Aug 2, 2008
virtual consumerism = virtually consumable?
I have been pondering the bizarre nature of advertising and consumerism in sl, after discovering that large ad agencies were investing time and effort into advertising their client’s wares on second life. I can understand the allure – advertising, and eventual purchasing, of goods in second life is fabulously cheap, compared to the real world.
According to Second Thoughts, a comprehensive and actually very entertaining and insightful blog on second life happenings, companies such as Reebok and adidas have long been using advertising in sl to promote their products.
Purchasing a pair of Reeboks in sl will set you back about 50 linden dollars (approx. $0.20). Not exactly the profit margin one might be hoping for, but I guess it might be worth it, considering it also will cost them next to nothing for advertising, renting a shopfront, creating the product itself (done in seconds by skilled modellers, I presume) and getting exposure to thousands of potential customers, be it in either rl or sl.
As the post points out, the majority of users are not so concerned with their appearance that they would need to pursue Reeboks or Adidas as a cure to their virtual sneaker fashion crisis. But apparently there is a comparatively small section of the population (say one million sl’ers, and rapidly growing) who take their sl fashion as seriously as their rl fashion, and are prepared to invest that $0.20. Now, $0.20 x one million = $200,000 and it is all starting to make sense. While it’s possible the transition into sl may not be as successful for all products, it’s clear it’s a new channel and market that advertisers will be sitting up and paying attention to.
As for the consumer, well… sucker, or no? Just the concept of purchasing a pair of shoes made out of pixels makes me want to laugh. It couldn’t possibly be as satisfying as purchasing a pair in rl, could it?? But then again, as a friend in second life so eloquently put it, it is a cheap way to fulfill an addiction to retail therapy. In sl I can afford almost anything I want. I might have to give I a go.
And meanwhile these brands are on to a winner, because what’s at the top of my mind now? I fresh pair of Reebok kicks. dammit.
[...] As I discussed in this earlier post, companies had been embracing second life as an environment where they could further market and promote their products to virtual consumers. While it wasn’t necessarily a way to generate revenue, it did offer a huge opportunity to create brand awareness and brand recognition, and to engage the realm of Second Lifers who were engaging with the virtual world. In a world no longer limited by time, boundaries, language or cost, it provided the perfect opportunity to reach a whole new demographic of consumers. But it seems Australians are not interested. [...]