You sit comfortably in your living room, take your Oculus Rift VR virtual reality headset and place it above your eyes. And that’s how you find yourself giving a press conference in virtual reality to journalists from all over the world in the blink of an eye.
Welcome to the metaverse, one of many opportunities for brands increasingly drawn to explore this exciting world that straddles the border between the real and the virtual.
It’s an expression that came to us from the realm of science fiction a few decades ago, but has recently come to the heart of public debate, as the next stage of technology and the Internet.
Just like the mid-90s brands that couldn’t ignore the craze for dotcomsBrands today are striving to understand the metaverse and how this technology can help them build their online reputation.
For Edouard Fillias, CEO and founder of the digital communication agency JIN, the opportunity is unparalleled: ” think of the metaverse as a place rich in a host of new social platforms, including hundreds of new apps like TikTok “.
For Édouard Fillias, brands must face a double challenge: understanding this new world, but also knowing how to navigate in it and behave once inside.
The Metaverse: What Is It And Why Can’t Brands Ignore It?
Some are now criticizing the hyper-hyped metaverse, aka Web3’s fundamental concept, which, given the recent crash in the cryptocurrency market, may have already hit its speculative bubble. For others, however, the metaverse is a godsend.
This is the opinion of the CEO of JIN, an influential and digital communication agency based in Paris. According to him, Web3 is the next iteration of the Internet.
Édouard Fillias is an outspoken liberal, vice president of the Think Tank Génération Libre. For him, Web3 is strongly linked to individual freedom and the growing desire of individuals to regain control of their data and identity online.
” We’ve seen these big tech companies collect a lot of personal data and create great services, but also raise questions about individual freedom, privacy and our own independence. “, explains Edouard Fillias.
Web3 is a turning point regarding these issues. When a video or post is published on YouTube or Instagram, it can appear on the profile, but it also belongs to the platform, which can remove it at any time. New “Blockchain” technologies, on the other hand, create a secure system that removes the role of an intermediary, often that of large technology companies, to carry out transactions. Everything you create online in this world is therefore your property. Portability – the ability to transfer data from one platform to another – also reduces the network effects that have allowed tech companies to collect so much data and become so powerful.
The Metaverse sits at the center of it all. It is a digital extension of the real world in which we can virtually communicate, interact and collaborate with each other, and store our digital assets.
Édouard Fillias draws a parallel with some of the online multiplayer games like World of Warcraft and Dungeons and Dragons. This gives an idea of their ability to promote the community in immersive digital environments. Plus, new dynamics of incentives, such as NFTs or games Play to earncan reward customers for their interaction.
How can digital agencies support companies in their metaverse strategy?
For Fabien Fichet, account manager and metaverse product manager for the JIN office, the strategy proceeds in 3 phases.
First of all there is the learning expedition. Basically, it’s about training the team to make sure they have a full understanding of the world they are about to enter. This includes navigating the world of cryptocurrencies, NFTs and extended reality (XR) among others. Overlapping universes mapped out to help users find their way.
” We take the leadership group into the metaverse for a day » explains Fabien Fichet. ” We give them VR headsets, create avatars for them and let them really try this world out “.
The next step is to build the headquarters in the Metaverse. It is a matter of understanding how a company, a brand wants to physically establish itself in this virtual world.
” The questions we investigate are “Should you create NFTs?” and “Should you create a virtual office space?” », analyzes Fabien Fichet.
Finally, there is one last step and not the least. The JIN agency calls it “extended activation”. It’s all about helping brands stand out in this world.