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Intelligence
Second Life: Yesterday’s Virtual World?

Intelligence

Second Life: Yesterday’s Virtual World?

Jul 10, 2007By Michael Stoner

It’s not that I don’t think virtual worlds are unimportant. In the future, we won’t be using WebEx or Acrobat Connect-we’ll be meeting in virtual space, inhabiting our avatars, and talking with each other. [I might choose to hold meetings in a glade in a Vermont foresta virtual one, of course. Or around a table in my favorite country inn.] It’s really important to know what virtual worlds are, to experience them yourself, and to pay attention to new developments in virtual reality-and metaverses like Second Life or Zwinky.

Remember, though, that we’re in the beginning of this revolution. Don’t let hype fool you into becoming too focused on any one place. Why? Because this is new trend and there’s a lot of development in the area. If you intend to establish a presence on Second Life-or anywhere else-you’re a pioneer. Be prepared for a wild ride and a lot of churn.

For example, a piece just published in Advertising Age indicates that the much-hyped Second Life may be so over. In “Second Life Losing Lock on Virtual-Site Marketing,” you’ll learn that Zwinky-where you can “friend” 50 Cent and not just wear but customize his avatar-is jumping, hitting “nearly 3.6 million unique visits in May alone, while SecondLife.com accumulated just under 4 million unique visits in the span of an entire year, according to ComScore.”

In fact, Doppelganger aims to be a cooler, safer Second Life:

The site closest to Second Life in appearance and scope, Doppelganger, has achieved several milestones in virtual-world brand integration. From its Pussycat Dolls Music Lounge to fashion partnerships with Rocawear and Kitson, the site is starting to make good on its plans to become a younger, safer Second Life for teens and early-20-somethings.

We control the development of the environment, so we build all the buildings, do all the labeling. You won’t find a big, phallic building next to the NBC studio,” said Doppelganger CEO Tim Stevens, referencing an actual misfire in branded Second Life architecture. “It’s like watching TV—you can’t change the parameters of TV, but you can provide a pretty broad spectrum within. Partners like Tyra Banks chose us because we embody the experience they’re trying to get across, and it’s the same with brands.”

See also Nonexistent ROI on Corporate Marketing in Second Life and Second Thoughts on Second Life.


  • Michael Stoner Co-Founder and Co-Owner Was I born a skeptic or did I become one as I watched the hypestorm gather during the dotcom years, recede, and congeal once more as we come to terms with our online, social, mobile world? Whatever. I'm not much interested in cutting edge but what actually works for real people in the real world. Does that make me a bad person?