As I’ve been thinking about opportunities for marketing in MMOs, the most obvious opportunity is branding via product placement and literally virtualizing traditional marketing methods. A billboard for Verizon in City of Heroes, a Coke can in a Second Life vending machine, a BMW emblem on the hood of a Eve Online spaceship. But what else does this imply? It means that a Hero should be able to get a Verizon communicator in COH, that the SL Avatar can buy and drink that vending machine Coke, and that Eve Online captain can experience BMW-quality as it manifests itself in space.
Clearly, we’re not talking simply about product placement in the same way it would exist in film and television – we’re talking about product interaction.
From what I can tell, this idea was pioneered by the makers of an online community that I would have least expected this from – Whyville. This MMO is targeted expressly towards elementary aged children. But not only can these tweens drive Toyota Scions, but they are actually being educating on the car-buying process, including financing and FICO scores (covertly called a WhyCO score). The virtual version of the car is nearly identical to it’s real-world counterpart, including upgrades, paint colors, and features. While selling virtual cars to kids may not be Toyota’s key to immediate sales growth, they are setting up this future market to be educated car buyers and fostering the desire of these pre-license-holders toward their brand. They are also winning awards.
Second Life is flush with other examples of this type of product interaction. Brand name clothing and vehicles are already for sale, and we can only imagine the limitations with open-source, economy-based MMOs like SL and There. Why shouldn’t Coca-Cola sell their drinks along side the ever-present hamburgers? Why not buy an Ethan Allen sofa for your SL abode? Why isn’t Ray-Ban producing, branding and selling virtual versions of their sunglasses?
“Man, my avatar looks great in those. I should get a pair.”
Jim Bower said,
May 4, 2007 @ 3:04 pm
You are correct, Numedeon, the company that built Whyville did pioneer this form of marketing — but, actually, you shouldn’t be too suprised – the reason is interesting — marketing on the internet isn’t about eyeballs, it’s about eyes connected to brains. The question then is, what best engages primate brains — the answer is play — what is play really? — the way we learn — so, in other words, Education with a big E (rather than the type that you are probably more familiar with). Whyville is a virtual world fundamentally based on education — which is, we believe, the killer ap for VWs – including both informal and formal education, as well as marketing as just explained.
So given that, the evolution of the partnership between Scion and Whyville (Numedeon) is interesting. It started with Whyvillians being able to purchase Scions with Claims (whyville cash). Of course, the kids had to be able to customize their cars. Phase I also included a social component, as kids can take other kids for rides in their cars (of course, everyone has to buckle their seat belts), the project then responded to the desire of kids without enough clams in cash — to get loans — Phase II — and the ‘educational’ quotient went up – to get a loan, you have to have a good credit rating (WICO score), a good credit rating requires that you have a high salary (do lots of educational games), have other property, and have a very good behavior record. (Whyville’s security system is top on the web according to iParenting).
Phase III of the project will launch soon – a hint – Toyota is proud of its engineering, but shouldn’t kids be able to tinker with it too?
Phase IV – still in planning — but I promise, you will be amazed.
So, the BIG POINT — in VWs, effective marketing naturally becomes more and more Educational (big E). Using VWs, education (small e) can also become more Educational too. —
That’s the future — and you shouldn’t be surprised that a VW company that knows something about Education and Learning — would be the first one there.
Dr. James Bower
CEO Numedeon Inc.
Founders Whyvillle.net
(and purveyors of other virtual worlds as well)
ccupak said,
May 4, 2007 @ 4:16 pm
Thanks for the comments, Dr. Bower! You have a great point about the innovation breeding-ground fostered by the connection between education specialists and next-gen social groups, such as Whyville.
I think my surprise actually spawns from the fact that it seemed to be a branding move focused toward pre-teens, who are generally dismissed by business-at-large when it comes to purchasing power (despite all the research we have of their influence on their parents and their growing amounts disposable cash). And not only did the intended audience surprise me, but the advertiser sells a distinctly adult product.
To be more accurate, I was surprised and delighted at this partnership. It’s truly innovative and moves far beyond the arbitrary boundaries of traditional marketing, thinking past the roadblocks I mentioned. There’s a reason why you’re winning awards. It’s exciting to see a company with this type of vision.
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kennedy said,
May 20, 2009 @ 8:00 pm
Brands have a tough time letting them off the leash. Think Nike wants someone in Second Life wearing the swoosh to be having weird sex or some killer in Grand Themft Auto 5 to rip off the next generation Camaro by killing cops in them? It’s “sort of” out of their brand scope. Until a brand can be deployed with rules governing its usage–which translates right down to the player rules of engagement and censorship–product placement will be very limited or passive (i.e. scenery or props) at best.