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Tag: metaverse

  • News18 pushes the envelope with innovative campaigns and initiatives

    News18 pushes the envelope with innovative campaigns and initiatives

    Mumbai: News18, a news network, has continued to lead the way in driving innovation within the news industry. By integrating cutting-edge technologies such as Metaverse, AI and Robotics across its diverse range of campaigns, events, and promotions, News18 has underscored the role of technology in shaping the landscape of viewer engagement and content delivery, setting new standards of excellence in the process.

    News18 Madhya Pradesh / Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh’s Number One news channel set a historic benchmark for the region by seamlessly live-streaming its Rising Chhattisgarh summit on Metaverse. Renowned for discussions around key developmental priorities and celebrating state achievements, the Summit saw a massive increase in its outreach by enabling virtual attendance through this initiative. The campaign received an overwhelming response, with thousands of individuals joining the virtual stream within a matter of hours. This campaign promoting the livestream ultimately reached an impressive eight million individuals. Moreover, the event also featured the region’s first AI anchor Anjali, who unveiled the channel’s umbrella branding for the upcoming state elections “2023 Ka Mahasangram”, marking another first for the channel.

    News18 Rajasthan also recently organized an “AI Bhavishya Ka Dwar” conclave in Jaipur, wherein the channel offered the audience an opportunity to experience first-hand an interactive AI avatar. The event also deployed robots to handle specific tasks during the events creating a huge amount of buzz amongst the audience. The Network also recently successfully executed a hugely successful Independence Day campaign wherein viewers were allowed to create a virtual avatar and unfurl the Tri-colour at the ramparts of a model of the Red Fort that was created in the Metaverse

    News18 is paving the way for a new era in the news industry through its steadfast commitment to innovation and technology. With a focus on creating immersive experiences, and introducing industry-first initiatives, the network continues to redefine how it engages with audiences.

  • Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion Tour enters the metaverse with borderless fashion & lifestyle experience

    Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion Tour enters the metaverse with borderless fashion & lifestyle experience

    Mumbai: Powered by the Fashion Design Council of India, the 16th edition of the Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion Tour has reimagined its iconic legacy to bring a more youthful, inclusive, and innovative edition this year. In its cutting-edge new avatar, the fashion tour steps into the metaverse to create a first-of-its-kind amalgamation of fashion and technology for young audiences to experience like never before.

    The fashion tour has launched ‘Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion Tour Park’ in decentraland, a global web3 platform where only renowned global brands have created an immersive metaverse experience for their fans. The fashion tour park features multiple interactive areas, gamified zones and showcase areas, with several engaging activities in store for users to interact with throughout the duration of the tour.

    Users can start at the lounge, a zone that houses all the information about Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion Park, where they can claim a free ‘Proof of Attendance NFT’ from the POAPBooth. Users can then head to the ramp, where they can strike a pose, walk like a showstopper, or watch the live streams of the ultra-glamorous fashion shows from the fashion tour itself. Then at the designer & trial zone, users can try on and buy wearable NFTs from renowned designers on the tour, including Shantanu and Nikhil, Amit Aggarwal, Falguni Shane Peacock, and Kunal Rawal. There are also numerous and one-of-a-kind selfie spots throughout the fashion tour park where users can take a selfie and share it on social media with the hashtags #BlendersPrideGlasswareFashionTour #MadeOfPride #MyLifeMyPride for a chance to win exclusive passes to the tour’s stellar shows.

    And then, there’s the metaverse treasure hunt, an engaging activity where users must collect clues from across the fashion tour park arena to stand a chance to get their hands on an iPhone 13, stylish bluetooth earphones worth Rs 15,000 or online shopping vouchers worth Rs 5,000. The hunt begins on 1 December.

    But the most exciting attraction is India’s first metaverse-exclusive fashion show, set to take place at the fashion tour park on 10 December. This metaverse fashion show will feature outfits from the ‘Style Gallery’ exhibit of the fashion tour called “This is not a t-shirt” project. These unique t-shirt outfits are designed by 60 designers & homegrown fashion labels, who have embellished or even deconstructed the basic t-shirt into a design celebrating their authentic interpretation of the four themes of the fashion tour.

