Let’s get to know more about Metaverse.
During the era of MSN and Hi5, no one would probably imagine Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., like we are used to today. Similarly, like today, no one imagined there would be the era of the Metaverse, where everything is 100% of Metaverse. However, the power of technological advances has widened the possibilities of many things and gradually moved into the Metaverse. Some of us might have heard about Metaverse, and some might have heard about playing games. The concept is that the players can take the role of a game character and interact with other players in the online world. Still, this concept may not be well-known or widespread.
Until October 2021, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO and Co-Founder, made a significant announcement at Facebook Connect, unveiling the company’s new name, Meta, in preparation for the Metaverse era. He posted a selfie of himself on Facebook with the caption “Hello, Meta”, after which the trend of the word ‘Metaverse’ soared into people’s eyes from all over the world. It’s not only the rebranding of Facebook that makes the world pay attention to the phrase Metaverse but also the Covid-19 crisis that everyone is facing—accelerating the factor that has made people increasingly adopt technology into their daily lives. An obvious example is Zoom conferencing or E-Wallet payments to minimize cash exposure.
The term Metaverse emerged in 1992 through Neal Stephenson’s science fiction novel Snow Crash, a political critique of the future mixed with Sumerian legends and the concept of VR technology by the word Metaverse. Metaverse comes from the word Meta, which means ‘beyond, beyond bounds, beyond boundary’ and the word Universe, which means ‘universe’. A universe beyond the boundaries we know.
There is no actual definition of Metaverse yet, as Metaverse is still an ideal concept waiting to be developed and used in the real world. But the meaning of the Metaverse that everyone is talking about right now refers to people’s virtual world environment over the Internet. It’s a digital space created to be realistic as we are in another world. Live life as if in the real world using virtual reality (Virtual Reality: VR) or technology that combines the virtual world with the real world (Augmented Reality: AR).
How will Metaverse make Marketing change direction?
Today’s the Metaverse isn’t 100% real yet—still, underlying technologies such as VR or AR. If the Metaverse becomes a reality, as Mark Zuckerberg said in the clip “The Metaverse and How We’ll Build It Together — Connect 2021”, the way we use the Internet will change completely. From the beginning, we used to surf the Internet through the “screen,” whether it is a mobile screen, a computer screen, or a tablet screen. It will be changed to “touch” that content through the form of “experience.” For example, we watch live clips of concerts nowadays through our device’s screens. In the Metaverse era, we will be able to “experience” like we actually did in the concert. In terms of marketing, brands may have to switch from producing traditional movie ads or review clips to a new type of content, allowing customers to experience the product and brand.
Moreover, Metaverse also wants to create “Virtual Worlds” or “Virtual Reality (VR)” that allows users to exist in those worlds. You can even build a house and buy land! And, of course, having a place where you can invite your friends in Metaverse to visit your home! Unhesitantly, creating many opportunities for brands to engage with consumers through new dimensions that have never been seen before. For example, brands can organize an event to launch products on Metaverse that allow people worldwide to join through VR. Or there may be a significant change in influencer marketing. For example, a brand can create a shirt in the VR world for the influencer to wear in the Metaverse world and when they go to meet other people. They receive advertising expenses from brands, etc.
As mentioned, Metaverse is a new possibility that will arise from the Internet in the next era. So, naturally, that will change the way we use the Internet, and our media exposure and marketing will also inevitably change.
