Morpheus Media breaks down the pros and cons of creating a customized virtual world vs. a branded world.
For marketers who struggled with social networks in 2005 and 2006, I have some bad news; 2007 will present a whole new set of challenges for brands looking to stay on the cutting edge.
Social networking on the web has evolved from MySpace and Facebook profiles to real-time interactions within three-dimensional virtual worlds. The new "profiles" are walking, talking avatars, and the worlds they inhabit are as visually stimulating and complex as current video games.
There are two basic ways in which savvy marketers are taking advantage of the available three-dimensional platforms. Some are creating customized virtual worlds accessible exclusively through their brand's website. Others are creating branded spaces inside existing virtual worlds such as Second Life, Kaneva or There.com.
To highlight the differences as well as the implicit pros and cons of customized solutions versus existing world solutions, I like to use Virtual Laguna Beach and The L-Word as paradigms. Although they represent different answers to the same types of questions, both Virtual Laguna Beach and the L Word Island succeed in extending their brands and traditional media forms into stimulating social experiences online.
Laguna Beach: a customized solution
The pros of customization
The cons of customization
L-Word Island: a branded solution in an existing world
The pros of inhabiting an existing world
The cons of inhabiting an existing world
Conclusion