McDonald’s Entering the Metaverse

Recent reports have shown just how big of an impact the Metaverse will have on every brand, the latest to take their first steps, McDonald’s. According to recent filings, McDonald’s is looking to operate a virtual restaurant that features virtual and real goods, along with offering home delivery from purchases made within the virtual restaurant. Along with operating this restaurant, it also aims to trademark entertainment services such as hosting virtual concerts. This comes shortly after Panera Bread filed trademarks for its products to be used in virtual/downloadable format and host a virtual restaurant that delivers food in the real world, similar to what McDonald’s filed. The trademark lawyer who tracks these filings, Josh Gerben, recently said, “I think you’re going to see every brand that you can think of make these filings within the next 12 months. I don’t think anyone wants to be the next Blockbuster and just completely ignore a new technology that’s coming.” (View source)

Personalization is Key to Customer Experience

Post-pandemic is all customer focused, enabling AI to predict what a user may buy next or displaying deals based on a customers’ purchase, whatever it may be, personalization that creates a seamless and easy experience is key. According to a new survey from Broadridge Financial Solutions, consumers that believe companies need to improve their overall customer experience is up nearly double from 2021 (35% to 65%). 74% of consumers want companies to customize their experience based on what they know about them, with 77% of all surveyed consumers willing to spend more with a company that provides a good experience. (View source)

Hip Hop in the Metaverse

Hip-Hop’s first museum in the Bronx will feature real-world and online exhibits. The two-floor 53,000 sq. ft. museum, which will house a 250-seat theatre, highlights the five key elements of hip hop – Djing, emceeing, break dancing, graffiti, and knowledge. Along with in-person and online exhibits, live performances, dancing sessions, and fashion shows will be held at the museum that can be viewed online. The online section, designed by Carnevale Interactive in collaboration with MIT and Microsoft, will feature experiences that involve objects and persons that are no longer with us, such as Grandmaster Flash scratching records at a party or Biggy rapping on a street corner.  (View source)

The Beauty Industry within the Metaverse

The beauty industry has long adapted the technologies associated with the Metaverse such as AR/VR, and as the pandemic sped up these adaptations, many looked for improvements upon these experiences. Recently, in collaboration with Perfect Corp., Sally Hansen launched a feature on their mobile app that allows users to try on nail colors using AR technology. According to a new study from the users of Beautyque, 60% of users play video games that involve aspects of the Metaverse, 67% of those also indicate they put makeup on their gaming characters. Additionally, 81% can see themselves shopping for products in a virtual space.  (View source 1, source 2)

Disney Expanding to Residential Communities

We’ve seen Disney as our builder of dreams for over 50 years, soon you will be able to experience living in their dreamlike parks as they begin to develop residential communities. The communities, called Storyliving by Disney, will be designed by Imagineers that work on the theme parks, creating curated experiences that reflect the history and arts of the development area. The first will be opening in Rancho Mirago, California, called Cotino, featuring 1,900 housing units with a mix of arrangements, including 55+ residences, built around a 24-acre lagoon that is claimed to have “clear turquoise waters”. Within the community will be a section that features shopping, dining, entertainment, a beachfront hotel, and a “beach park” that will also open to the public via a purchasable pass. (View source)

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