Published on 2023/12/21 "Pioneering the Metaverse" Episode #4 – Web2 brands need a metaverse
The latest episode of "Pioneering the Metaverse", a series that explores innovative initiatives in the world of the metaverse, features Stefano Battiston, Head of Marketing and Communications at Alfa Romeo F1 Team. He joins Samir Morani in an in-depth discussion on how traditional brands can leverage the metaverse to enhance their offerings and increase fan engagement and user experience. Stefano details Alfa Romeo F1 Team's natural partnership with the Everdome, the story behind its creation and why they want to be a pioneering brand in the metaverse.
About the Everdome:
The Everdome blends hyper-realistic production values with accessibility to bring a true metaverse experience to a wider audience. Our goal is to bridge the gap between Web2 and Web3, giving brands, businesses and individuals access to this revolutionary new technology, seamlessly connecting the digital and physical worlds. In summary, we are seeing traditional brands like F1 embrace the metaverse to reach and grow new audiences through immersive experiences and unique content.
Exploring the Metaverse:
- Traditional brands, especially those like F1, are looking to leverage the metaverse to reach new audiences and partners. This is achieved by overcoming initial hesitations through first-hand experience and advancing creative applications. To understand and overcome fears of the metaverse, the Head of Marketing and Communications of the Alfa Romeo F1 Team shares his experience in this field.
- The Metaverse offers endless possibilities for fan engagement and virtual experiences, including a global reach that will impact generations to come. The Metaverse brings fan engagement and experiences into people's homes, expanding reach to a global audience. Experiencing the VR Metaverse for the first time will give you the feeling of being in a video game, and as the technology evolves, there are endless possibilities to explore and utilize.
- F1 and Alfa Romeo are expanding their reach and engaging with new audiences through unique content and experiences. Reaching new audiences is key, especially within the gaming community, and this is achieved through things like gameplay-influencing ratios. It also creates new fans by drawing younger generations into the world of Formula One and the Metaverse, and encouraging families to come and watch the races together.
- Pioneering in the metaverse requires risk-taking and an openness to collaboration, which presents opportunities for both startups and traditional brands. Meeting with seasoned experts in the metaverse space helped guide and collaborate on developing experiences, and together we explored the opportunities and how they can be applied.
- When entering the metaverse, it's important to be clear about your marketing goals, start small, and focus on creating the best experience. The key is to understand the fundamentals of the metaverse, think big but start small, and create the best experience through trial and error.
- Companies will need to adapt to the metaverse, hire experts, and create unique experiences to overcome physical limitations while connecting with their fans. While not everyone is interested in the metaverse, it is important to hire experts and agencies to help navigate the new digital landscape. Understanding the benefits of the metaverse and creating unique experiences can create new revenue streams and branding opportunities.
- Immersive experiences in the Metaverse will be essential for Web2 brands to attract new audiences and fans, innovate and engage with different audiences. While headsets are still the biggest barrier to the Metaverse, there are already some amazing experiences and interactions with people that can be created virtually.
- Web2 brands are pushing the boundaries of the metaverse, and while the biggest barrier is availability of headsets for the mass consumer, there are already impressive experiences and opportunities in store. The technical and experiential aspects are already impressive once headset availability is realized. The hardware needs to get smaller, Apple's new releases look bigger, but the metaverse needs to become tangible for everyone.