Immersive experiences have emerged as a cornerstone in shaping customer loyalty across diverse industries. In today’s hyperconnected world, where consumers are inundated with information and choices, brands have turned to gaming which uses immersive experiences to captivate and retain their audience. Brands are leveraging these technologies to create memorable interactions that drive purchasing decisions and improve brand visibility.
Digital experiences like games and apps offer a unique opportunity for retail brands to differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace. Whether it’s a virtual test drive of a car, the thrill of a virtual rollercoaster, or a virtual fitting room for trying on clothes, these experiences engage customers and showcase the brand’s innovative spirit while providing value beyond the transaction. Roblox is by far the leader in the gaming platform space, with over 70 million daily active users.
Brand Examples
Walmart
In May 2024, Walmart introduced real-world commerce on Roblox in Walmart Discovered. For the first time ever, users in the United States (who are 13+) are able to buy real-world items from Walmart with an exclusive free virtual twin on the platform. The three featured real-world items in Walmart Discovered were chosen by Walmart’s creator partners: Sarabxlla, Junozy, & MD17_RBLX. These creators also designed a virtual twin for their respective real-world item, each uniquely inspired by the creator’s design aesthetic & identity on the platform.
Justin Breton, Brand Experiences & Strategic Partnerships at Walmart said “This has been one of the hardest secrets to keep! Launching real-world commerce on Roblox is one of the coolest things I’ve done in my career. I’m excited to test, learn, & optimize alongside our partners. And I hope our Roblox community is jazzed, too.“
- Buy real-world items with virtual twins exclusively in Walmart Discovered here: https://lnkd.in/ezF3gbRS
- Read more about the real-world commerce launch in Digiday: https://lnkd.in/esW7bnwm
E.L.F. Beauty
E.L.F. Beauty’s Roblox game, e.l.f. UP!, has been lightning in a bottle since Day one and it continues to surpass all expectations. Since November 2023, 10 million visitors have played e.l.f. UP! to learn about entrepreneurship and dreaming big. The focus is on engaging younger generations, Gen Zers and Gen Alphas, and here’s what their success looks like after just 6 months:
- Garnered a 95% positivity rating
- Had the biggest giveaway of free in-game items, with over 1M free UGC for players
- Deployed their own Animation Pack – the first and only brand to have one
- Brought back The Hunt, a highly requested in-platform game
- Partnered with Reese’s Book Club to celebrate Gen A’s love of reading and literature
- Created in-game cans as part of our Liquid Death collaboration that were all redeemed in under 12 hours!
Can Brands Monetize Gaming to Diversify Revenue Streams?
Virtual worlds open new avenues for revenue generation, allowing brands to explore innovative ways to monetize their activations. UGC (User-generated content) on Roblox is a great example of this. Roblox’s marketplace allows creators to get a share of in-game and marketplace purchases. Brands can also create revenue opportunities for the Roblox community through the sales of limited items, which can be sold on the secondary market, sometimes for a profit.
Data Insight for Future Marketing Strategies
Immersive experiences can provide valuable insights into customer preferences and behaviors too. Through data analytics and tracking mechanisms embedded within, brands can gather real-time feedback on how customers interact in virtual environments. This data can inform future marketing strategies, product development initiatives, and customer service enhancements, ultimately strengthening the brand-customer relationship and fostering long-term loyalty.
As technology continues to evolve, brands that embrace immersive experiences like gaming will be well-positioned to thrive in the experience-driven economy of the future.
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