Virtual World Consumer Behaviors and The Evolution of Social Networking - How to Plan for it./RAW NOTES

Are virtual world consumers trend setters?  Are they early adopters?  Understand the demographics of virtual world participants so you can plan your presence accordingly.  What do they respond well to?  How do you communicate your efforts... from launch to day-to-day management... understand the "in's" and "out's" of your audience. Are virtual worlds the MySpace-killers?
- Jeska Dzwigalski, Community Developer, Linden Lab
- Betsy Book, Director of Product Management, Makena Technologies
- Teemu Huuhtanen, President, North America & EVP Business.
   Development., Sulake Corp. Ltd.
- Linda Zimmer, President & CEO, MarCom:interactive
- Ren Reynolds, TerraNova (Moderator)


Teemu



  • Habbo Hotel

  • 500 people in 19 countries at Sulake

  • Self Expression

  • 4 areas, Habbo Hotel, Habbo Homepage (dynamically linked to the virtual world), games, frontpages

  • Who wants to be a Habbonaire :)

  • 50/50 boys and girls


Betsy



  • There.com and VLB, The Hills and Pimp My Ride

  • There is much like the other worlds mentioned today, a social experience based around community

  • Makena's mission, give users experience to extend their real social lives

  • Interplay between virtual and real life

  • All items are reviewed before they go in world as the world is 13 and up

  • Copyright protection

  • 50/50 male, female- Over time they are beginning to skew more female

  • Average age is 22

  • 2007 selectively introducing brands into There

  • Brand Centric Affinity groups happening organically


Linda



  • The virtual consumer

  • You must engage

  • Our social networks are evolving

  • There is evidence that we are re-tribalising

  • Virtual Worlds As "Third Places"


  • Virtual Worlds Propose unique marketing issues

    • A place away from home you can gather and socialize, similiar to what Starbucks is doing

    • Augmentalist vs. Immersionalist

    • VW Immersion vs. RW action



  • How does the virtual translate to the real

  • Co-Creating real world products was the number one thing that people wished to do with brands in world



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