RE: UKNM: Virtual Communities, Avatars etc. . .

[Joanna Crumpton]

Virtual communities may not appeal to everyone, but for those who enjoy

chatting online it does offer a much richer and immersive environment

compared to the text based alternatives. Those who do enjoy the service can

spend amazing lengths of time inworld, in the Virtual Zones you can find

people playing virtual bingo together, in the US they're even getting

married online!


Virtual Zones (www.virtualzones.co.uk) has recently launched in the UK and

we are about to start an online marketing campaign for them.


Within the Virtual Zones there is quite a lot of scope to customise your

avatar with different heads, body shapes and accessories, as well as rent

your own your apartment which can be decorated and furnished however you

choose. It has it's own monetary system where you collect credits from

virtual cashpoints, in order to buy the items you want. When more partners

come on board there will be developments within the world, which will create

more environments.


These virtual worlds do create great brand building and e-commerce

opportunities as branded environments, or inworld objects can be created,

which can link directly to a URL. There is also the opportunity to talk

directly to consumers inworld.  For example at a specific time each week a

representative from the company could be inworld, in their branded

environment, to answer any questions on a specific topic. Events,

competitions and games can also be hosted inworld.


As a marketing agency we find it a very interesting medium to run campaigns

in - i.e. what is going to be more effective, a 468x60 pixel banner on a

page, or an animated character/object giving you information about a

product?


Have any of you media buyers out there done any virtual world advertising,

or would you consider it?


Jo

__________________________________

Jo Crumpton

Digital Outlook Communications Ltd

6 Melbray Mews

158 Hurlingham Road

London SW6 3NG

Tel: 020 7348 6611 (direct)

Fax: 020 7348 6601

Web: www.digital-outlook.com


> -----Original Message-----

>

From: Ian Tester [ian [dot] testeruk [dot] boo [dot] com (mailto:ian [dot] testeruk [dot] boo [dot] com)]

> Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2000 12:27

>

To: uk-netmarketingmail [dot] chinwag [dot] com

> Subject: UKNM: Virtual Communities, Avatars etc. . .

>

> Does anyone have any thoughts on virtual communities, where users

> can enter

> the site, select an avatar and interact with others in a virtual world?

> There was a big feature on them in Revolution last year, but the concept

> doesn't really seem to have taken off/been incorporated in other sites,

> despite the much-vaunted "stickiness" of the concept. . .

>

> All the ones I've seen lately seem to crash my browser

> (www.virtualzones.co.uk, www.elcitio.com). . . perhaps due to the

> complication of the technology ? (don't even think about it. . .  ;-0)



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