Latest GMI Poll Reveals Second Life’s Potential for Virtual Consumer Marketing and Branding
10 May 2007
GMI ventured into the virtual world’s trendiest new spot, Second Life. Technically we didn’t actually ‘venture into’ Second Life, but we did field a poll on the topic. We found that contrary to popular belief the virtual world is a burgeoning market for real-life brands and product promotion.
For those of you that aren’t hip enough to have already joined Second Life, it is a virtual world where residents can explore, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, and create and trade virtual property and services with one another.
The poll revealed that 56 percent of users believe Second Life is a good promotional vehicle. Only 16 percent say they would not be more likely to buy or use a brand that is represented in the Internet-based virtual world.
“Second Life is still in its infancy and nobody knows if this virtual world has true staying power or is just a fad,” said Michael Cai, director, broadband and gaming at Park Associates, a Dallas-based market research and consulting firm specializing in digital and connectivity products and services for the home. “What is clear from the GMI survey is that Second Life is a potential, untapped source for marketing and branding. The people at Linden Lab have the opportunity to build out a new platform for promotion much like Yahoo and Google did for the Internet.”
The poll also revealed that many Second Life users go to the virtual world to avoid reality. Twenty-four percent of respondents claim they go to Second Life to escape real life, which they are not satisfied with, while 64 percent present themselves differently. Additional findings include:
- 45 percent give themselves a more attractive body
- 37 percent make themselves younger
- 23 percent give themselves a different nationality
- 55 percent watch less television since becoming active in Second Life
- 22 percent have more Second Life friends than real-life friends
- 29 percent feel Second Life interferes with their real-world social life
GigaOM the influential, world renouned tech blog wrote an article about our survey and its implications. The article is called “Does Virtual World Advertising Work?”
No comments yet
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