    Guests attending the exclusive shows of the fashion tour at the four city editions will also have the opportunity to step into the metaverse – an experience zone that extends various elements from the fashion tour park’s metaverse platform. Guests can interact with a smart mirror, where they can try on unique wearable NFTs designed by the fashion tour designers, take selfies in the outfits, and even get their hands on the outfits by buying these one-of-a-kind wearable NFTs—an incredibly new experience for the fashion & lifestyle elite.

    Speaking about the exciting new metaverse experience, Pernod Ricard India chief marketing officer Kartik Mohindra said, “The 16th edition of Blenders Pride Glassware Fashion Tour will lay the foundation for a new era in fashion & lifestyle. The fashion world is ever evolving, and the fashion tour has always led this wave of evolution in India. Taking the fashion tour to the metaverse is not just a first-of-its-kind initiative for the industry; it’s also our interpretation of how to make the tour more inclusive, accessible, and futuristic by allowing young audiences to experience the fashion tour in an immersive way like they have never before. It is a part of our journey of celebrating the pride of today’s youth with newfound vigour and vision.”

  • Dentsu and Microsoft come together to build a path to the metaverse for brands and business

    Dentsu and Microsoft come together to build a path to the metaverse for brands and business

    Mumbai: dentsu International has announced its collaboration with Microsoft to build a unique collaboration space in the metaverse, designed to excite and inspire brands to innovate and experiment with web3 technologies. Using their combined expertise, the firms have partnered to showcase a range of real-world use-cases that have been reimagined in a virtual setting to drive greater engagement, productivity, and accessibility for business.

    With many brands and businesses still assessing how to take advantage of the huge opportunities presented by web3, dentsu and Microsoft have come together to showcase what can be achieved in critical business areas such as customer service, retail, and learning and development.

    The initiative is underpinned by dentsu’s recently announced Web3 Center of Excellence, which falls within the Creative pillar. This is where clients and dentsu teams have the chance to innovate, test ideas, experiment with hypotheses, and learn how evolving technologies and platforms could be used within integrated campaigns or future business models.

    The new dimension, created by a move into the virtual world, brings a wealth of exciting and engaging opportunities to transform important touch points with customers and employees. The newly built dentsu and Microsoft spaces are located on the dentsu campus, in “Moon Valley,” a digital twin of the moon created by HeadOffice.Space, the metaverse for productivity. The space was designed specifically to be more accessible by more people and through any web-enabled device, as well as VR and mobile.

    Developing a space in the metaverse required the application of some unique technologies, brought together for the very first time by the teams at dentsu and Microsoft:

        Dentsu Metaversity for Microsoft Power Skills: Powerup Power Skills with new starter inductions and employee training, enabling teams anywhere to upskill and gain new competencies through the full suite of Microsoft 365 products, text-to-speech capabilities, and forthcoming Microsoft Designer capabilities.

        Microsoft Retail Education: a space for retailers and brands to learn more about Microsoft Dynamics 365 and dentsu’s ShopNXT retail innovations.

        Lounge: A virtual “room” where brands can connect through their professional LinkedIn identities to recruit, network, and engage with prospective buyers and customers.

        Ecosia Forest: Provides overall education on Ecosia, the search engine that plants trees where they are needed most, with over 160 million trees planted to date, powered by Microsoft.

        AI-Powered Virtual Human: Our full experience will be guided by ‘Neva,’ an AI-powered virtual human created in collaboration with HeadOffice.space. Neva combines the power of Unreal Engine’s MetaHumancreator framework and Microsoft AI-powered text-to-speech, a capability within Azure Cognitive Services, part of the Azure AI platform, that converts text to lifelike speech across 400 neural voices across 140 languages and variants.

        Additional spaces on the dentsu campus include the ShopNXT Showroom, Merkle Virtual Retail Lab, and Intelligence Center.

