Armani to create virtual store (to join all the others)

Armani to create virtual store (to join all the others). Several reports are circulating that Giorgio Armani will shortly be launching a virtual store in Second Life. The SL launch is being tied into a wider strategy to implement e-commerce solutions across the Armani brand range.

So, an interesting initiative here. One has to assume that Armani will be recreating popular real world clothing and accessories inside a virtual shop. Nothing new here really.

But, what’s interesting is the fact that you can already buy many Armani branded clothes in Second Life already – unofficially. Several SL stores (45 in total) promote Armani products. Here’s a few screenshots.

Here lies the decision (or dilema) for Armani – what to do about the unofficial representation. This post explains the five options facing Armani, Ignore, Remove, Observe, Endorse and Engage.

Starfruit – crossing the divide

Starfruit – crossing the divide. We’re getting floral today. Starfruit is a Swiss-based company that has recently launched a cross-world service from Second Life into the real world. The company allows residents to send real flowers and chocolates ordered inside SL.

Here’s how it works…

So, an early, good example of v-commerce. The K Zero report, the Seven Point plan for marketing in Second Life highlights the importance of integrating real and virtual world activities – a primary way of creating synergy between activities.

Starfruit is adopting this approach well and is also using dedicated Sl media channels such as The Avastar, to promote the service. Here’s a print ad from Starfruit:

Continue reading →

First examples of integrated marketing for Second Life

First examples of integrated marketing for Second Life. In the 7 Point plan for marketing in Second Life, the importance of cross-promotion is identified and discussed. As real-world companies and brands begin to promote their virtual presences ‘out of world’, we will see more examples of integrated marketing techniques used to drive traffic in.

For Metabrands, this is not a new phenomenon and why should it be? Using combinations of media channels to support a singular campaign objective is a tried and testing marketing tool. An example of Metabrand integrating marketing in shown below – a (virtual) print ad for Casu Capra, a mens clothing store in Second Life, published in the Avastar.

One of the first examples of integrated marketing promoting Second Life is Microsoft Visual Studio. This article provides an assessment and explanation of Visual Studio Island. Microsoft have used online advertising (banner ads) to communicate and promote their presence in Second Life, to good effect, across a range of category specific websites. Here’s the banners.

Continue reading →

Exploring Metabrands: Mystitool

Exploring Metabrands: Mystitool. Starting this series of examining Metabrands in Second Life, the first purely virtual brand under the spotlight is called Mystitool.

Interestingly, unlike a lot of the products available to purchase in SL, Mystitool is itself virtual – you don’t really see it. It’s operated via a HUD (a heads up display) placed in the main application window. So, Mystitool is a virtual virtual brand.

Think of Mystitool as your Swiss Army knife for Second Life, or maybe Batman’s Utility Belt. It’s an application that sits quietly in the background during in-world visits that quickly and easily enables a variety of useful tasks (in a useful if you’re in a virtual world type way) to be performed.

Importantly, these tasks are only of use to people when they are in Second Life – a key attribute for Metabrands. So, what does Mystitool do? Here’s some of the features:

• Teleport history: access to your last 36 teleports

• Avatar scanner: proximity alerts for residents close-by

• Favourite locations: quick access to 45 places you like to visit

• Quick rez: allows instant creation of chairs/tables or any other object

• URL catcher: stores all URLs mentioned during chat

and many others.

The Mystitool story

Behind every brand is a person, and the person behind Mystitool is a resident called Mystical Cookie. Interestingly she never expected or planned to get involved in SL until she realised she could build and create things, objects, and eventually products in SL. The ability to be creative was the driving motivator. Mystitool came about after buying her first plot of land and learning a few scripting techniques. As she continued to teach herself techniques in SL and having to use commands over and over again, she realised it would be useful to have instant access to scripts and other little programmes to have her life easier. In April 2006, Mysti started to create the application, so to get it to the level of functionality it has today has taken 10 months of continual development. Continue reading →

The rise of the Metabrands

The rise of the Metabrands. Firstly, an explanation of what a Metabrand is.

.

‘A Metabrand is a brand that is created to exist solely in a virtual space. It lives only on servers, is powered by electricity, experienced only on a computer screen and serves to provide a service, solution or product to avatars living in a metaverse. A Metabrand satisfies a demand that exists purely on a virtual basis.’

.

Metabrands are the next commercial opportunity for companies made possible by the growing popularity of virtual worlds such as Second Life. This is because economy-based virtual worlds need to supply services to their residents because there is a demand for them. And where there’s a demand you will sooner or later get supply.

.

But what’s wrong with real world brands becoming virtual brands?

.

Nothing. As long as the real world brand gets their strategy right. Companies that enter virtual worlds have to plan their initiatives carefully. This means understanding why they exist in the real world. The services they provide, their points of difference, the problems they fix and the experience they deliver. Basically their brand attitude. Successful virtual marketing means being able to leverage their real world attributes further using the opportunities and capabilities of a metaverse. If companies can make their services better/easier in a virtual world or enhance their real world activities by augmenting virtual worlds into the real, then they can have meaningful and (eventually) profitable Metabrands. Continue reading →