2. Demystification of an Avatar A Brief History of Word AVATAR According to Hindu Mythology, Avatar describes the worldly incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It was popularized in its Cybersense by Neal Stephenson in his 1992 cult novel Snow Crash.
4. Demystification of an Avatar Visual representation of a user in an online community. Conspicuous online manifestation of people’s desire to try out alternative identities. Avatars are endowed with mannerisms, skills and wardrobes.
8. It is a direct continuation of Project Entropia, with MindArk reporting a 2006 in-game turnover of over 3.6 Billion PED ($360 Million USD)
9. Over 650 000 registered participants from over 220 countriesVirtual Social Interaction Sites: 1. Entropia Universe
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11. Some of the companies that have partnerships to sell real world items within the Entropia Universe include 'Vexed Generation Clothing Ltd' of London, England, and '21st Century Fine Art' which has its real world offices in New York. 21st Century Fine Art have also opened a gallery in the heart of 'New Oxford' within the Entropia UniverseBusiness Opportunities@Entropia
13. Itis a 3D online virtual world created by Will Harvey and Jeffrey Ventrella Venue for socializing with less role-playing than is typically found in MMORPGs It contains 12 major islands and numerous smaller islands, 500,000 members and many community places including businesses Virtual Social Interaction Sites: 2. There.com
52. Reality of Virtual World ‘Value’ of a thing determines price. ‘Real Money’ economy is connected to virtual world economy through the exchange rates w.r.t. to the site. For eg. it is Lindex for Second Life Economy figures and statistics are available on the respective website.
53. Myriad Possibilities and Opportunities Fast increasing number of Avatars. Thriving business on 3D social networking sites. E-commerce model: From Virtual to Real world. A right place to advertise.
54. Marketing in Virtual Worlds Ability to generate sustained consumer engagement with a brand. Second Life residents run businesses that sell virtual products and services priced in Second Life’s Linden dollars. Wells Fargo Bank operates a virtual world called Stagecoach Island, designed to educate teens about money matters. Coke Studios is a teen-oriented virtual world run by Coca-Cola.
55. Marketing to Avatars Advertising has always targeted a powerful consumer alter ego Marketing depends on soliciting people’s dreams Avatars might also be enlisted to play a marketing role.
58. As the barriers between virtual worlds and real life blur, so do the barriers between virtual worlds and the rest of cyberspace. Marketing to Avatars
59. Live customer attendee and feedback can be outsourced! Letting customer create a new shirt design, and see if other avatars buy that => if yes, new product development back in real world. Buying real world products from virtual world! (shipped, paid in linden dollars) Marketing to Avatars
60. Real Brands in Not-So-Real World Second Life - Nike sold virtual shoes to avatars. There - Levi Strauss promoted a new style of jeans. Sims Online - McDonald’s installed virtual fast-food kiosks Sims Online - Intel incorporated its logo into the screens of virtual computers Habbo Hotel - Kellogg’s sponsored a competition Second Life - Coke machines/kiosks are common. Second Life – Adidas did a marketing campaign for one of its products, while Toyota sold virtual cars.
61. Real World Business in Virtual World Best Buy Geek Squad For Second Lifers with a technical bent, Geek Squad Island is a great place to get free technical support. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Geek%20Squad%20Island/175/173/72
62. H&R Block The H&R Block presence on Second Life is an accountant's paradise Real World Business in Virtual World
63. Real World Business in Virtual World Cisco Island Well-populated island showcases Cisco products in a cleanly designed "connected home" of the future
64. Reuters A free gadget at Reuters helps people to stay in touch with the news in the physical world Real World Business in Virtual World
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66. Drafting table to build the basic components of a real-world computerReal World Business in Virtual World
67. Sun Microsystems Chat sessions related to Client/Server, Java, Cell phones, etc. Real World Business in Virtual World
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69. Car garage lets people customize vehicles to their liking, including the paint job and styling
73. Employees use private island for client discussionsReal World Business in Virtual World
74. Fitment of Avatar Based Marketing in Indian Context Indian Internet Market Every 10th individual in urban India has accessed the internet Source: Online Gaming in India March 2007, IAMAI
75. Fitment of Avatar Based Marketing in Indian Context Indian Internet Market 100% user base growth in 2006 over 2004 Overall penetration less than 5% Source: Online Gaming in India March 2007, IAMAI
76. Fitment of Avatar Based Marketing in Indian Context Indian Internet Market Internet is percolating across India, from a high 64% of all users in 2001, the top 4 metros now account for 50% of all users Source: Online Gaming in India March 2007, IAMAI
77. Fitment of Avatar Based Marketing in Indian Context Indian Internet Market Internet is still an affluent phenomenon Source: Online Gaming in India March 2007, IAMAI
78. Fitment of Avatar Based Marketing in Indian Context Indian Internet Market Biggest target segment on internet – School going kids and Youth Source: Online Gaming in India March 2007, IAMAI
79. Fitment of Avatar Based Marketing in Indian Context Online Advertising in India Internet advertising comprised less than one per cent of advertising in the year 2005 Expected to be four per cent by the year 2010 i.e. 747 crores on a base of 19,562 crores Growth of the online ad industry will be consistently more than 40%
80. Advantage: Indian Marketers Counter Touch and feel mentality of Indian consumers Leverage creativity of customers – free of cost! Digital self – true aspiration of consumer Right place for test marketing After sale services through virtual sites Fitment of Avatar Based Marketing in Indian Context
84. Language is a major barrier to popularize Virtual 3D sites in India “Each virtual world has a different culture” Major Challenges for ABM in India
85. Consumers’ privacy concerns about the detailed tracking of avatar data pose obvious challenges Operators of virtual worlds make sporadic attempts to limit the unauthorized use of real-world brands Strong resistance to real-world commercial encroachment exists in many virtual worlds. Major Challenges for ABM in India
