Happy Friday, Carver Media join forces to decode the metaverse

Source: © hubspot hubspot.com For brands to be successful in the Metaverse they need the creative talent of advertising agencies coupled with the innovation of tech companies.

The metaverse is an online, 3D, virtual space, connecting users in all aspects of their lives. It combines multiple different virtual spaces. It is driven by augmented reality, with each user controlling a character or avatar, and it opens a whole new world of immersive experiences for brands.

A real and virtual world presence

The purpose of Swiitch, explains Happy Friday co-CEO, Craig Naicker is to craft immersive brand experiences that can co-exist in the real world and in the vast cosmos of the digital metaverse.

“Consumers are looking for a real-world immersive experience in the digital world that is seamless and authentic," says Naicker.

Avilash Aniruth, co-founder of Carver Media expands: “If we consider a traditional activation or event, you might have a core group of ‘VIP’ guests experiencing the event in the real world. But in the metaverse, that doesn’t mean the rest of the world needs to be excluded anymore.

“The Swiitch approach potentially opens brand experiences to a limitless number of people, who can immerse themselves in the event in the metaverse and the real world all at once," says Aniruth.

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"While a real-world experience has limitations regarding how many people can interact with your brand, the metaverse gives you more accessibility. There is a saying that goes, “seen by a few but experienced by many”. The new marketing mix has to include the metaverse and more immersive experiences," says Naicker.

That’s why there are two 'í’s' in Swiitch. “The two ‘i’s’ in our name represent a future state where everyone will have a presence in both the real and virtual world – a human and digital version of you that co-exist.

“Happy Friday’s partnership with Carver Media makes perfect sense in this context. As a team, we aim to create a bridge between the real world and the virtual world,” says Naicker.

The perfect complement

The metaverse doesn't refer to any one specific type of technology but rather a broad shift in how brands interact with technology.

“We are helping brands shift from the old to the new, which enables brands to create a new, immersive experience in the virtual world that helps deliver both on business and brand objects,” says Naicker.

Carver Media has 19 years of mastery in the digital space, using their vast technical knowledge to create immersive digital experiences for their clients. Happy Friday delivers singular creative experiences in other spaces.

"The two companies coming from different sides complement each other perfectly. And as Swiitch, we are coming together to create experiences that live in both worlds simultaneously,” he says.

Among other real world/digital/hybrid services, Swiitch’s portfolio of offerings includes product launches, exhibitions, events and conferences, brand experiences and eCommerce.

Aniruth says there are many more dimensions to decoding the metaverse and gaining the ultimate commercial traction for clients.

Entering the metaverse holistically

“The metaverse is still a fairly new concept. It encompasses so many different aspects in the digital space and there is still some apprehension about key factors of it for some – blockchain technology, for example,” she says.

Many companies that have invested in the metaverse also envision some sort of new digital economy where users can create, buy, and sell goods.

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“We're steering clients into the metaverse holistically, which means that access to the metaverse doesn't require those spaces to be exclusively accessed via VR or AR. The virtual worlds that we have developed can also be accessed through PCs, game consoles, and even phones,” she explains.

Therefore education and collaboration with their clients are some of the most important things they as partners can do.

“Among other things, we will offer masterclasses – both for marketers and for CEOs – to make the metaverse a friendlier space, and to break down any barriers attached to its adoption as a commercial tool,” says Aniruth.

“Swiitch also has an established R&D team that is always watching what's happening in the industry. The digital world is never constant. It is always changing and in a state of flux. To stay ahead of the game, we need to be paying attention all the time,” adds Aniruth