        The co-space is built on Unreal Engine 5, the world’s most open and advanced real-time 3D creation tool, and features full-body 3D avatars with Ready Player Me Integration.

    dentsu vice president of solutions and innovation Val Vacante said, “We’ve seen a lot of activity around the Metaverse, with some businesses jumping in simply to grab headlines rather than figure out how Web3 can really change perspective on existing business challenges. At dentsu we’d say it’s ‘near but not here’ and that is exactly why we wanted to work with Microsoft to show the world how today’s business problems can be solved in the Metaverse tomorrow. Whether it is overcoming the skills-gap by making accessible and engaging training programs, or building multi-channel customer loyalty solutions using NFTs, or mapping innovation explorations through our NXT Intelligence platform, the opportunities are truly endless!”

    dentsu group vice president of growth & enablement Paul Veltman said, “Microsoft and dentsu have been partners for many years, working hard to push the boundaries of where technology, creativity, and productivity meet brands and the customers we serve. When we come together, though, we always want to do so with a clear focus – whatever we create must help our clients solve problems and stand out, but it also has to drive tangible and sustainable growth. By developing this incredible new virtual space, we’re inviting clients, their people, and partners to discover, experiment, and co-create. From connected e-commerce opportunities to engaging talent solutions and integrated CRM capabilities, we have an exciting new space to partner with you on your journey in the metaverse.”

    Microsoft managing director media & entertainment Simon Crownshaw said, “The media and advertising industries continue to be transformed by digital technology, which now includes the Metaverse. These transformations will continue to require that brands adapt their business models and strategies in real time to take advantage of new creative opportunities. As our collaboration with dentsu evolves, we’re continuing to elevate creativity with the power of the Microsoft Cloud, enabling the future of content creation and collaboration from anywhere in the world.”

  • Fantico names Nic Watt as their new CEO

    Fantico names Nic Watt as their new CEO

    Mumbai: Nic Watt has been onboarded as the new CEO of Vistas Media Capital’s Fantico. Fantico is India’s first curated celebrity and fan engagement platform that was the first to feature collectibles of movie stars, artists, performers, cinema, and sports stars among other unique memorabilia. Since then, Fantico has also ventured into custom metaverse experiences and games.

    Nic Watt has spent more than 20 years working in the video game and blockchain industries. He joined Fantico to focus on his top-level vision for the company’s product direction, people, and technology.

    Prior to this, Watt held positions at Immutable as head of product & innovation, at Riot Games as lead user experience designer, and formed Nnooo, a video games startup.

    Co-founder Abhayanand Singh states, “Fantico is the outcome of a collaboration between media and entertainment  and the blockchain sector. With Fantico we aspire to build close relationships between fans, brands, and celebrities to create a flourishing culture in India along with a robust creator economy. With Nic as the new CEO, we hope to elevate the company to newer heights.”

    Co-founder Dhruv Saxena added, “Fantico is focussed on creating a new medium of entertainment and engagement. Nic has great experience with traditional and web3 games, which makes it fun to build towards our common vision.”

    “Since the time I have been working with Fantico, I believe the platform to be focused on building a unique place for audiences globally. We want it to be a place where people can easily transact with each other and gain gamified benefits while playing games. In addition to this, Fantico looks forward to launching virtual reality spaces that are customizable and provide utility right back to the rest of the users. We wish it to be a fun, social place where people can socialise and hang out with each other and interact with brands and IP via games and experiences. This is a very exciting time to be in the NFT space and with a great time around me, we are sure to make it even more exciting for users,” commented Watt.

    Nic continues, “The core of Fantico is the ‘Play to Earn’ phenomenon where unique elements that blockchain provides tie back into people’s daily lives. We plan to build upon the Play to Earn experiments I was running at Immutable. We are very excited to blur the lines between real-world engagement via payment platforms and brands with digital engagement via games, experiences, and social spaces.”

    Nic is known to be instrumental in creating and prototyping Play to Earn systems at Immutable where their first experiment saw people in Brazil and Russia earning more than the countries’ monthly national average. With Fantico, Nic hopes to better comprehend the wants and needs of people in India, the Middle East, and Africa.

