5 Metaverse Trends to Watch in 2022

Editor’s note: This piece is part of our Columnist Network series, which explores the tactical thoughts and actions from Adweek’s community of high-level experts. With more interest than ever in the metaverse, brands from every category are eager to join in. But making that leap is best done with a sound, data-driven strategy to support decision-making. 2021 was the year when some of the metaverse trends started clearly pulling through, with data offering insights into digital identity preferences, spaces and activities where people love spending time, connections they’re building and more. There are some eye-opening learnings from our inaugural year-end data report for brands interested in engaging fans on metaverse platforms—here are my top five: Experiences that simulate real life We saw how, during the pandemic, more and more things we were used to doing in real life started moving into the metaverse—from birthday parties to concerts and work gatherings. Empowering people to connect in spaces that offer activities people already enjoy has always been core to what Roblox is about, and in 2021 we clearly saw how this ability to be immersed in and replicate casual, everyday experiences is a cornerstone of how human co-experience will expand in this digital space and draw broader audiences. This trend points to some opportunities for creating engaging and immersive brand content, whether it's delivering a serene wellness space where people can learn and practice meditation, like in the newly launched "Alo Sanctuary" from Alo Yoga, or customizing your shoes and skateboarding with friends in Vans World—both of which have gotten great community feedback. Brands could even deliver behind-the-scenes looks of their operations, teaching their community how a new fashion line is designed or how sourcing signature ingredients works at a famous restaurant chain. The Future of Commerce Is Already Here Authentic brand integrations There is a great variety of genres among popular experiences that can offer a wealth of opportunities for brands to integrate and engage their existing fan communities—especially if there’s a truly authentic match. In addition to creating native immersive experiences, brands can find existing ones with a natural fit for them and trust that the community response will be just as powerful. We saw that in the NASCAR partnership with Jailbreak, which allowed its already massive community to design and drive a custom NASCAR-skinned car, enjoying some car chase action within this virtual world. Growing interest from 17+ users The metaverse has been associated with gaming because of early pioneers in the space, but as the variety of experiences and applications expands to include the world beyond games, so does the audience. As an example on Roblox, 17 to 24 year olds are our fastest-growing demographic, and the developer community has been tackling this expanding market with new content updates and more complex experiences featuring advanced graphics and effects. Brands and artists are doing this very successfully, too, with the high-fidelity Gucci Garden and Twenty One Pilots experiences having attracted over 30% of total visits from users 17 and older. Additionally, as technology improves, the power to deliver an amazing brand activation—one that cuts through the noise—becomes a question of imagination rather than limitation. Self-expression through digital identity The options for avatar customization are expanding dramatically through user-generated creations and branded merchandise, and users have responded enthusiastically. As the technology behind our digital selves advances, so do the opportunities for fashion and beauty brands to make their digital presence known. Just a few statistics around Roblox user avatars in 2021 that show just how important digital identity is for metaverse communities: Over 25 million virtual items were created by the community, and over 5.8 billion virtual items were acquired.Users updated their avatars over 165 billion times.Every day, about 1 in 5 daily active users updated their avatars, with body and face updates being most popular, followed by accessories. Growing creator talent pool It’s not just the users that are becoming more interested in engaging with brands: Developer and creator communities are growing rapidly, too. In 2021, the number of new female creators using Roblox Studio for the first time grew 353% year over year, and the number of new male creators saw 323% growth. It’s exciting to see such interest in metaverse content creation globally, with some of the most active and top-selling creators coming from different locales like Brazil or Australia. Many of these international creators are also more likely to integrate their knowledge of local trends and culture into their UGC items, which means a more inclusive and diverse content offering. This pool of talented potential collaborators is a huge resource for brands. Tommy Hilfiger just recently chose eight UGC creators to bring their Tommy X Roblox Creators digital collection to life, and many other brands have successfully worked with UGC developers and creators on the platform as well. The opportunity for brands is to engage—not just with new digital audiences but also with creator communities that make their experiences truly special—and to share their broad expertise of creating a more colorful and inclusive metaverse. Taking trends and digital insights into account to see what’s popular with the community will help brands find their metaverse moment, make the most of it and connect with new audiences in a way that resonates.

Columnist Network

As Interest in the Metaverse Grows, Here Are 5 Trends to Watch in 2022

Roblox data shows explosive growth in self-expression since last year

Christina Wootton

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Christina Wootton