Coca-Cola Re-Launches Coke Studios at There.com Virtual World

amp160Mertz and Therecom CEO Michael Wilson confirm that Therecom is scalable and can accommodate the millions of current and future CC Metro users Working with design firm Imaginary Forces which also created MTV39s Virtual Laguna Beach CC Metro39s Therecom continent will feature a fivestory skateboarding park complete with competitions and races and a diner that will double as a casual dance club Coke Theater will offer media performances perhaps leveraging Therecom39s successful partnership with Capitol Music Group Going forward nonCoke marketers will be able to participate in CC MetroReach senior ad execs Advertise on JackMyerscomGiven the volume of advertisers running for the nearest virtual exit particularly from Second Life what do Coke and Therecom know that other brands don39tWithout knocking the competition Wilson is quick to offer what sets Makena Technologies apart from Linden Labs which operates Second Life quotWe watched the hype over Second Life Folks did not realize that they weren39t purchasing the Brooklyn Bridgequot But beyond the hyperbole why did brands fail quotWe find that brands don39t succeed inworld when the vehicle hasn39t been carefully thought out Putting a Dell store in a virtual world was the silliest idea I39ve ever heard of You need to make it engaging and brand it with subtlety Not billboardsquotWilson then offers three operating principles1 When you bring a brand into a virtual world you have to put it where the people are2 You have to work with the brand rather than just give them a patch of dirt and wish them luck3 You have to be like real life You have to provide a sense that their stuff isn39t going to be taken from them a reference to copyright and trademark protection for brandsWhile this may seem obvious it39s not Linden Labs39 economic model The same laissezfaire attitude that has made Second Life a hothouse for individual entrepreneurs pervades its approach to brands In an article on Worlds In Motion Matt Daly of Metaversatility a virtual world development company that has worked with both Therecom and Second Life remarks that amp8220Second Life is not very good for third parties because Linden doesnamp8217t work with them theyamp8217re very handsoff as much as they can and then its our de facto role to come in and know the tools know the landscape and then develop with whatever we have You canamp8217t get any further than the way it should be than a platform where you have no real contact with the developers of the platform Itamp8217s very democratic but for actual thirdparty developers itamp8217s not the most efficient way to goquot Read TiVoWorthy TV Everyday at JackMyerscomNot that CocaCola needs handholding Having been in the space albeit 2D for a number of years means that they understand engagement as well as brand identity and loyalty within virtual worlds Mertz agrees with Wilson quotA lot of other companies jumped in without a lot of analysis Our history in virtual worlds and MMOGs Massive Multiplayer Online Games means that we have a deep understanding of social networks and community We wanted to do what was going to be best for the community Makena can provide a fantastic level of functionality platform stability and an opportunity for creative growthquotIn a Gartner Group report by analyst Steven Prentice earlier this spring updated in the fall criticism was leveled at virtual spaces that did not pay enough attention to administration and security amp8211 ie platform stability It predicted that the success stories would come from worlds that were heavily moderated targeted and sensitive to branding issues This pretty much fits Makena to a T The company had already executed Virtual Laguna Beach for MTVN see our coverage here and thus knew the demo intimately In fact while Second Life skews towards thirtysomethings Therecom runs about ten years younger And whereas Second Life has a Red Light district Therecom is resolutely PG13Mertz reports that the collaboration wasn39t a oneoff but that it was part of a quotglobal corporate decisionquot by CocaCola In particular it allows them to seamlessly promote their Coke Side of Life campaign Offers Mertz quotWhen we were first developing Coke Studios it stood for positivity and emanated optimism We want to make sure this is continued in our CC Metro space as well Part of that is connecting our consumers with one anotherquotFor further information contact Therecom CEO Michael Wilson at michaelthereinccomamp160

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Coca-Cola Re-Launches Coke Studios at There.com Virtual World

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