  • Mark Zuckerberg expects Meta to return to healthier revenue growth trends next year

    Mark Zuckerberg expects Meta to return to healthier revenue growth trends next year

    Mumbai: In a conference call with analysts to discuss the third quarter 2022 results, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that in terms of the business, total revenue grew slightly this quarter on a constant currency basis. “We’re still behind where I think we should be, but we believe that we will return to healthier revenue growth trends next year. That said, it’s not clear that the economy has stabilised yet, so we’re planning our budget somewhat more conservatively.”

    He noted that the company in the quarter had launched JioMart on WhatsApp in India. “It’s our first end-to-end shopping experience that shows the potential for chat-based commerce through messaging.” He said that beyond Reels, messaging is another major monetisation opportunity. “Billions of people and millions of businesses use WhatsApp and Messenger every day, and we’re confident we can connect them in ways that create valuable experiences.”

    For the record, Meta’s share price fell by 20 per cent in after-hours trading after it reported its fourth straight quarterly decline in profit. Analysts want Meta to cut costs. Some analysts describe Meta’s investments as being confusing and confounding.

    Zuckerberg also said that Meta’s product trends look better than what the commentary that he has seen suggests.

    “Our community continued to grow this quarter. We now reach more than 3.7 billion people monthly across our family of apps. And while we continue to navigate some challenging dynamics—a volatile macroeconomy, increasing competition, ad signal loss, and growing costs from our long-term investments—Iq have to say that our product trends look better from what I see than some of the commentary I’ve seen suggests.”

    He said that three of the areas that Meta is very focused on are the AI discovery engine, the ads and business messaging platforms, and the future vision for the metaverse. “I believe the tougher prioritisation, discipline, and efficiency that we’re driving across the organisation will help us navigate the current environment and emerge an even stronger company.”

    Reels, which is its short-form video platform, continues to grow quickly across apps—both in production and consumption. “There are now more than 140 billion reels played across Facebook and Instagram each day. That’s a 50 per cent increase from six months ago. Reels are incremental to time spent on our apps. The trends look good here, and we believe that we’re gaining time spent on competitors like TikTok.”

    While analysts are unsure about whether the big bets on areas like the Metaverse will pay off, Zuckerberg expressed confidence in the work being done in the Metaverse space. “We just had our Connect conference and announced Quest Pro, which we just started shipping. It’s our new high-end VR headset that delivers high-resolution mixed reality so you can blend virtual objects into the physical environment around you. It’s pretty amazing when you see it, and it’s going to enable all kinds of new experiences in socializing, gaming, fitness, and work. I’m really looking forward to seeing what people build with this new capability.

    Working in the metaverse is a big theme for Quest Pro. There are 200 million people who get new PCs every year, mostly for work. Our goal for the Quest Pro line over the next several years is to enable more and more of these people to get their work done in virtual and mixed reality, eventually even better than they could on PCs.”

    He dwelt on the importance of partnerships. “To deliver a great work and productivity experience, I’m excited about the partnerships we announced with Microsoft bringing their suite of productivity and enterprise management services to Quest, Adobe and Autodesk bringing their creative tools, Zoom bringing their communication platform, Accenture building solutions for enterprises, and more.

    “There’s still a long road ahead to build the next computing platform, but we are clearly doing leading work here. This is a massive undertaking, and it’s often going to take a few versions of each product before they become mainstream. But I think our work is going to be of historic importance and create the foundation for an entirely new way that we will interact with each other and blend technology into our lives, as well as a foundation for the long term of our business.”

  • GUEST ARTICLE: The future of NFTs: Digital Property Rights

    GUEST ARTICLE: The future of NFTs: Digital Property Rights

    Mumbai: NFTs have revolutionised the internet market, ushering in a new budding world of creator empowerment. But very few people understand the underlying technology and cultural momentum that make NFTs and web3.0 so exciting for, and disruptive to, the traditional entertainment sector. With this technology, creators have a secure and infinitely distributable way to create value around and in their creative endeavours.

    But let’s start with the basics: NFTs possess scalable capabilities that we haven’t seen earlier in the creative sector. 

    1) NFTs are secure–meaning that the age-old issues of piracy and illegal exploitation of one’s creative work are dramatically reduced. 

