Digital Marketing
Analysis finds social media used by less than 4% of people, while mobile phone connections are equivalent to less than 60% of Malawians.
THE METAVERSE
A quarter of consumers will soon spend an hour a day on the metaverse
By our News Team | 2022
The metaverse will impact every business that consumers interact with every day, creating new opportunities and challenges for organisations.
By the year 2026, 25% of people will spend at least one hour a day in the metaverse for work, shopping, education, social and/or entertainment. This is according to a study released last week by international insights company, Gartner.
“Vendors are already building ways for users to replicate their lives in digital worlds,” said Marty Resnick, Research Vice president at Gartner.
“From attending virtual classrooms to buying digital land and constructing virtual homes, these activities are currently being conducted in separate environments. Eventually, they will take place in a single environment – the metaverse – with multiple destinations across technologies and experiences.”
Image by Nurudeen Ayaga Alidu from Pixabay
Gartner defines a metaverse as a collective virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical and digital reality. It is persistent, providing enhanced immersive experiences, as well as being device-independent and accessible through any type of device – ranging from tablets to head-mounted displays.
Andrew Bosworth of Facebook Reality Labs has a slightly different explanation: “The defining quality of the metaverse will be presence – the feeling of really being there with people… so you can remove the limitations of physics and move between them with the same ease as moving from one room in your home to the next.”
A virtual economy in the metaverse
Because no single vendor will own the metaverse, Gartner expects it to have a virtual economy enabled by digital currencies and nonfungible tokens (NFTs). The metaverse will impact every business that consumers interact with every day.
It will also impact how work gets done. Enterprises will provide better engagement, collaboration and connection to their employees through immersive workspaces in virtual offices. Businesses will not need to create their own infrastructure to do so because the metaverse will provide the framework.
In addition, virtual events that have gained popularity over the last 18 months will offer more collaborative and immersive networking opportunities and workshops.
“Enterprises will have the ability to expand and enhance their business models in unprecedented ways by moving from a digital business to a metaverse business,” said Resnick. “By 2026, 30% of the organisations in the world will have products and services ready for metaverse.”
The adoption of metaverse technologies is nascent and fragmented, and Gartner cautions organisations about investing heavily in a specific metaverse.
“It is still too early to know which investments will be viable in the long term, but product managers should take the time to learn, explore and prepare for a metaverse in order to position themselves competitively,” Resnick explained.
E-commerce
E-commerce giant is yet another tech company that is finding the market increasingly tough. It has already cut 18,000 jobs.
Customer Data
Survey finds 60% of marketing leaders believe collecting customer data while balancing privacy and customer value is now more challenging.
Social Media Consulting
Charge as if you’re employing a small team. It’s not deception, it’s the money you will use to start hiring and scaling the business.
Consumer Health
It is not sufficient for consumers to want to decrease sugar intake. Brands should offer appealing products that help reduce consumption.
Marketing Strategy
Absa Kenya CMO says the fundamentals of marketing remain unchanged, but the practical implementation of strategy is evolving.
INFLUENCERS
Some influencers, themselves sufferers of an ailment, give well-intentioned advice. Others are paid to do so. The consequences are concerning.
AMC News
High-level Chartered Marketer (Africa) programme equips marketers to operate successfully in the continent’s complex and diverse markets.
Corporate Social Responsibility
Socially conscious companies walk a fine line. Excessive emphasis on perception management becomes ‘greenwashing’. Too little is ‘greenhushing’.
Industry Awards
Uganda Marketers Society and Uganda Advertising Association are to be joint custodians of the 2023 Silverback Awards.
Email Marketing
Analysis of more than 10-billion bulk emails sent over three years finds a ‘landscape fundamentally reshaped’ by events.