Click to Experience: Why Brands Are Leaving the 2D Web for the Metaverse

October 14, 2022

Stop Clicking, Start Experiencing: Why Brands Are Leaving the 2D Web for the Metaverse – Powered by Vatom’s Innovation

For the past two decades, a brand’s digital presence was defined by its website, its social feeds, and its ability to capture clicks. But that era is ending. The metaverse is not just a gaming trend; it is the next iteration of the internet, and brands are rushing in because it offers the one thing Web2 can no longer deliver: deep, immersive customer experience.

From luxury fashion houses to fast-food giants, companies are realizing that to win the next generation of consumers, they must become world builders and experience providers. This isn’t just theory; it’s being actively built and deployed by innovative platforms like Vatom, which is helping major brands bridge the gap between physical and digital.

Here’s why brands are moving their core engagement strategies to virtual worlds and the essential practices for existing successfully in the metaverse, with a look at how Vatom is leading the charge.

1. The Immersion Dividend: Deeper Engagement

The fundamental difference is the shift from passive viewing to active participation. Brands in the metaverse measure time spent interacting—not just page views.

Virtual Showrooms and Flagships: Instead of browsing flat images on an e-commerce site, retail brands are creating 3D virtual stores. Gucci created the Gucci Garden on Roblox, where visitors could explore themed rooms and purchase limited-edition virtual items. Hyundai built a virtual world where users could drive digital models of their cars and test future mobility solutions. This allows customers to “try before they buy” and visualize products in a way static websites simply can’t.
Experience is the Ad: Interruption marketing is dead. Successful brands integrate themselves natively into the experience. Wendy’s, for instance, launched an organic campaign in Fortnite by having its avatar stream the destruction of freezer units, promoting its “fresh, never frozen” beef commitment through gamified satire. The message became part of the fun.

Vatom’s Role: Powering Real-World Metaverse Experiences

Vatom is a platform company specializing in building and managing digital assets and experiences that bridge the physical and digital worlds. Their focus on smart NFTs (programmable digital objects) and a robust metaverse platform allows brands to create truly interactive and measurable campaigns.

Case Study: Live Nation & Metaverse Concerts: Vatom has collaborated with entertainment giant Live Nation to create immersive metaverse concert experiences. Instead of just streaming a concert, Vatom’s technology allowed for the creation of virtual venues, interactive elements, and digital collectibles (NFTs) that enhanced the fan experience, extending the event beyond the physical stage. This moves beyond a simple live stream into a truly engaging, shared virtual presence.
Case Study: Brands & Phygital Collectibles: Vatom helps brands create “Phygital” campaigns where a physical product unlocks a unique digital twin or experience. Imagine buying a limited-edition sneaker and receiving an NFT for your avatar, or a special code that grants access to an exclusive virtual club. This blurs the lines between real and virtual, driving both physical sales and digital engagement.

2. Building Loyalty Through Ownership (The NFT Factor)

Blockchain technology gives users true ownership of digital assets, fundamentally changing loyalty programs and brand affinity.

Digital Identity and Self-Expression: Avatars are extensions of user identity. Brands provide the digital accessories and wearables that enable self-expression. Nike acquired RTFKT and launched virtual sneakers and apparel, generating revenue while making its logo part of the user’s personality across virtual worlds.
The NFT Loyalty Key: Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) serve as verifiable membership passes. Brands can use them to grant holders access to exclusive virtual events, private chat channels, or even tangible rewards in the physical world (Phygital integration). Coca-Cola has used NFTs as digital collectibles that celebrate brand heritage while linking to real-world benefits.

3. Tapping into the Next Generation of Consumers

The primary residents of today’s metaverse platforms like Roblox and Fortnite are Gen Z and Gen Alpha—the consumers who will dominate the market in the coming decade.

Reaching the Unreachable: Traditional media struggles to reach this digitally native generation. By creating fun, engaging experiences where they already hang out, brands secure mindshare early.
Fostering Co-Creation: Metaverse platforms are built on User-Generated Content (UGC). Forward-thinking brands leverage this, providing tools and assets for the community to create content, essentially making the users their most passionate marketing team.

4. Enterprise Applications: Beyond Marketing

The metaverse isn’t just a marketing playground; it’s an operational tool for Fortune 500 companies:

Employee Training: Companies like Walmart and Boeing use virtual reality to train employees on everything from customer service to complex maintenance procedures, increasing retention and cutting costs.
Virtual Collaboration: Tools like Microsoft Mesh allow employees to meet as avatars in virtual workspaces, fostering collaboration that transcends geographical barriers and combats “Zoom fatigue.”

The Marketer’s Metaverse Checklist

Define Your Purpose: Don’t build just to build. Ask: What utility or authentic experience does my brand provide here?
Pick Your Platform Wisely: Different metaverses have different demographics (Roblox is young; Decentraland is Web3/crypto-focused). Consider partners like Vatom that can offer flexible, scalable solutions.
Prioritize Interactivity: If users can only look at your virtual product, you’ve failed. They must be able to touch, try on, or manipulate it.
Think Phygital: Always find a way to connect the virtual asset (NFT) or experience to a real-world benefit, leveraging platforms that specialize in bridging these worlds.

The metaverse is an economic and cultural event that is not waiting for late adopters. The brands that are thriving, often with the help of innovative platforms like Vatom, are the ones pioneering these immersive, community-driven, and experience-based strategies today.

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Rick Canfield

A postgrad with an M.S. in Media Management and a marketing producer with over 20 years of media development experience.