This past month, Mark Zuckerberg announced at Facebook Connect that the company would be changing its name to Meta, claiming “the Metaverse is the new frontier,” like something out of a superhero movie.
The name change comes to just Facebook the company, not Facebook the social network. If you open the Instagram app, owned by Facebook, the loading page will say Instagram and then “from Meta” in smaller font below.
But what’s Zuck’s vision for the Metaverse?
Rather than the collection of plain eye view photos, videos and stories we have all collectively uploaded onto his social networks now, the Meta leader envisions communities partaking in more “immersive digital experiences,” i.e. virtual reality, and he intends for the company to invest over $10B in tech development to support these experiences, integrating them into digital user actions such as advertising, content creation and digital commerce.
After the announcement, Peterborough Journalist Kevin Elson painted a clearer picture of what a more basic Metaverse experience could look like for the social user, once putting on augmented reality goggles.
“You sit down and join a virtual office. Hungry? No problem, visit the virtual Amazon or Walmart grocery store and pick out what you want to be delivered right to your door. Later on, you jump into another room simulating a tropical island where you relax to the sound of the waves coming in. Maybe in the evening you purchase a premium entry to a room that offers the virtual experience of front row seats to a concert of your favourite artist.”
So, goggles on?
“As marketers, we will have to look for opportunities everywhere. I can see a future where restaurants and chefs partner with experiences happening in the metaverse to heighten user experiences,” adds Sean Beckingham, Partner at Branding & Buzzing.
Metaverse, it is!