V-tail: Where Virtual Words Meet E-Commerce
Electronic commerce, for all of its ease and convenience, still doesn't offer the same feeling of browsing a physical store. That's all about to change, however. The gap is narrowing as retailers enter the Second Life virtual world. Get ready for V-tail.
IBM and Sears today revealed that they are bringing the 120 year-old retailer into Second Life virtual world in a big way. The presence will include an area where customers can import their own kitchen and remodel it with Sears products. Sears plans to bring the entire catalog into Second Life. It's unclear if you will be able to buy products in Second Life and have them shipped to you, but you have to imagine that's the plan. However, the CNET/Reuters piece makes it sound like it's about driving foot traffic.
Sears isn't the first retailer to launch in Second Life. Circuit City has a presence as does Dell. This is a great way to capture the hearts and minds of geeks in the community. However, if it's going to really take off Second Life needs to get easier to use and available through a Web browser or an IPTV rather than as a fairly complex download.
Tags: SecondLife, Sears
This is actually a very similar tool to that which my company sells.
Being entirely flash-based we are able to integrate it into any online platform giving users the opportunity to spend time with the brand.
Primarily used for house-builders to allow buyers to change their choice of up-sold,revenue generating fittings and fixtures it has proven to engage clients on a much wider level.
Top end clients where houses sell for in excess of £500,000 find that the typical buyer is in a senior management position or has a position of responsibility.
As such, being in control is an important factor and tools such as ours (and what sears is doing) is an extension to this.
In my opinion and certainly in this instance, consumer choice equals power and an empowered customer is a big spending one.
Posted by: Paul Fabretti | Monday, January 08, 2007 at 04:01 PM
Steve,
I agree that the barrier for most people is high, in fact I went as far to say that they're wasting their ad budget and should focus on their products and customer service issues instead.
Posted by: David Binkowski | Monday, January 08, 2007 at 04:37 PM
It's interesting that this announcement is being heralded as a ground breaking initiative. View22 has been offering Web 3D "v-commerce" applications to large retailers and manufacturers like Williams Sonoma, John Deere, General Electric, Bayer Diagnostics, Masco, Kohler, HGTV and others for several years. Unlike Second Life, our applications are not deployed as part of a complex and oftentimes chaotic metaverse, but rather are fully integrated and branded with our clients' website and eCommerce systems. Our clients have realized significant improvements in their key sales and marketing metrics by deploying our interactive 3D applications. Our website is www.view22.com.
Posted by: Mark Zohar | Monday, January 08, 2007 at 04:59 PM
Christ, one simple comment about how it is something similar to what is already being done and the post gets hijacked by advertisers.
Posted by: Paul Fabretti | Monday, January 08, 2007 at 05:43 PM
Lol I was thinking the same thing. No telling how many personal emails Steve got from these people.
Posted by: Please Eat My Pies | Monday, January 08, 2007 at 10:53 PM
to give in to more free-thinking...
how about rendering a virtual operation theater using avatars to demonstrate complicated surgical procedures at johns hopkins, live in a boondock america med school...?
difficult. possible... useful?
Posted by: aditya | Tuesday, January 09, 2007 at 06:15 AM