Technological enhancements leading towards the Metaverse: What are the existing marketing opportunities?

This thesis aimed to investigate the technological improvements behind the metaverse and the related opportunities within the marketing field that have surged. A triple study analysis has been conducted, comprising a benchmarking study of current companies investing in the metaverse, qualitative expert interviews, and a questionnaire with potential end-users to test our assumptions and derive conclusions. Based on the results, our main research findings suggest that, despite being a trend, companies are working on finding relevant strategies that go beyond simply joining a fad. The Metaverse unveils businesses with opportunities to interact with consumers in a new way. Simultaneously, the analysis indicated that the metaverse at its current status still has not delivered its full potential, and therefore the future remains uncertain but optimistic. ‘Gen-Z’, ‘Gamers’, and ‘Tech Savvy’ have been identified as current segments in the metaverse. However, metaverses’ acceptability is constantly increasing, and there is an existing belief that it will become mainstream one day. These findings could aid marketers and brand managers in considering the Metaverse as an investment and identifying opportunities for their businesses in a new virtual world.