Hold on a Second...Life
There's lots of buzz around the business impact of virtual worlds like Second Life. Sure, it's great for fantasy gamers holed up in their basements, but how will it grow business? Companies like IBM, Xerox and others have jumped in, using its community features to hold virtual meetings and show clients product demonstrations. But it's not just for the big players. You see, in Second Life you can be whomever you want to be, shedding your real-life limitations. For individuals, that may mean making your avatar a body-builder or a bikini model. For businesses, especially small ones, it means interacting with prospects and customers all over the world, using the same tools as the Fortune fat cats. Today's issue of 1to1 Weekly illustrates how one small company flexed its relationship muscles on Second Life.
Terracycle makes plant fertilizer and uses organic material and recycled containers. It dabbles in e-commerce with its Web site, but primarily uses distribution in gardern and home stores to reach customers. But by joining gardening communities and posting in the classifieds on Second Life, the company spoke to gardeners directly from all over the world to gain insight.
What do you think make virtual worlds a valuable business resource, or are they just the latest online fad?
