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 client and enterprise areas, with 72% of U.S. homes having a number of of its merchandise. Interbrand at present ranks Samsung fifth-highest by way of model worth, proper behind Google. That is not too shabby for an organization 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 progress 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 would like to start out in the beginning of this Samsung metaverse journey. What was the aha-moment that impressed the corporate’s foray into Internet 3? 

It’s extremely 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 laborious work and luck for me to get out, I always take into consideration the children 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 may be taught in regards to the improvements and goodwill in expertise. That was the explanation 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 yr, massive 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 a different way: we’re on completely different platforms. It is a multiverse of metaverses technique; Roblox, Fortnite, Decentraland (837X), and now Discord. I bear in mind listening to about this multiverse thought at first and considering what a tongue tornado it was but additionally the sheer impression and attain that we had been about to realize. 

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 study 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 nicely. 

Additionally: Samsung broadens Web 3 presence with Discord launch

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

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

In the course of the weekend of our Galaxy Celebrity occasion in Roblox, there have been multiple million customers on the server. Think about having a million individuals stroll into your storefront? It has been an interesting journey so far, and the reception has solely made us an increasing number of desirous to do greater issues.

What would you say has been the most important 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 always studying how one can greatest work together with our shoppers, testing completely different platforms and automobiles, and finally studying and rising as a staff. So whereas it took us months to arrange for our first activation throughout CES this yr, it has been a continuing 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 many others.). 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 had 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 any recommendation for companies who’re on the fence about metaverse integration?

For those who’re planning on beginning your individual metaverse, this is my recommendation: be daring, spend the time to learn, analysis, and perceive the ideas inside, and keep true to your model. Firms might have doubts in regards to the enterprise, however the fact is, in case your prospects 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 far more within the metaverse. That is for positive. We all know our technique, so now it is a matter of creating these activations extra partaking 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 should preserve a watch out for that.