Marketing to an Avatar
September 2nd, 2009 Posted in Social Media
Online virtual communities are a new field to be tackled by marketers and PR specialists. It’s a world that allows people to take on any identity, from a supermodel to a troll. But to whom are you marketing behind the mask of the avatar? This is the challenge for marketers today.
“Meet Lauren. On the internet she is a 34 year old troll.”
Why market to an avatar?
Chris Abraham writes, in his article “Online communities are most authentic,” that the relationships built online are more real than those made in society because the relationships are not “thrust upon them by history, family, or cultural expectations.” These factors are invisible in a community such as Second Life.
This is different from Facebook, MySpace, or any other social networking site. As Kyle Bull, a Second Life user for the past three years, puts it, “facebook or myspace… is simply an extension of the real world.” One’s profile usually describes their religious and political affiliations and the default picture allows people to assume stereotypes that their exterior portrays.
Though it is difficult to adjust marketing strategies to the virtual communities, the communities usually have a large and involved following. The online market is not 9 to 5. The members are constantly online, with an abundance of input. Similarly, PIA (Progressive Internet Action) agrees that there is an “extraordinary stickiness” in the online community. The community of friends that you develop becomes loyal customers that rely on your needs. This can both be a business external to the virtual world, or within the community itself.
Plus, virtual reality means virtual products. There is a manufacturing cost in hiring programmers to create products, but the products are easily adjusted and you have no expense wasted on raw materials.
How do we adapt our marketing strategies to the online world?
- BE CONSISTENT. Online worlds have a strong base of loyalty in their population. Cater to this loyalty by making a virtual product (that can have your company name in it).
The aforementioned Kyle Bull runs a business in Second Life renting out land to people. He makes £2,000 a year. Though this is not usually profitable, several people have had turnarounds of thousands and millions in USD.
- BRAND EVERYTHING. By allowing the world of 90,000 avatars become a playing ground for your product. Sponsor quests to find the Holy Coke Bottle or the Sword-like Slim Jim. People enjoy quests and will relate success with your product.
“After months of searching, it’s the HOLY COKE BOTTLE!”
The popular TV show, “The Big Bang Theory,” even uses an episode to show the addictiveness of MM0s (Massive Multiplayer Online) such as Second Life. Even social butterfly, Penny, gets addicted to the online world and loses herself within it. Her successful quests distract her from her unsuccessful career. - DO NOT ASSUME. Being online allows people to be more confident. They will be more vocal about their interests. Those are the things you should market to. Beauty products will only go so far, but when you cater to people’s musical interests, craft hobbies, or other talents, you have a great marketplace online.
Do not try to sell a sample of self-tanner to someone because their avatar is a pale blonde. The real person may have chosen this avatar because they admire the skin tone.
- RESEARCH. This is a 24/7 lab. Create a store. Put products out there. Create an avatar and see what people are saying about it.
The online virtual community is growing and will slowly encompass a large population. Currently, Second Life hosts about 90,000 avatars. Though it cannot be considered a random sampling, as it is a concentrated population, it can still be a good source for primary feedback.
- KEEP IT INTERESTING. If you’re brand is already in the virtual world, whether it be American Apparel or Vera Bradley, you need to have new things to market. Avatars, just like people, get bored of the same jeans and track jacket and are always looking for new ways to revamp their image. In fact, Stymied Ennui (an avatar), says “clothing and hair and being able to look like what you WANT to look like is the reason I still play.”
David Ben, in “Advertising in the Second Life,” discusses brands that exist in Second Life. Companies exist but then do not stock any products. Harness the market and make money from the online population. This article also gives you tips on effective advertising in the virtual world.
These guidelines help get a foot in the virtual door of online communities. There is no sense in dismissing reality by adapting only to someone’s “online avatar,” but it is a useful way to expand your market. This is about a new wave in online marketing. It is essential to learn how to communicate with not only the consumer, but also the consumer’s avatar, a virtual representation of what they identify with.
 |
Bagmi Das
Want content written for your Brand that shows up #1 on Search Engines and brings you new customers? Contact us. |