In this article:
- Nike created a virtual “Nikeland” within the Roblox online game platform
- In other words, it invites you to… step into the metaverse!
Nikeland sounds like a theme park, and it is, sort of, because it exists only virtually.
Become the best CRMer you can:
CRM Hack: Monitoring the User’s Heartbeat
What Does It Mean to Treat a Customer’s Email With Respect?
To Lock or Not to Lock Customers (into CRM Journeys)
What the Efforts to Promote Responsible Gaming Look Like Form the Inside
Nikeland is Nike’s virtual play place on Roblox, the online game platform. What distinguishes this game from others that feature digital avatars is that these — you guessed it — can wear Nike shoes, hats, or other accessories.
It’s described as a very flexible kind of game with incentives thrown in to keep going and keep sporting those virtual Nikes, which in turn cost real money.
This, of course, does not come out of the blue. Roblox and Fortnite are two of the behemoths leading the way, but even NBA2K’s neighborhood mode was a significant move in the shift to the, well, metaverse. It’s now, obviously, a huge thing with Facebook’s parent company, Meta, throwing all its weight behind the concept.
And so, it makes perfect sense that the Wall Street Journal reports how the athletic brand is seeking ways to capitalize on the Metaverse and open up the possibility of selling “digital versions of its sneakers, clothing and other goods stamped with its swoosh logo in virtual worlds, such as videogames or other online platforms.” (oh, yeah, did we mention NFTs already?)
With an average of almost 50 million daily active users, Roblox is the biggest pure-play U.S. video game company. That represents a huge number of potential customers for virtual Nike gear that can translate into very real profits.
It doesn’t matter what you think of that whole “metaverse” thing. Brands can start utilizing it to nurture brand awareness, and even drive revenue. Why stay behind?