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Starcom has launched a podcast series and report exploring what the metaverse is, what impact it might have for brands and why it is of interest to the media industry.
Five 30-minute podcast episodes were created as a way of bringing to life Starcom's report, Future Tensions in the Metaverse.
Starcom compiled the paper following forum discussions, interviews with industry experts and academic report analysis, as well as research from institutions, social media and published content. Its research pointed to four areas of tension, where metaverse virtual realities could change the human experience:
- Social versus solo: how the metaverse smashes first and third spaces together
- Truth versus design: how the metaverse can tell you anything you want to hear
- Access versus ownership: how in metaverse spaces, actions as well as objects can be owned
- Protection versus freedom: how the metaverse is organic but needs regulation
The first episode of the podcast features Starcom insights director Heather Dansie and Publicis Media insights director Scott Thompson, discussing the metaverse's relevance to the media industry.
For the second episode, Dansie interviews Jay Owens, researcher and tech and design writer, and Sophie Barr, business director at Starcom about the social versus solo implications of the metaverse and how they will affect the way people connect and interact with each other.
Other episodes focus on how curated and designed metaverse spaces might make an impact on core human values, what opportunities and dilemmas arise when people start to engage in metaverse spaces and what new ethical considerations and responsibilities will emerge for advertisers and media distributors in the metaverse.
Nadine Young, chief executive of Starcom, said: "Our online habits from the pandemic will have changed us and society forever. Brands understand that the way we consume, interact and what we value will never be the same again. The term 'metaverse' is currently the shiny new word that seems to encapsulate current excitement of the new stage of the online experience.
"So, in recognition of these changing behaviours, we set out to understand what new tensions may arise from these innovations and prepare for this new space. We aim to show how brands will need to adapt the way they communicate to connect in the right ways, particularly through media execution and advertising."
Image credit: Getty Images/Yuichiro Chino
