Firstly, remember that in many ways, Second Life (and other virtual worlds) is just another marketing channel, albeit with unique characteristics.

When companies run marketing campaigns on other channels (such as TV, radio or print) and the campaign fails to deliver the desired level of response, one of two things happen:

1. The creative concept is critised as not being appropriate or good enough. In other words it did not resonate enough with the target audience or deliver the right messages.

2. Expectations were too high in the first place. Either because they were not correctly analysed or the channel has a different set of metrics.

You rarely hear about the media channel being critised as being incorrect. Some brands have run campaigns in Second Life and the platform has been critised with very little commentary on the quality of the actual concept or the metrics being used to assess the success.

The concept of media planning in Second Life (understanding the attributes of the channel audience – what motivates them – what they want – what the platform can deliver) has been overlooked to a very high degree to date in Second Life. This is the area that successful virtual world campaigns should focus on.

It’s posted at http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/magazine/15-08/ff_sheep?currentPage=1

I would love to hear the reaction to this story. Are the Old Schoolers simply not getting it, or are we all getting taken for a ride?

Two points in the article seem to stick:
1) SL seems deserted; and

2) This is because the software is outdated — and because the servers can only handle up to 70 avatars at a time.

I am new to SL and very interested in the format and the possibilities. But these are serious limiations! I would love an expert’s response here.

“Sure! Anyone would want a one prim refrigerator from Sears in their virtual house!”

“Of course people will want to buy photoshop copies of American Apparel’s generic-ass clothing! It was all drawn in downtown LA!”

I think a couple companies have gotten the idea, though. That freebie Bumblebee from the Transformers movie floating around was a promotional item commissioned by the producers of the actual movie. There was some in-world spy/scavanger hunt-type game to promote Smokin Aces…too bad it was a shitty movie!

Like them or not, they were creative promotions acheived through adapting to SL, not expecting SL to adapt to you.

That’s probably the key that these guys missed. Too bad it’s SL’s fault, though.

The quote is from Mclusky, not me.

As to some of the points brought up in this comment thread (most of which were excellent), I think Apollo Case makes a good suggestion about island sponsorship, and someone else suggested hiring “out-of-the-box” thinking people to do something with your product inside of SL. But I think that Kryss put it best:

“Maybe the corporations realized that their target audience doesn’t consist of shut ins, gorean sex slaves, emo Furries and age-players — Kryss Wanweird”

Not that I completely agree with the statement but it does bring up an excellent question for these corporations: Exactly what did they hope to achieve with a presence in SL? What was the point for their entrance into the game? How did they envision they would make money?

There is obviously something wrong with SL.

Here is a hint; building a mockup of your hotel and having nothing to do inside it is as dumb as building a hotel in RL and not having any rooms to rent. Why oh why would anyone care to visit either place?

Well, I think that big businesses misunderstood the concept of SL. Here is nothing for them from the business-to-consumer aspect.

It will be seen if the same applies to the big American politics. Politics from other countries has made its entrance to SL, but most of them will abandon SL, I guess.

“They just don’t know what true love is, poor dears.”

Ass whipping of the Lindens does work, but they fiercely deny it. A couple of months ago fixing of bugs was a low priority and they openly loathed those who thought otherwise. Now 1.18 release is the most stable … for a long time.

But I really don’t mind if Second Lie goes bankrupt and is followed by competitors’ Third Try or something. While watching animated sculptie-avatars dancing in front of a mirror, I thought that Third Try could be a better VR. I really can’t affiliate with the business morale of Linden Lab. And those who can, may find themselves facing some ugly business risks.

—

“There is a diabolical twist to Star Wars fandom, you see, that defies comprehension, and yet is the life-blood of all Star Wars fans. It is this:

Star Wars fans hate Star Wars.

If you run into somebody who tells you they thought the franchise was quite enjoyable, and they very-much liked the originals as well as the prequels, and even own everything on DVD, and a few of the books, these imposters are not Star Wars Fans.

Maybe I’ll put it like this. To be a Star Wars fan, one must possess the ability to see a million different failures and downfalls, and then somehow assemble them into a greater picture of perfection. Every true Star Wars fan is a Luke Skywalker, looking at his twisted, evil father, and somehow seeing good.

My earlier statement needs slight revision. We hate everything about Star Wars.

But the idea of Star Wars…the idea we love.”