5 Brands Creating Outstanding Customer Experience in the Metaverse – Irish Tech News – Irish Tech News
Guest post by Steven Van Belleghem
Although the metaverse is still just a buzzword for many people, there are still plenty of brands already working to create an outstanding customer experience in the metaverse. The companies I will be discussing, ranging from art auction houses to car manufacturers, drinks companies and fashion designers, have all built very creative experiences in the metaverse for their customers to enjoy.
It is fascinating to see that a lot of these brands are creating hybrid projects, making a bridge between real-life products, services and events and the VR/AR ones. In other words: what happens in the metaverse, does not always stay in the metaverse.
Nike
At the end of January, Nike launched five different job applications for metaverse-related roles. The news came a few weeks after it announced the acquisition of RTFKT, a non-fungible token studio that produces digital collectables like digital sneakers. Prior to this acquisition, it had filed several new trademarks that indicated its intent to sell virtual Nike-branded sneakers and apparel. It’s clear that Nike is heavily investing time and resources in the day after tomorrow that the metaverse promises to be.
The big difference between Nike and other virtual sneakers, for example, those by Gucci and Buffalo London, is that the latter are not truly owned by the buyer and thus cannot be sold on. In contrast, each RTFKT Nike product is backed by a non-fungible token (NFTs) and can therefore be owned and resold.
It is clear that Nike is not just investing in selling digital versions of its branded sneakers apparel in various metaverse spaces, but is also building bridges with their physical markets. In the first half of 2021, customers could visit Nike’s flagship store ‘House of Innovation’ in New York and engage in interactive and fun activities set in a virtual recreation of Smith Rock State Park, Oregon through their mobile phones and other virtual and augmenting tools.
Christie’s
Christie’s has been building a multipurpose virtual version of its five-story London headquarters in Decentraland. What’s special about this is that Decentraland is the leading decentralized metaverse, which makes this project a solid part of the Web3 trend. Christie’s virtual venue is located in the Voltaire Art District in Decentraland, a larger neighbourhood that will be populated by arts showcases. The venue is not surprisingly meant to be a showcase and a sales venue for digital (NFT) art, but it also functions as a virtual meeting place.
“We see spaces like Decentraland as the next frontier for digital art where artists, collectors and viewers alike can engage with one another from anywhere in the world and showcase art that is fundamentally scarce and unique, but accessible to anyone for viewing,” Michael Bouhanna, head of Sales at Sotheby’s announced when the facility opened in June.
Coca Cola
According to Oana Vlad, Senior Director of Coca-Cola’s Global Strategy, moving into NFTs and the metaverse is meant to provide customers with “the same iconic and optimistic experiences they’re used to in real life in the digital world.” This approach makes a lot of sense for a brand, which has a long history of producing and selling physical collectables in the real world. A limited edition Norman Rockwell set of four Coca-Cola prints costs $400 on the company’s website, while a classic German Trink plastic cooler costs $550. A Steuben Crystal 125th Anniversary bottle, a 1970 Chevrolet Hauler set, and a $25 ‘First Hundred Years Collector’s Book’ are also available.
And so, last year Coca-Cola launched a non-fungible token (NFT) collection, among which was the iconic metallic red bubble jacket, inspired by the company’s old delivery uniforms, which raised no less than $575,000 in an online auction. Coca-Cola also auctioned four multi-sensory, friendship-inspired NFTs via the OpenSea marketplace on International Friendship Day. This Friendship Box was packed full of 4 dynamic and rare 1-of-1 NFTs plus more hidden and un-lockable surprises that are revealed when opened. Not only did the winner become the owner of the 4 NFTs, but they also received a real-world physical fridge stocked with Coca-Cola bottles and additional surprises.
Hyundai
At the end of last year, Hyundai Motor Company launched Hyundai Mobility Adventure, a metaverse space on the online entertainment platform Roblox, featuring its most advanced products and future mobility solutions. It was said to be the first virtual experience content on Roblox developed by a global automotive brand.
Visitors of Hyundai’s virtual space can meet, communicate, play games, role-play with one another and experience Hyundai Motor’s mobility offerings in the form of customized avatars. For example, a player can drive Hyundai Motor vehicles such as NEXO and IONIQ 5, and operate robotics, purpose-built vehicles (PBV) and urban air mobility (UAM) transportation devices. They can develop their own avatars, upgrade their personal parking garage and participate in various social activities, immersing themselves in a wide spectrum of virtual experiences available in the metaverse.
Hyundai Mobility Adventure is targeted at young consumers who are more used to exploring the virtual worlds beyond physical experiences. The aim is to “nurture long-lasting relationships” with these young fans and to familiarize them with Hyundai Motor’s new vehicles and future mobility solutions.
Gucci
In March 2021, luxury brand Gucci launched a digital pair of sneakers called The Gucci Virtual 25 to be worn in augmented reality (AR) or used in partnered apps like Roblox and VRChat. The sneakers are surprisingly affordable for a product of a luxury brand, selling for $12.99 on respective platforms, which makes one wonder if the company want to use a different brand positioning in the metaverse than in real life?
A few months later, Gucci also opened the Gucci Garden on Roblox, a two-week virtual experience to compliment a real-world installation called the Gucci Garden Archetypes, which took place in Florence, Italy. Visitors were able to experience the vision and inclusive philosophy of the brand’s creative director, Alessandro Michele, by means of 15 past advertising campaigns by Gucci. The garden also featured The Collector’s Room, which allowed people to collect limited Gucci items, like virtual bags, in the metaverse. Prices went pretty high, here, with one Gucci Dionysus Bag With Bee re-selling for $4,115 (or 350,000 Robux, the platform’s in-game currency), which is more than a physical bag’s $3,400 retail value.
Steven Van Belleghem is one of the world’s leading thought- leaders, speakers and authors on customer experience. His latest book, The CX Leader’s Manual to Customer Excellence can be downloaded for free at www.stevenvanbelleghem.com
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