The arrival of the Metaverse -- spaces on the internet linked into a virtual universe -- will derail traditional ways of brand building, according to research from TotallyAwesome, a forum for kids, teens, families and brands to safely interact across the internet.
Marketers are just starting to identify useful tips for demystifying the emerging Metaverse, where brands will need to reinvent themselves in meaning and purpose to attract the emerging and powerful audience of Zoomers (kids and teens).
Metaverse is the name given to this emerging digital world of shared space that will see the internet evolve.
In the Metaverse (meta = beyond and verse = universe) advanced physical reality will merge with augmented reality, the internet and new virtual spaces to bring people a holistic 24/7 information and communications environment on demand.
“Our just completed Zoomers Digital Insights (ZDI) research is showing us that brands that invest the time and have the creative foresight will have first-mover advantage considering that Zoomers are expecting a very different value exchange - from social responsibility, to edutainment-style platforms through to discounted tickets and virtual concerts, meaning the advertising model as we know it will be changed forever,” says James Sawyer ANZ managing director of TotallyAwesome.
The digital natives of today will be regarded as Metaverse Colonists, where Zoomers will be redefining what new online behaviours look like, with more activities moving into the Metaverse that are currently compromised in reality, he says.
“We can see the Metaverse emerging from our latest data showing that Zoomers’ device usage continues to democratise primetime media as we know it,” says Sawyer.
"Kids are literally spending more time in the virtual world than reality, which has been accelerated by COVID and lockdowns with the physical and virtual worlds well and truly blended,” said Sawyer
“True evidence that the Metaverse is arriving can be found in the fact that the world’s big three gaming platforms, Roblox, Fortnite and Minecraft have quadrupled in size since 2017."
In Australia, 71% of teens are gaming and the sector was the fastest growing with teens in the past 12 months, showing 25% growth.
"So it is clear that, with this degree of acceleration and usage, gaming will overrun social media platforms as preferred comms forums,” says Sawyer.
TotallyAwesome’s newly completed ZDI research sees that 62% of Zoomers are actively using media in the traditional prime period, but only 31% are watching TV.
They spread out across social media (49%), gaming (50%), surfing the web (49%), watching online videos (54%) and watching movies online (61%).
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