Products

EMARKETER delivers leading-edge research to clients in a variety of forms, including full-length reports and data visualizations to equip you with actionable takeaways for better business decisions.
PRO+
New data sets, deeper insights, and flexible data visualizations.
Learn More
Reports
In-depth analysis, benchmarks and shorter spotlights on digital trends.
Learn More
Forecasts
Interactive projections with 10k+ metrics on market trends, & consumer behavior.
Learn More
Charts
Proprietary data and over 3,000 third-party sources about the most important topics.
Learn More
Industry KPIs
Industry benchmarks for the most important KPIs in digital marketing, advertising, retail and ecommerce.
Learn More
Briefings
Client-only email newsletters with analysis and takeaways from the daily news.
Learn More
Analyst Access Program
Exclusive time with the thought leaders who craft our research.
Learn More

About EMARKETER

Our goal is to unlock digital opportunities for our clients with the world’s most trusted forecasts, analysis, and benchmarks. Spanning five core coverage areas and dozens of industries, our research on digital transformation is exhaustive.
Our Story
Learn more about our mission and how EMARKETER came to be.
Learn More
Methodology
Rigorous proprietary data vetting strips biases and produces superior insights.
Learn More
Our People
Take a look into our corporate culture and view our open roles.
Join the Team
Contact Us
Speak to a member of our team to learn more about EMARKETER.
Contact Us
Newsroom
See our latest press releases, news articles or download our press kit.
Learn More
Advertising & Sponsorship Opportunities
Reach an engaged audience of decision-makers.
Learn More
Events
Browse our upcoming and past events, recent podcasts, and other featured resources.
Learn More
Podcasts
Tune in to EMARKETER's daily, weekly, and monthly podcasts.
Learn More

Marketing opportunities in the metaverse

The metaverse promises to be transformative for the digital marketing landscape—at least, as soon as tech platforms figure out how it will actually work. For now, video games and AR/VR are two precursors of the metaverse that offer marketers a chance to experiment. But as hardware developers like Meta, Snap, and Samsung release better and cheaper VR headsets, and games like Fortnite debut new virtual spaces that aren’t focused solely on gameplay, there will be even more ways for marketers to take advantage of the social and technological aspects of the metaverse.

Video games give marketers a chance to test the social aspects of the metaverse without worrying too much about tech requirements. Not all video games can be considered metaverses, but some do exhibit metaverse-ready qualities such as personalized avatars, the ability to interact with the world around you, and a multiplayer mode.

Roblox, Animal Crossing, and Fortnite are just a few that fit the bill: They let users design outfits, host other players on their custom-made islands or universes, and hang out without the expectation of traditional gameplay. That’s made them attractive experimenting grounds for brands, for both paid and organic activations.

Key stat: Gamers are open to seeing brands in games, but it’s important to consider how the brand’s products mesh with the game environment. In a June 2021 Comscore survey, 42% of respondents said they expect product placement will be relevant to the game.

Paid partnerships, like the Gucci Garden experience on Roblox where users could explore a dreamy landscape and purchase or win virtual Gucci bags for their avatars, have achieved stellar results. According to the developer, more than 4.5 million items were won in the two weeks the campaign was active, per USA Today.

Meanwhile, the ability to host organic customized spaces for free has allowed brands to take up residence in the metaverse, building a persistent presence that would be impossible to maintain in person. For example, Vans’ skateboarding-themed Roblox world has brought in more than 61.3 million visits since its launch in April 2021, per its landing page.

Events within games also have a lot of draw: A November 2020 Lil Nas X concert series in Roblox was viewed more than 33 million times, for example.