BlueMelon Interviews 5 Marketers about B2B Immersion in the Metaverse
How B2B Marketers can Engage in the Metaverse
From virtual operating tables, to immersive gallery spaces, businesses are already creating and curating real opportunities for interaction in the long-awaited Metaverse. In this article we’ll cover how B2B Marketers can Engage in the Metaverse.
We went exploring in the digital sphere to understand how B2B Marketers can engage in the Metaverse. We spoke to 5 different marketers and leaders from all over the world to understand how they’re already creating immersive experiences for their clients or prospective clients. And, we were taken into the digital universe by the team at Silver Wings XR in Perth.
Are you ready to deep dive into the Metaverse with us?
Kapil Chhabra, founder of Silver Wings XR and Olaf Kwakman, Managing Partner, took us on a digital adventure into the platform they’ve built. They showed us around and chatted about what brands and businesses can ultimately use the Metaverse for.
We began by discussing some of the use cases and experiences businesses can create – everything from a digital showroom to an operating table. It was fascinating to say the least.
Their showroom felt like an art gallery. Our avatars floated around like little butlers and the closer you got to a wall, you could interact with the objects. There were images with copy, videos that you could hear the closer your avatar got to them, artworks, NFTs that you could click and shop, QR codes to take you to other digital platforms. You name it, it’s the digital showroom for brands to show their wares.
Some other use cases Olaf and Kapil shared include:
- Engineers being able to work and practise building things using 3D modelling, including large engines, or aerospace technology, for example. Practising in this space first before doing it in real life can reduce costs created by human error.
- Organisations will be able to digitally build an entire factory before building the real thing, reducing costs and improving efficiencies.
- Training doctors can perform operations in this space as practice before starting other animals or apparatus in real life formats.
- First aid training could be administered as scale in these kinds of spaces, especially if VR goggles are worn as you get the full emotive experience and the sense of urgency by feeling completely present within the space.
- Other kinds of team training or client workshops could easily be created in the Metaverse too, especially with large remote teams or international clients.
- Showrooms or galleries of work compiled into a styled digital space, a client can then easily enter into this virtual world and have a deeper, more engaging brand experience with you.
If you’d like to have a live walkthrough in the Metaverse courtesy of the Silver Wings XR team, check out the interactive space they’ve created for The National University of Singapore.
Here’s what 5 leaders we spoke to had to say about connecting to people and businesses in the Metaverse from a B2B perspective:
1. Embracing new technology strategically and creating community
Chloe Addis – Head of Marketing at Headley Media
“The opportunities presented by the Metaverse are already starting to be used by some forward-thinking B2B marketers who are beginning to experiment with existing extended reality technologies. Investment in this new technology is vast, and early adopters will see massive potential. However, while the Metaverse will be a huge technical advancement, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact it will also be centred on community and interaction. There is a delicate balance to be found between embracing new technology and not completely throwing out the rule book.
B2B marketers who are most successful with the latest technologies will be the ones that find ways to use it to enhance the way they build relationships with prospects, rather than the ones who simply try every new bit of tech just for the sake of it.”
2. Immersive Sales Presentations
Ilija Sekulov – Marketing & SEO at MailButler
“In the Metaverse, B2B sellers can create more immersive buyer experiences, and these enhanced interactions could improve the sales experience. It may not be long before many enterprise firms are using the Metaverse for immersive sales presentations to connect with new potential clients.”
3. Target Audiences & NFTs
Joy Corkery – Head of Content at Latana
“B2B marketers should think of their target audience beyond just their work roles and think about who they are as people. For instance, at Latana, our main target audience is brand and marketing managers. The people who fill these roles are usually creative types who are up-to-date on trends. We can enhance our content with art or music to capture their attention, and draw them to Latana both in the traditional marketing channels and now in the immersive space of the Metaverse.
NFTs are an interesting way that some brands are engaging with their audiences. Taco Bell created a great GIF NFT successfully. This is a really accessible way for brands of all sizes (quick to make and cost effective) to take their first step into Web3. Brands can use their own content or partner with artists or musicians to build an NFT campaign, welcoming people into the digital sphere of their brand. This is a way to enhance the sometimes boring side of B2B marketing.”
4. Establish your virtual venue
Chirag Dhawan – Data Analyst at Incrementors
“You shouldn’t be able to open a store just because you’ve gone digital. A virtual 3D store, museum, or island can help you develop a Metaverse presence and form deep emotional bonds with your customers. Tours, virtual try-on or try-outs, and interactive 3D product exhibitions are also options. Sentosa Development Corporation included Singapore’s State of Fun into Animal Crossing, while Fila created its shop within the game. Meanwhile, the web-based tailgate experience from General Mills received over 500,000 impressions across conventional and social media channels.”
5. Product testing & feasibility in the Metaverse
Sam Browne – CEO at HARO SEO
“The Metaverse is an accurately produced virtual environment where individuals may buy, work, play, and connect socially with other people. It virtually duplicates how individuals may participate in things they desire to perform together in real life. Because it enables a digital existence with riches, it may have an impact on small company owners’ lives—from growing transactions and interactions to money and service reciprocation. Finally, it can act as a communal virtual shared experience, allowing small company owners to test and create feasibility for new products or offerings in the Metaverse.”
So there you have it, how B2B marketers can engage in the Metaverse. Are you ready to start your Web3 journey? Share some more tips with us in the comments below.
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