Second Life Survey

It's only one of many surveys and interviews I have conducted.
I want to get an idea of the type of companies that regular Second Life users like to use. I'll take those companies and analyse their characteristics: their strategies in relation to product creation, marketing etc... and hopefully come up with some common characteristics.

To give a simple example: So far, not one out of the 62 respondants has listed a company that is also based in the real world as one of their top three businesses in SL.
This supports the fact that user generated businesses continually outperform RL corporations. Why is this? What do the companies you like offer that corporations cannot? By studying the companies you have listed it will hopefully give me a better understanding.

Of course this is only one aspect and one survey. The research topic is broader than this and so is the research I am undertaking.

...for anyone that is interested, the topic for my dissertation is:

'Value-Creation for Large Corporations in a Virtual World: A Second Life Case Study'

It is looking at the ways in which large corporations might use virtual worlds to create value for their company. Not just in terms of making direct sales in Second Life, but also through brand reinforcement, marketing research etc... and various other activities that may impact on real world sales.

Basically it's because we come to SL to get AWAY from RL. We don't want it in here with us.

*points to the report post button*

"Off-topic for Resident Answers: Help Wanted or Resident Websites is a more appropriate forum for surveys"

If everyone who complains (and ends up bumping the thread as a result) just reported it it would either get moved, or we'd get a statement from a resmod/Linden on whether they're suited for RA or not and if not we can nag for a "Take your surveys someplace else" sticky.

That one's easy - because the SL-based products are designed for and work well in SL. I haven't really been looking (I'm not big on brands in RL either) but I've yet to see an RL-based product outperform an SL-resident-designed product. And if the products are equivalent, I'd rather support the small designer I know as a person than a corporation.

I took the survey earlier. I wasn't early enough to see which stores you had listed, and I was a little disappointed I could only list a top three, but I hope my answers were helpful.

lol, Nic. I remember that line you're using in your sig. Love it.

Second Life attracts creative people looking to express that creativity. it also attracts people who are looking to get away from the stress and garbage of RL for a little while. The reason RL companies don't do well, is that they have no customer base here. People are either attracted to the creativity of the indiuvidual designers or just don't want to deal with RL crap. Also, RL companies design for the real world, not SL. They haven't got the experience or expertise to appeal to this market.

Look at what sells in SL. It's fantasy. Women's shoes, clothing and hair that defy the laws of physics. Grendels avatars. Levitating fantasy skyboxes. Who is going to compete with that? Nike? Pepsi?

Yeah... they keep trying to do this, but they mostly epically fail. Could be because they forget that this isn't RL. We don't have the same needs or wants as we do in RL.

In short, they suck at researching.

Fee....I thought you were very gracious in your original request.....and even more gracious to actually come back and give feedback....and take constructive advice. Good for you. And extremely gracious to keep participating, after a few ugly comments.....any little dose of Touche you gave, was deserved.

I find your topic very interesting....and have asked the same questions. Be sure to add in your research, how the big companies come in and bully the small guys.



The businesses developed by those actually living in SL....not RL based ones.....are developed by people who know what's happening here....they "live" here. They've had enough exposure to know that some things work slightly different than in RL....and their participation in the core of it....educates them.

I go to the RL based companies venue once. There are a number of reasons why I didn't landmark it, and go back.....most don't have items for sale.....most are not interesting enough to recommend to a friend......it's merely a presence.....and if it was to drag me to their web site....I didn't make it.

I can think of one in particular, that I was very excited to see....and it was a huge let down....in fact, very poorly done. When I did some research on the "consultants" they used....discovered that they were not exactly admired business professionals in SL....quite the contrary. (no, this was not the one I had a recent huff with).......I suppose the RL corporation got quite a snow job from the "consultants", on their credentials.....and unless the RL corporation sends someone in here to "live"....for a while....not just snoop around a few nights, then form an opinion on how to participate, or if they just grab the first SL Guru that sends them a note.....I think they will miss the boat.

Good Luck with your research.....I bet you would get some awesome insight if you interviewed the High Rollers in Business and Entertainment.....personally. I could give you a list of some I've come into contact with......but not one of them started as a RL Corporation......which is a point in itself.

Perhaps when you are done.....you could share your report.

Thanks for the reminder...did it, next time I will report it if there is anyone actually monitor RA any more.

I've always called it a game. It's entertainment. but that's a different debate. But to echo Trout, we do get nasty with survey posters, as most are insincere bullshit. But in this case the Op seems not only legitimate, but was very graceful under fire. I'll still refuse to answer them, just as I do in RL, and am astonished that people can earn degrees studying SL, but from now on when surveys appear I will just STFU and ignore them.

But I will say I am 100% against RL companies trying to market me in SL. I don't want their advertising here, I refuse to visit any of their Sims, nor will I buy any In World products from them.

Agreed. That's why I've left it. Public Schools here are a joke.

Fee, now you are talking to us, and telling us the real areas of interest, and the questions behind the questions, do you notice that you are getting answers?

I didn't take your survey but i am happy to answer why i don't shop at RL businesses in SL. First, one has never come up in search for anything i wanted to buy.

Second, The only one i ever visited was IBM because it was right next door to Caledon sims, where i have a place, and I happened to notice it on the map. I landed there, thought it was quite impressive as a build, found it had nothing to offer me that was relevant to me in SL or in RL (Seemed to me that IBM was just for IBMers) and left.

So, I find that RL business simply don't make any impact on me in SL... they don't (from my perspective) seem to participate in SL, and they aren't 'in my face' sufficiently (if at all) to make me think of visiting them. I have been in SL two years, am female, in the age range Mmmble - Mmmmmble and live in the UK.

best of luck with your studies

Imogen

TP to club: $0L
Removing hair and shoes from arse: $0L
Trying repeatedly to reattach hair and getting "attachment pending for that spot": $0L
Relogging just to spend the whole concert as Ruth: Priceless

There are some things Lindens can't buy.
For everything else, there's Masterlag.

Agreed. Can we keep this one?

ROFL! Good one, Malachi

Me? Call me whatever but this constant request for surveys is total bullshit.

Supposedly, they're college students who have been given sl and it's residents as lab rats to study. These people then come here knowing they can feed on the gullible who are naive enough to believe these daily requests are legit by answering them.

More and more we see these requests and it's always the same BS.

Can always count on Ricky to make any anti-something stance I make appear the moderate one.

I've been to a few RL company places... the only ones that I can actually say that I sort of enjoyed were the car company ones... like Mercedes and Scion, etc. I get a kick out of driving around a Mercedes now and then, since I can't afford one in RL. The clothing stores, though.. ugh. Playboy, Reebok, Nike... I've seen MUCH cuter stuff in SL original stores than the lame shit put out by these guys. If they want a good reputation, they've got to earn it here, just like they did in RL, by working hard and creating decent product. As for logo-wear... I'd rather buy a Greenies t-shirt and wear that, to promote a way cool sim, than a poorly-made Nike SL t-shirt.

Simple. Those companies are created and run by Sl residents, our friends, who do it primarily because they enjoy it in most cases. If they actually profit, that is just icing on the cake. They aren't a faceless corportion who isn't satisfied with getting our money in RL and want to try to squeeze it out of us here. They can stay the hell out as far as I am concerned.

IBM doesn't sell hair.

That's the real answer. No RL companies come into SL to sell things used by avatars in SL. They come here for their own purposes, such as training, or to advertise RL products such as cars or computers.

It's a bit like asking why no one buys cars at a newsstand.