    2) NFTs are portable at the click of a button; an artist can not only create and share directly with their audience, but the audience can now share and promote that work to the global community as well.

    3) NFTs are dynamic and programmable in any way the creator sees fit; from a simple piece of art to a benefits-packed loyalty club, to a certificate of achievement, NFTs can be created to address a variety of use cases, and the technology’s possibilities continue to evolve to this day.

    NFTs disrupt gaming industry

    Gamification acts as a catalyst for community building, thereby making communities cutting-edge and dynamic. Within communities, managers can provide tangible incentives to their consumers. On accomplishing a milestone in the community, members can be rewarded with a certain NFT that has attached benefits to it. This not only spearheads community participation and community building but evokes the interest of the community members and keeps them hooked.

    The future of businesses and brands

    Even for businesses and brands, NFT communities help in more ways than one; the former get the opportunity to learn more about NFTs and obtain tangible outcomes. Furthermore, brands and marketers are utilising this technology to communicate directly with consumers and potential customers, primarily gen-z and millennials.

    Apart from brands, artists themselves have also begun to experiment with creating NFTs & venture out in this space. The amount of money that some artists make is enough to not only maintain their projects but also fund new projects, pay for education, or even donate some of the earnings to charities and causes of interest. Also, organisations can develop NFT art as a standalone fundraiser, and in exchange, the artists can shower their fans with a range of benefits.

    Additionally, NFTs themselves can be utilised in the metaverse. Online trades in traditional art and collectibles are fairly common, but allowing artists to take their creative works of art worth millions of dollars around the world into the metaverse is a huge win for the creator.

    How NFT artists can actually get digital property rights

    The biggest advantage that artists get as NFT artists is digital property rights. When an NFT artist designs or produces an original piece, the artist automatically gets its digital property rights, which ensures its safety from fraudulent claims by another artist trying to get credit for their piece.

    This, however, is primarily only eligible when the piece is unique, the first and only of its kind. If it becomes a recreation or a digital representation of an already existing masterpiece, it does not give the artist any digital property rights, as the intellectual property rights belong to the original creator. Some of the important aspects of intellectual property that should be taken into consideration include trademarks and copyright. Another big advantage of the blockchain is that NFTs also include restrictions which prevent buyers from reverse engineering the technology and reselling it as their own. Thus, without a valid agreement, a creator may forfeit all ownership rights. Because anyone can create NFTs, both buyers and sellers should be cautious about how IP rights are addressed with NFTs.

    As the NFT industry continues to grow and evolve, artists are known to have more liberty and independence. With being able to decide their royalty fees and getting all sorts of control with the rights for their art, many traditional and digital artists are choosing independence as a means of prospect in their line of work.

    NFTs have the potential to decentralise, providing doors to a new economy and building a large and loyal community. And perhaps, this is one of the many reasons why both digital and traditional artists that are established & emerging have been switching their plans to be a part of the web3.0 space, building their own fanverse.

    The author of this article is HeyHey CEO & founder Caleb Franklin.

  • Concept Communication launches Avtr Meta Labs for genZ

    Concept Communication launches Avtr Meta Labs for genZ

    Mumbai: Concept Communication has announced the launch of India’s first content-driven meta influencer company Avtr Meta Labs.

    Avtr Meta Labs (AML) intends to launch on Instagram, YouTube, and other social media platforms to create digital/meta avatars aimed at generation Z, as well as to carve out a distinct place in content and influencer marketing.

    AML’s focus will be to create short-form, snackable content for audiences to experience episodic content specifically tailored for social media platforms.

    It launches Naina, a 20-year-old Digital Avatar hailing from Jhansi on Instagram and YouTube. “Like many other girls of my age group, I have come to Mumbai to fulfil my dreams of becoming a successful actor. I invite you all to follow me on Instagram and YouTube, become a part of my life journey and share my experiences. I have just come to Mumbai and I will need all the help I can get and I am counting on you all,” she commented.

