Nowadays, the internet has gotten a little more interesting for investors, big companies, and other financial-related professionals. Between the infamous NFT and the Metaverse, the money underneath these transactions is no joke. Adding the FOMO and wanting to stay relevant in a era of impermanence, digital financial strategies have also gotten much more interesting.
And as one can expect, the video game industry has also been taking part in this.
A great example of this phenomenon is Walmart’s latest announcement. According to CNBC, the retail giant is launching two different virtual worlds in the uber-popular online game Roblox.
Walmart is launching two different virtual worlds in the uber-popular online game Roblox. These virtual Walmart worlds will include things that don’t exist at any actual Walmart, like a blimp that drops toys, music festivals featuring famous artists, and free-to-play mini-games and activities. There’s even a virtual store where people can buy virtual merchandise called “Verch” (I’m not kidding.)
These two new Roblox “experiences” are called Walmart Land and Walmart’s Universe of Play. Both launched in Roblox earlier today.
In Walmart’s Universe of Play world, users can find and play various games that feature some of the best-selling toys this year—including Jurassic World and Paw Patrol characters. Kids play these games, get excited about branded toys, and then buy related stuff at Walmart (actually, that’ll be up to their parents, but you get the point.)
“Roblox will serve as a testing ground for Walmart as it considers moves in the Metaverse and beyond,” said William White, Walmart’s chief marketing officer. He also mentioned the experiences are designed with the next generation of shoppers in mind, particularly Gen Z, generally defined as around age 25 or younger. White said the company is looking to learn from the partnership.
“How are we driving relevance in cultural conversation? How are we developing community and engagement? How are we moving the needle from a brand favorability [standpoint] with younger audiences?” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to accomplish here.“
It is clear that Walmart is experimenting with new ways to reach shoppers, particularly after seeing the pandemic shake up shopping habits and fuel consumers’ engagement with social media, apps, and gaming websites.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comment section!
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