The Metaverse: How creatives can navigate the brave new world

By Kally Boshnakova, Creative Manager

Most likely you’ll be aware of the ever-increasing noise around the metaverse. Spend a little time perusing the industry insights and the importance (and complexity) of this virtual revolution will soon be impressed upon you. What we’re talking about is the next era of the internet; first we moved into the world of mobile and now the next advancement is to the metaverse.

The vague picture most of us have is of an immersive world, borne out of gaming culture and fuelled by sci-fi like AR and VR technologies. We know big tech companies are pumping crazy money into developing the space – last year Meta alone invested more than $10 billion into its metaverse division. And we’ve also seen the NFT market explode over the last year, powering a new kind of digital economy in this space. In fact, sales volumes of NFTs reaching $10.7 billion in Q3 of 2021, according to DappRadar. Understandably, brands are intrigued about the engagement and financial opportunities the metaverse presents.

What is going on in this space so far?

The curious among us might have become aware of mass VR concerts by big-name stars like Ariana Grande; digital fashion collections and a handful of virtual branded shops and experiences that sit within games like Decentraland and Roblox.

As a creative, it’s an exciting time to work in content creation. The promise of new frontiers right around the corner and the opportunities that await are in equal parts both electrifying and daunting. But the challenge is firmly accepted. The question that now arises for a mere mortal creative, is how to begin navigating this new world?

1.     Ground yourself in the knowledge that no one took ‘Metaverse creation 101’. Fortune favours the bold, so don’t shy away from diving in the deep end. The success of the metaverse, similarly to the success of social media and the internet before it, is going to depend on mass user adoption. Meaning big tech wants the average Joe to be able to use the Metaverse, and for creators to be able to contribute to building the space. Creating for the Metaverse might currently feel like a feat of science fiction but expect content creation opportunities to rapidly develop and become more accessible.

2.     To build on the above point, the creator economy will flourish. Ultimately, creatives learn from other creatives. There’s great opportunity for innovative early adopters to get big quickly, and this will be the community to keep tabs on for inspiration and to learn the ropes.

3.     The stage might be different, but the heart of a good show remains the same. Let’s focus on the tools in our creative arsenal: an expertise in storytelling; the power of good UX; watertight audience insight and positive provocations that push boundaries. The rulebook on how to create great work hasn’t changed, so let’s play to our strengths.

4.     Speaking of watertight audience insight, let’s remind ourselves that firstly, the Metaverse isn’t just video games and secondly, that not all gamers are the same. A Statista survey published February this year, explores the main reasons for joining the Metaverse amongst internet users in 2021. Over half responded that they would join for work opportunities and networking, and 48% cited art and entertainment as the main reason, followed by investment in cryptocurrency and NFTs. That’s a pretty varied set of motivators outside of the assumed gaming audience. Not to say that the gaming audience isn’t big, taking Fortnite as an example, which by the end of 2021 boasts 350 million users. 350 million people, however, are no homogenous group and shouldn’t be treated as such.

5.     Novelty does not always equal creativity. The majority of brand experiences I’ve seen created in the Metaverse so far, all rely heavily on the novelty factor, which pays its dividends in PR and earned media. This strategy works at present, but what happens when novelty wears off? There is a capacity for great depth in user attention held in this space, I’d love to see brands tap into this through more poignant activations.

6.     The conversation around diversity and inclusion is key in building a safe and constructive virtual world. We currently have a blank canvas, and have a responsibility that content created, lays inclusive foundations, and shapes the future of the metaverse in a positive way.

7.     A wealth of WPP expertise exists in ‘The Metaverse Foundry’ Our production cousins over at Hogarth have launched ‘The Metaverse Foundry’ the new WPP global metaverse offering boasts and army of 700 creative specialists, ‘focused on design and production for brand experiences in the metaverse’.

Article originally published in LBB Online.