certainly fits most definitions of the Metaverse, but only 38% of respondents said they would like to shop in the Metaverse.
Gamers are the first residents of the Metaverse
Using data from November 2021 Consumer Energy Index and Retail Pulse SurveyForrester, a research firm, has divided online adult consumers in the United States and the United Kingdom into four segments: Digital Immersion, Digital Social Celebrities, Digital Common People, and Digital Disconnection.
According to Forrester’s recent State of the Metaverse report, the first two groups, which make up 47% of all online adult consumers, are the ones most accustomed to immersive experiences and multiplayer online games. Adapt to the Metaverse at an early stage. Forty-nine percent of this cohort (11% of all respondents) use virtual reality headsets frequently. Meta VR-focused vision for the Metaverse May be consistent with future consumption habits.
Gamers are used to virtual space, but are still wary of web3 technology
Web3 and gaming sector companies are aiming to be Metaverse builders, and some game developers are creating a combination of the two. Games to play and earn It relies on blockchain and NFT technology. However, the vast majority of gamers are uncomfortable with the presence of NFTs in their games. March survey According to the online community platform Fandom Spot. Of the 69% of respondents who dislike NFTs, only 12% said they fully know what NFTs are. Therefore, emotions can change as knowledge of these technologies spreads.
However, at this point, many gamers Reacted to intense negativity Whenever a large game developer such as Ubisoft has shown an interest in NFTs. Given the resentment surrounding NFTs in game space, brands interested in joining virtual space can avoid bad news by focusing on the origin of the Metaverse game rather than the potential of web3. You may be able to.
