Changing people’s perceptions of brands is difficult, especially those that are established and well-known. walmart. But that’s one of the goals of Walmart’s Web3 project, Cultureverse, Justin Breton, Walmart’s director of brand experience and strategic partnerships, told attendees at last week’s Advertising Week New York. Told.
āWe wanted it to be both immersive and accessible, so anyone who wanted to jump into this experience and learn about the 50th anniversary of hip-hop or view virtual commissioned artwork by Black creators could do so. ” Brereton said. “We wanted to give all of our customers a way to engage with us in unexpected ways. If someone came in and said, ‘Oh, shit.’ this Is it Walmart? Then I’ve done my job. ā
Walmart, which has recently created several metaverse environments and continues to add new gamification and commerce elements to those experiences, collaborated with People of Crypto and Spatial Labs to develop The Cultureverse. This environment includes games and extensive use of 3D, reflecting what the retailer learned from previous Walmart Metaverse initiatives.
āWe live in an attention economy where short-form content like TikTok is on the rise, and these types of experiences are driving longer viewing times. [people spend] with the brand,ā Brereton said. āThey are averaging From 6:00 to 8:00 The amount of time spent on this brand experience is huge. ā
Applying what we learned from previous forays into the metaverse
Breton attributes the success of this latest Metaverse environment to Walmart’s increased focus on community, exemplified by its collaboration with People of Crypto. āThey recognized the opportunity in the Cultureverse, where education and entertainment come together,ā Brereton said.
He and his team “learned a lot” from their experience with Walmart Land on Roblox, the retailer’s early metaverse environment. “There was the good, the bad and the ugly,” Brereton said, adding that this first trip to the Metaverse received some criticism that he couldn’t help but take personally. our weekly magazine People were criticizing what I was wearing,ā he said.He also added that previous Metaverse efforts “didn’t have a very high support rating, but now 95% Because we pivoted and invited the community to be a part of what we built. If you build a community first, they will follow you.ā
What Cultureverse isn’t doing, at least not directly, is increasing conversions or driving revenue for Walmart’s core retail business. “When we explain things to management, revenue growth isn’t necessarily the goal,” Brereton said. āWe educate them about the value of changing perceptions of brand favorability and loyalty. This media guides [positive] Brand preferences and shopping intentionsAccording to the research we conducted,
Walmart overall “does a great job in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion, making sure we communicate with people in a way that feels authentic and not commercial,” Brereton said. And to increase its profits, Walmart has a Black & Unlimited page on its website dedicated to maximizing the potential of Black brands and creators.
Brereton advised other brands considering a presence in the metaverse to “lean back, test, and learn.” [The metaverse] It represents the future of socialization, commerce, and how people experience things. It will be the intersection of everything. You need to set yourself up for future success now. ā