Second Life or Get a Life?
So, have you checked out Second Life? Wait, let me guess… you’re too busy with your first life. I know, I felt the same way. Then I realized it’s time I check out this wild virtual world that everybody is talking about.
If you’ve never been, the best way I can describe Second Life (SL) is a virtual blend of Disneyland, Alice in Wonderland, and The World’s Fair on steroids. As a comprehensive virtual environment SL is virtually whatever you want it to be. If you’re a gamer, it’s gaming heaven. Into social media? In SL you’ll meet cool folks from around the world. Into architecture or fashion? You can experience and design the most fantastic creations imaginable. A history buff? With the click of a mouse you’ll be mingling with Renaissance royalty or listening to Lincoln. And, if you’re into crazy Avatar sex — and who isn’t — there’s that too. Perhaps that’ll be my follow-up piece.
Second Life also offers virtual classrooms for major universities including Princeton, Harvard, NYU, and Stanford. Harvard instructor Rebecca Nesson brought her Legal Studies class to SL saying, “Normally, no matter how good a distance-learning class is, an inherent distance does still exist between you and your students. Second Life has really bridged that gap.”
If you’re a brand, or the marketer of one, SL can be a virtual worldwide trade show. For retailers it can be used for niche advertising, store layout design, market research, trend spotting, product placement, and testing. Toyota simulates its cars for customization and testing and Wells Fargo Bank launched a multiplayer game to help young people learn financial responsibility. Apple, Sony, BMW, IBM, Microsoft, Sears, NBC, Armani, Comcast, CNN, Heineken, AOL, Reebok, Dell, Coke and even Ben & Jerry’s are just a few other brands who’ve created a Second Life presence. As reported in The Wall Street Journal last month, these companies “see virtual environments as a promising haven for marketing and advertising.” Sir Martin Sorrell also seems impressed. At January’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, he called it “… a very potent medium.” He also contends that amount of money companies spend on the Internet remains out of sync with the extent to which consumers are using it. At the recent DLD08 conference in Munich, Sorrell said that his company’s clients spend about 10% of their budgets on digital media, whereas consumers now spend 20% of their time online - there is “a disconnect that has to correct.”
Virtual worlds aren’t just for big players. As SmartMoney’s smSmallBiz.com reports:
“Both large and small firms are looking at virtual worlds as one more venue to pitch real-world merchandise to consumers. 1-800-Flowers, for example, is considering selling real-world floral arrangements through its virtual store.”
Like a website on the Web, any business can easily put up a virtual shingle in Second Life.
Like other folks I’ve chatted with, I’ve had some false assumptions about SL. For example if you think SL skews mostly male and young, you’re only half right. According to the latest SL stats the 45+ crowd logs in more hours than the 13 to 24’s. (A surprise to me.) And, while males do make up the majority, it’s not by much: a 60-40 split. Another assumption is that sex and gambling are the prime SL activities. Not so, according to researchers. The main activities are shopping and socializing. Apparently, most active SL residents revolve their activities around, and make real life income from, their SL businesses. Those include: party and wedding planner, fashion designer, nightclub owner, architect, automotive manufacturer, and private detective to name just a few.
To take a pulse on Second Life I did a bit of market research of my own via LinkedIn. We posted the question; “Second Life: Cool Alt Life, or Get a Life?” and within days received dozens of responses. Coming from LinkedIn I was a bit surprised at the number of “Get a Life” responses. About 25%. However, I did notice that many of those came from folks who qualify for AARP. I also question how many of those have actually experienced Second Life. I suspect few. Yet, the latest stats reveal that SL residency is growing at an unprecedented rate. As of this month, 12.4 M are SL residents, up from 7.7 M in June and 321,683 in June of ‘06. Name a real city that comes close to that growth rate.
When making a judgment call on Second Life it’s also important not to forget how new it is. When you consider what TV (or the Web) was like in its first couple of years, you’ll have a better perspective of where SL is now and what it has the potential to be especially considering the speed of technological advancement and the economic incentive. One can only imagine Second Life in ten, five, or even a couple of years … not to mention the crazy Avatar sex.