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Lessons From Brands That Are Starting to Build Out Their Metaverse Strategies

With conversations around the metaverse picking up significantly over the past year—a 700% increase in mentions on Facebook alone—many CMOs have asked the question, “What’s our metaverse strategy?”

Although the metaverse will take years to fully realize, the automotive industry, which is undergoing a major shift toward electric and tech-enabled vehicles, sees marketers already experimenting with immersive technology to get closer to their customers, with great results. Let’s take a look at three lessons from automakers that can inspire marketers across industries.

1. Drive immersion with augmented reality

People already want more immersive experiences from brands. In fact, according to an Ipsos survey in March 2022, almost half of U.S. respondents said they want to use AR experiences to experiment with products they see advertised. For automakers, AR filters allow them to showcase vehicles before launch and add gamification elements to amplify the driving experience.

Take Volvo, for example, which recently raised awareness of its new XC40 Recharge. With limited inventory in showrooms, Volvo brought the showroom to potential customers via mobile AR ads, allowing people to experience the life-size car in 360 degrees from the comfort of their own home. The campaign resulted in a 6.7-point lift in awareness of the vehicle and a 14.2-point lift in ad recall.

On average across industries, campaigns that include an immersive experience see one-third more brand lift for the same investment than those that don’t, according to a Meta internal study from 2021. These results should give marketers the confidence they need to experiment with AR and start building out the types of immersive experiences that will play a critical role in the metaverse.

2. Lean into storytelling through creators

People crave authenticity, and creators are at the heart of a revolution in storytelling. In fact, according to a March 2022 study by Crowd DNA, 78% of consumers say that creators are influential in helping them discover new brands. Even for high consideration purchases like cars, creators have sway; 69% of recent auto buyers surveyed in a Meta commissioned online poll say that they were influenced by creator content during the purchase journey.

To reach a younger set of consumers, Fiat partnered with an AR creator to develop an Instagram-first campaign that leveraged platform-native codes. The brand also developed “How I Made This” videos, a set of bespoke, branded Giphy stickers, and a tutorial on creating your own “Fiat Argo Story” to invite community participation. As a result, the campaign drove 35% conversion lift and 19% lift in ad recall.

Creators are increasingly important as brands venture into the metaverse since one in two early adopters say they’d follow their favorite creators onto new platforms, even unfamiliar ones. Solidifying your brand’s relationship with creators will help bridge your connection to the important role they continue to play as architects in the metaverse.

3. Foster meaningful connection with business messaging

Regardless of the channel, consumers want personalized, direct contact with brands and the ability to have real-time conversations. This is especially valuable for younger consumers. More than a quarter of 18-24 year-olds say they want to be able to ask questions directly to product experts through social media, according to a Meta study on Gen Z trends.

For automotive brands and retailers, Messenger has become a relied-upon tool for automating car configurators, driving pre-launch registrations and securing test drives, which are important touchpoints in inspiring confidence around big purchase decisions.

To better connect with potential customers, French auto manufacturer DS Automobiles used Messenger to put people in touch with its concierge team. The brand began by using ads that click to Messenger to kick off the conversation, where customers could then finalize test-drive bookings. The Messenger-focused campaign generated test-drive leads at its lowest-ever cost, achieving a 76% increase in test-drive leads and a 42% decrease in cost per lead, compared to website lead conversions.

As another channel of communication, the metaverse places a strong focus on customer experience and one-to-one connection. Enabling robust business messaging today ensures your community has a shared digital space where they can connect with your brand and helps you cultivate relationships for the future.

The most successful brands in history have evolved and stayed relevant by understanding their customers’ changing needs. In today’s multidimensional ecosystem where people interact with brands in both the virtual and physical worlds, these needs are rooted in immersive experiences, authentic stories and meaningful connections. Across industries, businesses should start getting as comfortable as possible with the tools and technology available today to position their brands for future success.