The latest instalment in our series examines what marketers can learn from brands seeing results in the metaverse.
8 March 2023
If your brand is actively considering investing in a metaverse presence, there's no substitute for focused advice from fellow marketers who have the wisdom of first-hand experience.
Our series on marketing in the metaverse has showcased a range of inspiring collaborations so far – from Nikeland in Roblox, to the O2 Arena in Fortnite, to Gucci Vault in The Sandbox. There are many possible entry points for your brand to get involved, and forward-thinking marketers are already starting to see results.
"There's a huge appetite for doing the kinds of things that the metaverse can offer,” confirms Riccardo Scotti di Uccio, emerging platforms lead, business marketing at Meta. "We've seen creative ways to enrich shopping experiences, boost buyer confidence and increase sales.”
Here, marketers from Nissan, Sony Music UK and Boots share their hard-won insider knowledge, acquired from running metaverse campaigns of various scales.
Sponsored by Meta
By Albert Abello Lozano, head of automation, Treatwell
Lessons for
brands from the
metaverse frontline
Nissan recently created a VR launch for its new all-electric SUV, the Ariya. "We have a history of trying to understand how different technologies impact consumer experiences," explains Nissan's US CMO, Allyson Witherspoon, who also recalls launching a vehicle in early metaverse precursor Second Life back in 2006. "When I understood where the metaverse was going – and what we could do today – it was clear that consumers [today] could have much more immersive experiences with our vehicles," she adds.
According to Witherspoon, customers considering an electric vehicle tend to be more comfortable with digital experiences than the average car buyer. And in the context of industry-wide supply chain issues, the timing was perfect for the brand to engage this tech-forward audience in the metaverse. Another challenge was to keep them excited, and reward their patience, as they waited nearly a year to receive their new car.
'Kicking the tyres' of a new car has typically only been possible on a dealership lot. In the metaverse, a similar experience is now accessible from anywhere, and you can also demystify innovations inside the vehicle: in the Ariya's case, its autonomous driving system. "Consumers don't care how complicated it is, they just want to know what it means to them," Witherspoon points out.
Nissan: A new way to test-drive
Sponsored by Meta
Don a Meta Quest 2 headset, and you find yourself in a comfortable lounge setting, with the Ariya on a plinth in front of you – and you're invited to take the electric vehicle for a spin on three themed tracks that emphasise its different qualities.
Alongside the standalone VR app, a web-based VR experience enabled customers without a headset to explore the car in a rich, detailed way – especially if they were unable to visit a dealership in person.
For Witherspoon, this multi-tiered approach proved invaluable: she advises any brand in a similar situation to consider how more accessible entry points, like mobile-friendly web-based applications, can broaden the reach of a campaign.
Sony Music UK has found various ways to engage with the metaverse already, from teaming up with Ministry of Sound to host a virtual Halloween party, to building a Roblox experience for George Ezra's album Gold Rush Kid – packed with Easter eggs for fans to find.
"We want to enable our artists to be at the forefront of the most innovative and engaging experiences available," says Hari Ashurst-Venn, director of digital and new tech at Sony Music Entertainment. "In the metaverse, we can bring an artist's world and vision to life, deepening a fan's experience around music."
Besides the Roblox partnership, the launch of Gold Rush Kid also provided the opportunity for two innovative AR effects on Instagram. Social and digital natives by nature, George Ezra fans were an ideal testing ground. "We developed visual triggers as jumping-off points for augmented reality experiences," he continues.
The first AR effect was triggered by the album artwork to engage existing fans, while a second filter broadened the reach to those without the artwork to hand, introducing an avatar version of Ezra himself on any background. "George pops up around you in selfie mode, then you can place the performing avatar in your surroundings with the back-facing camera to host your own mini-gig," says Ashurst-Venn. The mini-Ezra popped up across the globe in user-generated content, from back gardens in the UK to the Irari Shrine in Japan.
"Using AR, particularly features embedded into existing platforms such as Instagram, allows users to enhance their surroundings and place a metaverse layer on the world around them," adds Ashurst-Venn. "Because social is highly accessible, and already part of people's day-to-day life, it's an effective route to achieve high-scale, big-impact activations."
Sony Music UK: Engaging digital-native audiences
Boots: Supercharging a traditional campaign
Markey credits AR with helping the brand reach a new demographic, with almost half of their Christmas customers having not shopped there the previous year. "It was a big part of the story: we're showing up in a smart, new and imaginative way," he explains. "We wanted people to be blown away by it; to say 'Wow, Boots!', not 'Ah, good old Boots.'"
"Create space for test-and-learn initiatives," advises Markey. "An innovation budget puts you on the front foot, otherwise you risk being left behind. It's not about crazy bets, but smart investments that help you learn."■
Learn more about business opportunities in the metaverse here.
— Aaron Hoffman, Meta
"There will be risks and challenges,
many of which can be anticipated."
MARKETING IN
THE METAVERSE
Boots’ Christmas campaign featured actress Lydia West using a pair of magic glasses to visualise the ideal present for people in her life. The strategy was driven by the insight that, for almost 70% of people, giving the perfect gift is the key to a magical Christmas.
To amplify this sentiment and broaden the campaign’s reach, Boots worked with Meta and agencies Quickframe and ObjectSpace to build an AR effect for customers to experience this magic for themselves. "Timing was critical," explains Boots CMO Peter Markey. "The filter had to come out once the campaign was bedded in, so people understood what the glasses were about. That integration really helped, and it helped us tell the story internally as well."
Although measuring effectiveness on an emerging platform will always pose a challenge, Markey was keen to assess the AR component of the Christmas campaign in isolation, to help make a case for similar innovation in the future. Boots tracked three key metrics for the AR effect: ad recall, campaign awareness and message association. The results were positive, providing a significant awareness boost.
Above and top: Nissan developed a Meta Quest 2 experience to familiarise electric car buyers with its Ariya model