In addition to making digital spaces like the metaverse accessible to audiences far and wide, it’s crucial that brands offer consumers a wide variety of representational features to facilitate self-expression and secure a sense of belonging. Online you can be whoever you want—the beauty of the internet is that it has long enabled people to self-present on their own terms, but it is up to the creators behind the scenes to provide consumers with the tools to do so. 

Why are representation and self-expression in the metaverse important?

To younger generations, real-life and digital identities are equally important. The first generation that grew up with digital avatars has now come of age, and digital experiences are pivotal to shaping their identity, our virtualization report highlights. In fact, 60% of Gen Z and 62% of Gen Y “believe that how you present yourself online is more important than how you present yourself IRL.”   

Digital platforms are important spaces for identity construction, and virtual-first brands can satisfy an audience’s desire to build identity by providing accessible, personalized experiences that enable self-expression. Movements like #BlackLivesMatter and #SayHerName, which have a standing both online and offline, are driven by identity and fuel the growth of social groups connected by shared beliefs, interests or experiences. Virtual-first brands that actively engage with such new, hybrid identities are able to foster a sense of belonging for diverse audiences.  

Beyond the element of fun, the metaverse can serve as a tool for empathy. Brands play an important part in determining the metaverse’s impact on consumers. The Ancient Greek philosopher Plato once said, “you learn more about a person in an hour of play than in a lifetime of conversation.” While we’re well into the 21st century, this statement is as valid today as it was back then. 

“The metaverse gives us a shared sense of space that you don't get through 2D experiences,” says Catherine D. Henry, SVP Growth, Metaverse & Innovation Strategy. “This medium enables intellectual and emotional connections that transcend our physical bodies, allowing us to experience (once again) the purity of relationships formed as children—when people connect over interests and shared play, rather than commonalities and socially imposed signifiers. This is truly liberating, and the reason why fantastical avatars and gender fluidity in the metaverse are so important.”

Through play, people can engage with others in a fun and meaningful way and learn to get along with their peers, as seeing others from a different point of view allows people to practice empathy, our Social Innovation Lab argues. Research shows that the embodied experience of inhabiting an avatar that is physically different from oneself can lead to behavioral changes that align with that avatar and influence someone’s self-perception, suggesting one can start to see overlap between the avatar and the self. “This is important because empathy and tolerance can be fostered in virtual environments, and help bridge the social divide created by Web2,” says Henry. “The missed opportunity for brands is not so much to have games, but now it’s more about amplifying authentic, often underrepresented voices and creating space for people to learn.” So, rather than an escape from real-world problems, virtual-first brands view digital as a tool to help solve them.

Besides all the perks, digital spaces also come with problems—that’s no secret. One thing to watch out for is (unconscious) biases of creators that limit representation and self-expression, such as customization options based on stereotypes and cultural appropriation, or exclusion of customization features that people want to use, like Black hairstyles. Even more worrisome is the issue that user behavior can go against expectations. Think of how some social media platforms are used as a tool to manipulate through fake news, or how online groups are weaponized to harbor hate groups—when they could serve as a refuge for those looking for belonging. However, the metaverse is a new digital chapter and thus presents new opportunities to do better. 

So, how do we achieve representation and self-expression in the metaverse? 

Diversify avatar use and customization. Given that in the US 48% of Gen Z consider themselves non-white and one-third of Gen Z identify outside the gender binary, providing a wide variety of representational features to facilitate self-expression and belonging is essential. This means offering a range of skin tones, choice of prosthetics, hairstyles, body shapes, voices, and so on. Another important step brands can take is to keep default avatars free or cheap, and only charge (more) money for additional differentiators, like a cool jacket. That said, features for self-presentation can go beyond physical characteristics to represent a more emotive sense of self-identity as well. Adidas, for instance, partnered with Ready Player Me to create unique avatars that are based on a person’s personality rather than their physical likeness, ensuring an authentic reflection of who they are. Above all, don’t force people to show up as themselves, but allow them to choose whatever they want their avatar to (re)present in the metaverse. 

As a brand, give user-makers the tools and get out of the way. It’s crucial not to constrain user-makers, since they’re the ones forging the future of how we use the metaverse—keeping in mind that we encourage brands to be transparent about how they monitor their users’ contributions to ensure the metaverse remains a safe space for everyone. That aside, brands can invest in education and work with influencers to market the tools they offer to DIY. Duolingo is a great example of a brand that has built assets for its users to create their own games, but then got out of the way. This circles back to the point of accessibility; we need to make sure as many creators from different walks of life as possible are included in the building process to counter biases.

Allow ways to gather and group for belonging. Digital environments offer a safe space for exploring identities—and to ensure safety, brands need to establish ethics and guidelines from the get-go. Online you can be whoever you want, so people tend to feel more confident to speak up. Fortunately, many people are able to bring something from that experience back to their real lives. For instance, people from the LBGTQ+ community were able to form community support systems within social VR—and for some, this offered the only form of support as they weren’t able to access any offline. This combination of a supportive community and the embodied avatar experience empowers many in the real world and helps them understand their identities better.  

