I love the metaverse.
I love the concept of it, if not the current construction of it. VR and AR literally have world-changing capabilities ranging from commerce and customer service to education, engineering, research, art, entertainment, and so much more.
Critics call it a game or a fad. They made similar claims about AOL, Compuserve and Prodigy in 1995 and my Palm Treo 600 in 2003. That’s ok. We hear you loud and clear. What’s critical to the metaverse’s long-term success is its integration into everyday life. Right now it’s as vague and broad as the term “internet”. No one “surfs the internet” anymore. They read the news, buy movie tickets, and communicate with friends and family and co-workers. They invest their money and launch businesses. And perhaps most importantly, they use it to accumulate information that’s critical to their daily lives at home, at work, and at play. Bottom line is that they use it with purpose.
The metaverse is still in the AOL chat room phase. It’s limited to pioneers with funky names like “Hotbunnz635” wearing clunky headsets and meeting in specific areas for specific activities. It’s not integrated the rest of our lives yet. But it will be.
One day when I transition from watching NFL games on TV to instead jumping into the metaverse because the sight and sound (and immersion) experience is far superior; or when I can grab a virtual seat among a million other singing fans and watch a live performance of No Shoes Nation; or, as a matter or professional development or education, join the audience in the Operating Room as a neurosurgeon performs a life-saving brainstem implant on a child; or, when my clients send me an invite to the presentation where everyone will be present at the virtual conference table; all of these immersive experiences and more will begin to drive “everyday traffic” to the metaverse. Companies are investing millions of dollars in digital real estate where brand wars will be won or lost. Brand and product and service “engagement” will intensify and customer loyalty and ambassadorship will develop. If $1 OFF and BOGO coupons were the tools of customer trials and loyalty in the 20th century, “show-me-ism” could be the ultimate customer acquisition strategy in the 21st century and an immersive AR demonstration could be the key to pulling it off.