From storytelling to storyliving: How Samsung is building its metaverse for tomorrow

“Who right here owns greater than three Samsung merchandise?” Michelle Crossan-Matos surveyed the gang. To my shock, a charitable present of arms goes up — from followers, journalists, executives, and attendees at Samsung’s NFT.NYC occasion. 

Since its inception, the Korean electronics firm has thrived within the shopper and enterprise areas, with 72% of U.S. homes having a number of of its merchandise. Interbrand at the moment ranks Samsung fifth-highest when it comes to model worth, proper behind Google. That is not too shabby for a corporation that originated as a grocery retailer.

In its pursuit of better model consciousness, Samsung has spent the previous six months testing the digital waters of the metaverse, digital platforms that more and more companies are seeing development alternatives in. For a deep dive into the corporate’s newfound frontier, I spoke with Michelle Crossan-Matos, the Chief Advertising and marketing Officer at Samsung Electronics America. 

The next interview has been edited for readability.

It is a pleasure to have you ever, Michelle. I might like to start out originally of this Samsung metaverse journey. What was the aha-moment that impressed the corporate’s foray into Internet 3? 

It is very shifting for me after I take into consideration how this all began. I used to be raised in a poor neighborhood in Scotland with not a lot training. Whereas it took a mixture of exhausting work and luck for me to get out, I continuously take into consideration the youngsters that I grew up with — those who weren’t as lucky. 

Our first enterprise into the metaverse was Samsung 837X, a digital expertise that replicated Samsung’s flagship workplace in New York Metropolis. Past giving the youth that inspirational feeling of being on the streets of NYC, I wished to create a spot the place they might study in regards to the improvements and goodwill in expertise. That was the rationale why we pursued the metaverse, to be trustworthy. It gave this constructing (Samsung 837) an opportunity to be in each child’s bed room.

There is definitely been an inflow of tech manufacturers over the previous 12 months, large and small, getting extra concerned with decentralized platforms. What makes Samsung’s technique any completely different?  

There is a main factor that we’re doing in another way: we’re on completely different platforms. This can be a multiverse of metaverses technique; Roblox, Fortnite, Decentraland (837X), and now Discord. I keep in mind listening to about this multiverse thought at first and considering what a tongue tornado it was but additionally the sheer affect and attain that we have been about to attain. 

The conversations that we’ve got within the metaverse aren’t about product options per se. It is about how they ladder as much as our better and greater priorities. What number of sustainability campaigns have you ever seen within the metaverse? Guests who come onto Samsung 837X can find out about how we’re repurposing expertise, upcycling, and taking initiatives that higher the planet. We’re educating within the metaverse and, hopefully, empowering our customers as properly. 

Additionally: Samsung broadens Web 3 presence with Discord launch

Let’s speak extra about this multiverse of metaverses. Prior to now 12 months, you’ve got hosted a viewing celebration for the Galaxy S22 launch on Samsung 837X and, only recently, a digital live performance on Roblox. What have been your expectations going into the occasions? 

I might say that we had humble expectations however have been hopeful on the similar time. Previous to internet hosting the digital occasions, we had benchmarked related activations from different manufacturers — musical performances, gamified experiences, and all. The factor was that we have been 5 occasions the scale of these manufacturers. By leveraging our current advertising and marketing channels, why could not we be a bit extra bold? 

Through the weekend of our Galaxy Famous person occasion in Roblox, there have been a couple of million customers on the server. Think about having a million folks stroll into your storefront? It has been an interesting journey up to now, and the reception has solely made us an increasing number of desperate to do larger issues.

What would you say has been the largest problem with increasing into the metaverse?

A part of what excites me in regards to the metaverse is the unfamiliarity and untapped potential of it. We’re continuously studying tips on how to finest work together with our shoppers, testing completely different platforms and autos, and in the end studying and rising as a staff. So whereas it took us months to organize for our first activation throughout CES this 12 months, it has been a relentless studying expertise for everybody concerned.

Do advertising and marketing methods in the true world apply to digital ones?

On the entire, sure, as a result of the shoppers that we’re focusing on are largely based mostly on the knowledge that we have already gathered from social channels (Twitter, Fb, Instagram, and so forth.). I did, nonetheless, go for natural advertising and marketing versus paid as a result of I wished to see the true potential of the metaverse. Paid campaigns sort of fabricate the numbers, so after I noticed the billions of impressions generated by in-house sources alone, I knew that we have been on to one thing. 

We have additionally found that sure channels appear to reply higher to metaverse messaging. Twitter, weirdly, has been essentially the most profitable of all. 

Do you’ve got any recommendation for companies who’re on the fence about metaverse integration?

In the event you’re planning on beginning your individual metaverse, here is my recommendation: be daring, spend the time to learn, analysis, and perceive the ideas inside, and keep true to your model. Firms could have doubts in regards to the enterprise, however the fact is, in case your clients are there already, why should not you be?

Years in the past, after I was an assistant model supervisor, we used to all the time ask, “Would your granny perceive that?” when brainstorming concepts. Within the metaverse, the stress check now adjustments to “Would your youngsters perceive that?”.

Extra: Is your business ready for the metaverse?

Lastly, I’ve to ask, what’s subsequent for Samsung’s future within the metaverse?

We need to do way more within the metaverse. That is for positive. We all know our technique, so now it is a matter of creating these activations extra participating and modern and timing them with tentpole occasions like Unpacked. And we’ll take it a step additional quickly with offline and on-line quests, creating an interplay between bodily and digital worlds, so you will need to hold a watch out for that.