In all, the whole engine behind the metaverse world must be diversified. From executives and employees who work at the companies making the metaverse, to decision-makers at brands creating experiences in the metaverse, owners of digital environments, and influencers and user-makers—the metaverse is for everyone, so everyone should be able to contribute a building block. The issue is, many people don’t know how.

In the same vein, looking at the expected influence and impact of the metaverse, brands can integrate metaverse strategies into their ESG commitments—the possibilities to diversify are endless. 

How does this all come back to the real world?

Digital behavior inspires real-world change, that’s a fact. Conversations that take place in the metaverse expand out into other spaces, such as meet-ups, talk shows and other real-life events. In a digital environment like the metaverse, we’re able to meet people from around the world that we would’ve otherwise never met and actually get to know them on a deeper level. Some may just see avatars, but we see people who are willing to be their authentic selves in connecting with others. 

“People are more willing to be open, vulnerable and their real selves when, ironically, they're not actually in person and when they’re behind an avatar, so people have more ‘real’ experiences connecting with somebody that in real life they wouldn’t have ended up talking to,” says Susan Parker, Executive Creative Director. “And then they might take it outside the metaverse.”

The role of digital communities is multifaceted and growing—not just to connect with loved ones or those who share similar interests, but to also gain information and understanding of the world around us. In short, digital communities aren’t just for the bottom of the social media marketing funnel any longer. For today’s virtualized era, they play a significant role in driving purchasing decisions, arguably more than traditional advertising. My colleague Ryan Ford aptly put it this way: “TikTok made me buy it isn’t just a meme; it’s a powerful driver of social proof.” Given the elevated role that communities play in consumers’ lives today, brands must infuse community across their digital marketing strategy—an important tactic behind brand virtualization as brands aim to remain relevant within a new era in digital. Here’s how you can.

Bringing users closer to your brand.

Communities thrive on human-to-human connection. In realizing the power they have to forge deep relationships, savvy brands are tapping into communities’ highly engaged members and the key opinion leaders (KOLs) they admire—an approach to marketing that’s built around driving conversation, not conversion.

Acting with a sense of purpose is key to supporting—not exploiting—the communities that your audience has carefully built, and this reinforces communities’ power to validate or amplify a brand’s values. For example, OPPO realme’s inspiring and inclusivity-minded campaign exemplified the power of community by featuring local influencers known to defy the status quo in their own communities. A brand film championed the pursuit of their individual and collective truths—a rallying cry that resonated so well that it achieved 1.5 billion topic engagements in just two weeks.

There are many more ways brands can effectively and authentically engage with existing communities—or maybe even launch their own. To know how to best plug into communities, it’s helpful to understand the different kinds that exist.

Personal interest communities.

Platforms focused on user-generated content like Reddit and Discord are examples of personal interest communities. Diverse groups of highly active users meet in these self-governed communities to share their interests and passions. Norms are unique to each one, making it important that brands understand their culture to engage with them authentically.

In some instances, personal interest communities cross social media platform lines, meaning that accounts set up on one social media platform may funnel users to another. For example, an instructor in sports anatomy may post an instructive video on Instagram that tells followers to tune in for a live Q&A session on TikTok. Another example, this time among gaming communities, is overlaying Discord chats on Twitch streams.

Brand-initiated communities.

Brand-initiated communities are communities built by brands that draw in audiences who align with their core values. Fitness giant Nike has cultivated its lifestyle communities via a range of apps and touch points such as Nike+ and Nike Running Club. These spaces allow Nike to actively engage not just individuals, but also their personal circles, by allowing consumers to share their own fitness and lifestyle goals with like-minded friends within the Nike ecosystem.

LG recently took an approach that blended key aspects of both personal interest and brand-initiated communities. Partnering with Star Wars to promote its OLED TV, LG launched a Discord server focused on the sci-fi franchise in conjunction with its presence at the Star Wars Celebration held at Anaheim Convention Center.

To entice fans to join the new Discord community, LG handed out lenticular cards with a QR code that directly linked visitors to the group. Merging product demonstration with digital activation, an LG TV acted like a photo booth for visitors to take photos from. Animated photos could also be retrieved digitally from the Discord channel.

KOL-led communities.

KOL-led communities are centered around key opinion leaders and are ready made for brands to tap into. Much like brand-initiated communities, KOLs attract followers who align with their personal values and enjoy the content they put out. Therefore, brands partnering with KOLs can associate themselves with values of those community and the positive associations that come with them.

Automobile innovator Kia engaged with KOL communities to great effect with their “Movement that inspires” rebranding campaign. Kia created a virtual instrument using high-resolution music samples captured from nature. Partnering with Soundcloud, Kia then launched a music competition with its freely available virtual instrument.

Media.Monks curated a list of prominent music producers known not just for their artistic ability, but also for their past work as advocates for the environment. This fostered genuine synergy between Kia’s rebranding and the music community and demonstrated to audiences how Kia is both sophisticated and conscious of sustainability.

In order to thrive, being genuine is key.

Connected by shared passions and values, audiences in social communities are incredibly engaged. Brands who immerse themselves in these spaces authentically have an opportunity to gain new fans and drive culture in compelling ways.

