The pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we live, work, and interact. With heightened restrictions, lockdowns, and social distancing rules halting many in-person activities, consumers have increasingly moved toward online channels, and companies have responded in turn. The adoption of digital products and services in the past two years has taken off at a rapid pace, with a McKinsey Global Survey of executives citing that companies have accelerated the digitization of their customer and supply chain interactions and of their internal operations by three to four years. As consumers spend more time on their connected devices and detract from real-world connections, they are craving deeper social interaction.
Enter the Metaverse
For consumers, this highly immersive virtual world is a place where they can come together to play, work, and live unique experiences, allowing for new ways of engagement and socialization. For brands and retailers, the Metaverse offers opportunities to transform their digital presence by making it more fun, informative, and interactive for end users. It is an expansion of the traditional brick-and-mortar store experience and an addition to the omnichannel journey – a marketing and sales channel that enables the engagement of potential customers at all stages of the purchase journey with no physical boundaries.
Looking at the Metaverse through the lens of beauty, AR try-ons and virtual shopping are just some examples of how consumers are already interacting with brands and retailers in this virtual world. In an increasingly digital-first environment that rewards short attention spans, it is more important now than ever for brands to find smart and meaningful ways to connect with consumers at every touch point. As a provider of digital solutions for offline and online consumer experiences, Meiyume understands consumer behaviour and is well equipped to help beauty brands enter this new space.
“With people now greeted daily by massive streams of information, marketers must understand what their consumers want and successfully harness the right platforms in today’s omnichannel climate to establish deeper connection and brand affinity. We have seen that most consumers are multi-channel customers that use a mixture of human and digital interactions to get what they need from discovery to engagement to product transactions. As a new touchpoint, the Metaverse presents opportunities to reimagine the future of consumer engagement and Meiyume is excited to work with brands to enter this space. Our retail and technology solutions can help beauty companies of all sizes develop interactive digital experiences that can be integrated into consumers’ everyday virtual lives, helping brands connect with their audience more intimately through a seamless product discovery and shopping journey,” said Steve Dodd, Head of Technology and SVP Retail Solutions at Meiyume.
In entering the exciting world of the Metaverse, Meiyume has launched their first NFT art, designed to embody the company’s brand personality and philosophy of continuous innovation in creating future-focused products and solutions. The NFT is now on sale, where all proceeds will go to the charity One Tree Planted, a non-profit organization focused on global reforestation.
