Second Life became a communication platform for corporates and brands. The list of corporates, that engaged with Second Life is long. IBM, NBA, Sony BMG or Pontiac to name just a few. Many corporates decided, that an engagement in Second Life has a positive contribution at the end of the day.
As long as the list of corporates and industries in SL, is the motivation of corporates. As a Return on Investment corporates, expect income in Linden Dollars or US Dollars, a positive effect for their brand or information for future product design or pricing. In any event there are not many corporates out there left, that do not at least consider an engagement. Who would have thought that 3 years ago?
There main factors contributed to this:
1. With currently 7,5 million residents the critical mass of possible contacts in SL is more the reached.
2. The connection of virtual and real economy via the possibility to trade L$ and US$ at the LindeX opens up economical possibilities.
3. The intense coverage in the media about Second Life triggered decision markers in corporates. And will multiply activities to the outside.
While taking a closer look at the main strategies of corporates to start an engagement, three types of patterns can be separated:
1. The First Mover
Corporates pay close attention to be the first in Second Life. Either from their industry or market segment. A first class, working business model in SL does not have priority here. For example recruit employers or contact clients. The true Return of Investment is the media coverage in the outside world and the resulting public relation effects. Another motivation is collecting experience with a new communication channel.
2. The Early Adopter
Testing an making experience is not the goal here. More traditional corporate with a passive character like the Deutsche Bank will rather choose this strategy than Apple or Nike. These corporates try to learn from what their competitors do and try to make it better. They pay the fist mover bonus and hope they get a piece security back.
3. The Kommunikations-Booster
With the right strategy and inline with other communication activities, an engagement in SL has a positive contribution to corporate and product brands. Especially in the decade of fragmented target groups and in the boom of direct marketing, in SL corporates see a leverage and completion in marketing. Do not forget: Many hours of TV consumption being substituted by digital communication - like in Second Life. Those people you find here.
Not only many Users / inhabitants are discovering Second Life but also companies use SecondLife for marketing purposes.