Communication in the age of Metaverse

Metaverse is a word too complex to understand. Now let’s imagine living in it!

Sounds exhilarating, right? In bookish terms, Meta is derived from the Greek word ‘beyond’ and ‘verse’ means universe. It is a platform — a virtual world built on evolving tech where people can connect, create, work, communicate, socialise and do a lot more.

This digitised world offers a lot of interesting opportunities for young aspiring media professionals. Metaverse is surely incorporating various fields, particularly the mass communication arena, be it marketing, advertising, public relations, gaming, brand communication, or journalism. Therefore, it is ideal for media students to pull up their socks and embrace this whole new world of advanced technology.

Opportunities created in the advanced “tech verse” are endless. Communicators have already started opting for the perks of the digital space by reaching targeted consumers that they had previously accessed through more distinct advertising channels. Professionals will also be able to track activations from inception to culmination which will help them perfect the execution to generate better leads.

Brand communicators can sponsor events or create targeted ads that are more likely to attract potential customers through the Metaverse. One of the most fascinating ways that media professionals can get started in the Metaverse is by taking advantage of gamification, which offers fully realised immersive experiences to the customers.

For instance, in 2022, Tata Tea Premium made its Metaverse debut by hosting a first-of-its-kind Holi party as part of its hyper-local approach to celebrating regional pride and providing unique customer experiences. The event was hosted on the platform, Yug Metaverse, with an open link for users to log in through.

Tata Tea is one the first in the country to celebrate the colourful festival in the Metaverse.

Metaverse has also made its mark on another key constituent of mass communication — Public Relations. Virtual events around communications or public relations have created a platform to engage brands and businesses in a whole different way.

With this advanced technology, one can curate publicity content as a way to stand out when pitching stories to the targeted audience or to journalists. Media professionals can also partner up with creators and influencers who are already in the space to get a boost by hosting an event on platforms such as AltSpace VR or Horizon World and others.

With such rapid transformation, media institutes must look at interweaving the working of a Metaverse in their pedagogy. Workshops and webinars can be instrumental in shedding light on the subject of ‘survival in the Metaverse’. This will not only prepare students for the upcoming and enhanced media industry but also make them “meta leaders”.

In conclusion, the Metaverse approach is extremely promising and is here for the long haul. At the same time, media is an immortal industry that will continue to adapt to the changing needs in the market. Media professionals need to brace themselves for this one heck of a storm, Metaverse.

(The author teaches advertising at a Pune-based communications college)