    “With the launch of Avtr Meta Labs, we have once again delivered on our promise of investing in innovative and emerging technologies. Today, we have our investments and key people in artificial intelligence backed content creation, cloud storage, real-time tracking, consumer data and analytics, martech, etc. with companies like DigiBoxx, Concept BIU, 0101, and now, Avtr Meta Labs, all under the Concept umbrella, providing our clients with the best of creative tools and marketing technologies to empower sales,” said Concept Group chairman Vivek Suchanti.

    AML co-founder and CEO Abhishek Razdan added, “At AML, our focus will always be on creating quality content that our audiences can relate to and that adds great value to their lives. We also understand that today’s generation is stretched for time and, therefore, we are introducing two-three minutes of episodic content, giving storytelling an altogether new dimension. While, globally, the meta influencer space is well established, it’s still a whole new category in India and with the launch of our first digital avatar, Naina, we are giving marketers and advertisers an entirely new playfield.”

  • With Filmrare, Shemaroo announces first-of-its-kind cinema on Decentraland metaverse

    With Filmrare, Shemaroo announces first-of-its-kind cinema on Decentraland metaverse

    Mumbai: Shemaroo redefines the movie experience with the first of its kind, the Shemaroo Theatre. It will be accessible on one of the world’s most sought-after metaverse platforms—Decentraland, in partnership with Filmrare.

    This collaboration marks new beginnings for the global entertainment industry as well as metaverse users, as it will open the window to a huge collection of Bollywood entertainment content to the world.

    Shemaroo Theatre will present the virtual visitors an all-new exciting screening experience along with a host of other movie experiences such as a plush lobby, box office counter, virtual trailer zones, along with popcorn and drink counters for an immersive storytelling feel.

    The patrons will be treated to a Bollywood movie every Friday, starting 7 October 2022, which initially will be free for the users. This is a vital step by Shemaroo towards its vision of being a vibrant youth brand.

    Fractilians from the Decentraland DAO Governance Facilitation Squad said, “We are beyond thrilled to have Shemaroo Theatre on our platform and to bring some of Bollywood’s greatest films to our existing as well as potential metaverse users. This will surely take the whole movie-watching experience to the next level without limiting the possibilities of what one can do in an actual movie theatre.”

    Adding to it, Shemaroo Entertainment CEO Hiren Gada commented, “Shemaroo has been a pioneer in the entertainment industry by constantly evolving and by being relevant to the consumers through its diverse content offering. As a brand, Shemaroo has always fostered the culture of innovation and technology and with the augment of Shemaroo Theatre on Decentraland metaverse, we will be spearheading a parallel ecosystem for Bollywood movies to be experienced on a big screen, now from the comfort of one’s home.’’

    Further, Filmare founder Ravi Krishnan said, “At Filmrare, we are laser-focused on helping brands enter the metaverse. We are innovative, pay attention to every detail, and are focused on creating quality venues in the metaverse. It’s a great honour to partner with a brand like Shemaroo that has been entertaining audiences for the past 60 years and to showcase some of its blockbuster Bollywood movies through the virtual theatre in metaverse.”

  • GUEST ARTICLE: How D2C brands are using metaverse and how it will transform virtual commerce

    GUEST ARTICLE: How D2C brands are using metaverse and how it will transform virtual commerce

    Mumbai: India’s direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands have grown tremendously during the pandemic and in the post-pandemic era, with a large cohort of consumers moving to digital in search of innovative products and more engaging and immersive experiences. The pandemic caused D2C brands to become super popular, which in turn forced large and established companies to jump on the D2C bandwagon. According to KPMG, there are over 800 D2C brands in India today, and the D2C sector, currently worth $44.6 billion, is expected to touch $302 billion by FY 2030.

    D2C brands target young consumers, millennials and Gen Z, delivering personalisation at scale and increasing innovation in the virtual world and tap into the growing global virtual-commerce market, estimated to be worth $190 billion by CB Insights.

    With technology becoming more affordable and sophisticated, D2C brands are at an advantage. In a controlled, immersive virtual environment, brands can offer customers the complete – albeit virtual – brand experience and deliver a lasting impact. For example, a virtual store in the metaverse is a brand experience in itself, with the brand mnemonics, signature sounds, layout, and colours. Consumers also get the option to interact directly with brand representatives. This enhanced brand experience goes a long way in building brand trust.

