Virtuality is defined as "essential nature of being, apart from external form or embodiment.

The truly odd thing about virtual world, though, you’re not you.

You live in a new body and

take on the identity of your “avatar” –

Avatar is a Sanskrit word and the usage of the term means :

A graphic identity you either select from a group of choices or create on your own to
represent yourself to the other party in a chat, instant messaging (IM) or multiplayer gaming
session. An avatar is a caricature, not a realistic photo and can be a simple image or a
bizarre fantasy figure.

Avatar Based Marketing

 Avatar Based Marketing

Sayed Jafar Sadiq

Gourav Modh
Kavita Patil
Mukesh Cheetha
Kavita Patil
Vikas Khare

Avatar Based Marketing

 Avatars Are ??

To be specific Avatar's are

 Internet user's representation of himself or herself, such representations can explore

the virtual universe

 Avatars can be in the form of a 3D model (computer games) or a two-dimensional icon

(Internet forums, other communities)

 The use of “Avatar” to mean online virtual body was popularized by Neal
Stephenson in his cyberpunk novel Snow Crash (1992)

Avatar Based Marketing

 Virtuality & Avatar

Virtuality and social media are closely tied and

involves Platforms, tools and technologies

Though, platforms, tools and technologies come

and go, Avatars are Liquid Beings that move
among them and who reside in the spaces between
the body and the mind.

Avatar Based Marketing

 Simpson’s Avatar
based Movie
promotion

Avatar Based Marketing

 Theory of self-congruency

Theory of self-congruency, applies for avatar based marketing which says:

Individuals prefer interaction partners that resemble themselves. The “birds of a feather
flock together” principle decisively influences human behavior in relationships

Avatar Based Marketing

 Avatar a new Marketing NICHE

An avatar could be presented as a company representative :>

 Avatar sales agent generates numerous desirable marketing outcomes.

Attractive avatar is appropriate at moderate levels of product Involvement, while an

expert avatar is effective at high levels of product involvement.

And that makes Avatar a potential dream marketing venue. Instead of targeting
passive eyeballs, marketers here have the opportunity to interact with engaged minds.

Avatar Based Marketing

Avatar acts as an agent to control offline and real- world decisions and actions
(such as buying a pair of jeans because you saw them in a store in Second Life).

While we figure out the psychiatry behind avatars and their/our impacts on our real-
life/virtual ids, the opportunities which exist by reaching these virtual are massive for direct
response marketing in the areas of targeted leads and micro-payments

E-commerce sites, don’t address the social nature of shopping, especially for women. But
in virtual world, an avatar could try on –and try out in front of virtual friends –real-world
clothing brands or styles her creator typically couldn’t afford or wouldn’t dare to wear.

Avatar Based Marketing

 The Market Place Avatar marketing

• Mass media business (Aaj Tak, Google, Yahoo)

• Automobile Market (Mercedes)
• Sports goods (adidias)
• Politics

Avatar Based Marketing

Avatar Based Marketing
 Yahoo Avatars

Avatar Based Marketing

Avatar Based Marketing
Avatar Based Marketing
Avatar Based Marketing
 But: Education for free

Professors as Avatars
• Example University of
Applied Science in
Cologne
– virtual classes
– video / audio streams
– tutorials

Avatar Based Marketing

 Business Strategies in Avatar Marketing

• Strategies to include ?
– Advertisement
– Sale of virtual goods
– Trendsetting
– Market research
– Cross media Marketing

Avatar Based Marketing

 Virtual crime - The dark side of Avatar Marketing

Copy Bots
– programs which copy objects automatically
• SL worms
– self replicating objects
Mafia behavior e.g.
– blackmail
– blocking loading capacities
• Child pornographies
• Sexual offenses (rape, assault)

Avatar Based Marketing

 Virtual crime - The dark side of Avatar marketing

Identity diffusion between „real“ and „virtual“ self.

 Increasing societal segregation and deeping of the digital divide.
 Distancing of the individual from established social and cognitive
experiences
 Addiction and real loneliness.

Avatar Based Marketing

 Summary and Outlook

Second life as a virtual living place derives its attraction from the myth of
autonomous (self) creation: reinventing a new self opens up unlimited
powers.

In spite of technical problems, the community is growing - „early adopters“

push forward, asocial selection process is underway.

Second Life has started as a digital market place, but it will change into a
meeting place for digital creations of all sorts.

The business side is mostly focused on PR and marketing, but perhaps

one day SL will become a virtual „Harrods“!

Avatar Based Marketing