Whether it’s having Kylie dance in your own home or sitting in the dugout alongside the coach of your favourite football team, augmented and virtual reality are no longer the stuff of sci-fi fantasy. These digital tools are integral parts of the metaverse, which is the next stage in the evolution of digital platforms.
Meta’s acquisition of Oculus VR in 2014 signalled the company’s shift in this direction and AR/VR technologies are already providing huge opportunities for brands to connect more deeply with their customers, regardless of physical distance.
“We believe the metaverse is the successor to the mobile internet,” says Carrie Timms, director of global customer marketing for EMEA at Meta. “And just as digital marketing has adapted to mobile, the same will happen with the metaverse.”
Enhancing the internet
The metaverse is an experience that spans both digital and physical worlds, which users can step into (and out of) at any time. Put simply, it makes the time you already spend online better.
“The metaverse is not a spectator sport,” says Timms. “Think of it as an internet that you’re inside of, where you can workout on a beach, explore ancient ruins or even visit a space station.”
These immersive experiences will unlock new opportunities for people and communities who could not otherwise access them because of where they live or what they can afford.
Timms says: “This is a long-term vision. It will take investment over many years before the metaverse reaches scale, but we are very excited about the opportunities it will unlock.”
Collaborate at every stage
The metaverse is not a single app, nor is it owned by a single operator. Building the metaverse will be more like the evolution of the internet. “That’s why we’re collaborating with experts, developers and policymakers,” explains Timms. “We know that how we build is as important as what we build. We’ll need a consortia of companies and governments to find solutions.”
In the past, the speed with which new tech has emerged has sometimes left policymakers and regulators playing catch-up. So principles of privacy, safety and security need to be built in right from the very start.
Opportunities for brands
Currently, people use Facebook Pay for things like shopping, in-game purchases, donations, events and subscriptions. The metaverse will be able to deliver even more of these experiences – with creators and developers at the helm.
Using tools such as Meta’s Spark AR Studio, they will continue to build, test and publish new AR experiences to Facebook and Instagram, for example. And already more than 700m people use AR effects across Meta technologies every month. Design platform Gravity Sketch takes 3D art and design to a whole new level, while Creative Shop allows brands of all sizes to develop platform-specific ads that utilise Meta’s platforms more effectively.
Global brands are already utilising AR and VR in creative ways that will continue to expand with the metaverse. Sephora recently launched a fragrance using AR filters that incorporated images to suggest certain smells and Michael Kors let people try on new glasses using AR before deciding what to buy. Meanwhile, Kylie Minogue’s Instagram profile hosted a ‘Disco Spirit’ experience blending motion capture and virtual effects.
How to prepare for the metaverse
“Our hope is that within the next decade the metaverse will reach a billion people, host hundreds of billions of dollars of digital commerce, and support millions of new jobs,” says Timms.
Businesses can prepare by taking their physical experience into a digital environment like Shops, Live Shopping and Paid Online Events, while creators will be able to bring brands to life in new and inspiring ways through branded content partnerships.
Brands should experiment with AR and VR in the way that luxury fashion brand Balenciaga has done so successfully. By releasing their Fall 21 collection as a video game, they showed what a branded metaverse experience might look like.
Timms concludes: “The mobile internet has shown that when we level the playing field, we see increased economic opportunity for everyone. Accessibility might not arrive at the same time in every country, but we are committed to creating and connecting communities around the world.
“Without the physical limitations that impact on a company’s bottom line, the metaverse will open up more opportunities for businesses, creators and developers everywhere.”
Action role-playing game Cyberpunk 2077 wanted to become a cultural phenomenon by giving the gaming community limitless options to play around with identity. Augmented reality creators were given 30 days’ access to the Spark AR platform to create AR effects inspired by Cyberpunk 2077.
The game, which is played as ‘V’ – a mercenary whose voice, face, hairstyles, body type and clothing are customisable – was the perfect platform to play around with AR. On the Spark AR community group, engagement rates showed huge growth. Other learnings were that the sharing of knowledge and information breeds healthy competition, which in turn increases quality and creativity.
Case studies
Cyberpunk 2077: #cyberaware challenge
Action role-playing game Cyberpunk 2077 wanted to become a cultural phenomenon by giving the gaming community limitless options to play around with identity. Augmented reality creators were given 30 days’ access to the Spark AR platform to create AR effects inspired by Cyberpunk 2077.
The game, which is played as ‘V’ – a mercenary whose voice, face, hairstyles, body type and clothing are customisable – was the perfect platform to play around with AR. On the Spark AR community group, engagement rates showed huge growth. Other learnings were that the sharing of knowledge and information breeds healthy competition, which in turn increases quality and creativity.
Audi VR
Audi Denmark wanted to revitalise its brand and present itself as an innovator as it entered the EV market. Activating the sponsorship of FC Copenhagen and working with Oculus VR and CopenX, Audi Denmark created premium experiences in VR, taking fans inside a closed stadium during lockdown. The company drove a strong 2.9% uplift in people agreeing with Audi Denmark being an innovative brand.
Jacob Thiesen, head of marketing for Audi Denmark, said: “The VR activation was a perfect platform to enhance the brand association on premium and innovation, as well as actually creating data insights and leads from the fan base.”
MADE.COM
UK furniture brand MADE used new technologies to attract new customers and increase brand awareness while also allowing people to experience its products at a time when in-store shopping was not possible.
Partnering with Creative Shop, MADE created an immersive AR experience that allowed users of Apple iOS devices to showcase pieces of furniture in their own home via ads on Facebook. MADE saw a 2.5x conversion rate when products were viewed by people in AR and a 3X add-to- cart rate when viewed in AR. More than 90% of the 63,000 additional sessions were new users.
Matt Pollington, MADE.com’s director of marketing performance, said: “Our latest collaboration with Facebook has been a meaningful tool in helping customers deeply engage with our product.”