    The metaverse is also good at customising experiences. Great customer service builds brand loyalty and customer retention. By analysing vast amounts of data on a customer’s interactions in the metaverse, brands can predict which products, solutions, and experiences individual customers would prefer and like. D2C brands are in a better position to serve better without being intrusive, thereby building and elevating the overall brand experience.

    Popular homegrown D2C brands like Super Smelly, Argatin Keratin, Ochre Athletica, Indus People, and Zorin Furniture are looking to disrupt the market with their product positioning and personalised consumer experiences.

    They have also taken bold steps to connect with their consumers in the metaverse and are working on innovative ways to enhance the virtual brand experience. They are already offering products and experiences and enabling commerce in the virtual world.

    The metaverse is growing at a fast pace. In the first six months of 2022 alone, globally, over $120 billion has been invested in building metaverse infrastructure and technology. Moreover, the metaverse is steadily becoming an important component in the omnichannel sales strategy of companies.

    Marquee brands such as Gucci have debuted in the virtual world with the metaverse. Gucci created Gucci Garden, a digital replica of the real-world installation (called Gucci Garden Archetypes) in Florence, Italy. Similarly, Sotheby’s, the world’s largest broker of art and luxury goods, created a metaverse gallery showcasing curated virtual art houses.

    According to McKinsey, 79 per cent of consumers active in the metaverse have purchased products in the recent past.

    These numbers show the power of the metaverse as a selling platform. It’s important for D2C brands to identify the right platform to reach out to their target audience and have an interactive content strategy to engage them.

    Importantly, the privacy and safety of consumers have to be at the centre of every consumer-facing engagement that brands plan for consumers in the metaverse.

    The author of this article is VOSMOS co-founder & Kestone president Piyush Gupta.

  • Eros Investments and Xfinite partner with Calvin Cheng to launch XelebX

    Eros Investments and Xfinite partner with Calvin Cheng to launch XelebX

    Mumbai: Eros Investments and Xfinite have partnered with veteran entertainment and tech entrepreneur Calvin Cheng to launch XelebX, a web 3.0 members-only celebrity fan club.

    With the use of NFTs and fan tokens, the alliance will introduce over 200 million existing followers of global influencers and celebrities linked to the Eros ecosystem and its group companies to the new metaverse.

    Only NFT members will be able to access XelebX. They will have access to a number of advantages, such as exclusive access to virtual meet-ups with influencers, exclusive material, virtual backstage passes, and celebrity NFT collectibles.

    Speaking on this partnership, Eros Investments chairman Kishore Lulla said, “Over five decades, Eros has built one of the largest media and entertainment businesses, enthralling millions of fans and launching some of the biggest stars in India. One of the key reasons for our success is our ability to embrace change—from film to TV to the Internet and now web 3.0 and the readiness to lead it from the front. The metaverse and the immersive Internet are the technological tides that will carry us forward for the next 50 years. Eros is committed to being at the forefront of its adoption.”

    Furthermore, XelebX will introduce fan tokens that measure an influencer’s popularity and can be traded on significant exchanges, enabling holders from various fandoms to freely trade and swap value. As a result, influencers and celebrities will be able to work together and expand their fan bases in a manner that is naturally compatible with web 3.0 interoperability and composability. Xfinite’s Mad Influence, a well-known influencer marketing business, has joined XelebX.

    Xfinite CEO Swaneet Singh said, “With Xfinite, Eros has already gained invaluable experience in media built upon virtual assets and the blockchain. XelebX is the next natural innovation to bring the global community of entertainment fans into the metaverse and unlock immersive interaction with the influencers they follow.”

    Calvin Cheng added, “Web 3 is all about community building. Other platforms have tried this in the past. They built the tech but struggled to build the community—the key to web 3’s success. We already have the tech expertise and an amazing community of hundreds of millions of fans. We will now onboard them into the metaverse using the latest digital asset and web 3 technologies.”