Staying true to your brand’s values and being consistent in how you show up—despite the fleeting and fickle nature of social media—instills trust. By fueling conversation and supporting audiences, brands can build deeper relationships with consumers and position themselves at the forefront of how people connect today.

In their inaugural issue of Social Bites, a series of quick explorations into a monthly theme, the Social Innovation Lab puts a spotlight on fan communities to help brands better understand their motivations and attitudes. You can find the issue of Social bites here, along with a short summary of key ideas below.

What do we mean when we talk about fandom?

Built around shared passions, fandoms are communities of people who are more than just consumers of the stuff they enjoy—they're producers and creatives in their own right (think fan art, fan fiction, cosplay or even commentary channels). Fandom is an example of participatory culture, and subcultures and communities often feel a sense of fellowship through their shared interests and attitudes.

Consumer, fans and stans

There are three levels of fandom: the average consumer, the fan and the stan. Consumers are indiscriminate shoppers whose relationship with a brand is based on convenience—they show little to no loyalty. Fans are co-creators and promoters who are capable of amplifying a brand by word-of-mouth. A stan—a playful portmanteau of “stalker” and “fan”—are excessive in their enthusiasm and carry strong loyalty.

The Northstar of fandom

Properly tapping into a fandom effectively means making a match between your brand and your potential fans. Every fan has what we call an “inner mantra,” or a vision of who they are or long to be. A person's inner mantra is linked to their sense of identity—and in seeking new fans, brands should carefully consider how their implicit and explicit values connect and align to the attitudes and ambitions of potential fans.

Fandom tactics for brands

How to best connect with consumers, fans and stans depends on the actions of your audience, which you'll want to match in your own messaging. Our new issue of Social Bites explores some of the tactics available for brands to meet every level of fandom, along with examples of brands who have already captivated communities too much success.

Social Innovation Lab is a weekly show hosted by Claudia Cameron, our Head of Social in Amsterdam, in discussion with the smartest minds in social. The series features digital experts across disciplines and borders to provide a wide-reaching (but snackable) view into what’s happening on social media right now—and where things might be headed next. So from episode to episode, we’ll tackle different platforms, visit different regions and review high-level considerations to inform your ongoing social strategy.

We’ve hit the ground running by launching the first four episodes already, which you can find on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or your favorite podcast service. Below, I’ve pulled some of my favorite insights from each—but don’t let that stop you from listening for yourself, as each episode offers even more to explore.

Why the Future of Social Is in Asia

In our first episode, Claudia sits down with Werner Iucksch, SVP of Social in APAC. Werner drops some impressive statistics on social media use in the region: over 2 billion people are on social throughout APAC, and Filipino users spend a whopping 11 hours a day on social. All that time spent online fuels experimentation and innovation unique to the region, like live ecommerce and other locally grown platforms that don’t exist anywhere else.

But the rise of unique platforms and behaviors means western brands can’t copy and paste their existing social content to Asian markets and hope for success. “Facebook is the biggest player in APAC, but the content that works in the US or Europe won’t necessarily work there,” Werner warns. Instead, they must engage with the local culture: Werner highlights our Idioms of Love campaign with Burberry in China as an example, which reinterprets traditional Chinese love stories from hundreds of years ago with a modern twist.

TikTok’s Secret Sauce

TikTok has quickly emerged as a top channel for brands as they seek to get in front of Gen Z and drive engagement. In episode two of our podcast, our TikTok Strategist Aga Domagalska shares how the platform’s unique creation tools, collaborative spirit and algorithm work together to propel viral hits. But while TikTok may have the reputation of being a viral content engine that supercharges reach, Aga advises against taking shortcuts to relevance.

Decoding Social Signals and Human Behavior

In our third episode, Head of Social Strategic Planning Asahi Ruiz demystifies the role of a social planner. His team’s work is all about detecting and social signals that brands can use to remain relevant amidst cultural shifts. Asahi defines social signals as the cues people observe to help them make decisions and react to the excess of information around us.

One fascinating point Asahi raised is the need to develop research tools that resemble the way people collect information online—an idea that inspired his team’s modern and intimate approach to performing focus groups in WhatsApp. “We need to remember that people exchange information in a different way in WhatsApp,” he says. “Now we communicate in emojis and stickers, and this is pretty relevant when people are getting information in a focus group done in WhatsApp.” Decoding these cues and behaviors can help in the creation of work that is entertaining, informative and resonates with culture.

Connecting the Dots of the Consumer Digital Experience

Now that you’ve gathered some learnings, it’s time to put them to use. Episode four is all about how brands can integrate social into their larger digital strategy. Jouke Vuurmans, our Chief Creative Officer, notes how brands tend to think of social as a separate domain, which he sees as an outdated perspective and a missed opportunity. Jouke notes that brands can shift their perspective to view social as an integral connector across the marketing mix, and hits on our “feed the fees” mentality of tailoring big ideas into moments that drive engagement.

Social media is expansive, with each platform offering unique ways to bring people together and drive engagement. With the Social Innovation Lab podcast, we want to help you keep informed on everything that’s happening in social—as soon as it happens. Stay tuned for even more insights from across the internet and around the world!