Help a Journalist - Second Life Case Studies needed

Hi all,
I'm new to Second Life... and joined up for a feature I'm writing about it.
I'm looking at branding in this environment and was hoping a few of you may talk to me about it so I can get an idea of true SL users opinions.
In particular it is about the presence of RL fashion brands, and whether people want them here or not.
If anyone is an SL fashion owner it'd be great to speak to them too.
See below for my official spiel on the subject.
Do please please get in touch. Message me, or send me an email to [email=rachel.arthur@btinternet.com]rachel.arthur@btinternet.com[/email].
Many thanks!
Rach
aka. Rachy Richez



"An analysis of "Youniversal Branding" by trendwatching.com suggests that online spaces are ideal marketing destinations where integration of “offline goods, services and experiences” can occur. They said, “There are interactive billboards to be placed, virtual product placement strategies to be executed, scripts to be written, friends to be made, avatars to be dressed, fed and equipped, and virtual stores to be opened.”

Adidas and French Connection are two examples of fashion companies cashing in on this branding environment, while American Apparel has even used their Second Life store as a test-drive for new garments, in advance of “real life” launches.

This feature will examine the presence of fashion brands within online communities and virtual worlds. It will look at who is doing it, how they are doing it, and what they are gaining from it. Furthermore it will discuss how accepting Web 2.0 users will be to branding in these evolving environments, and consider where the future lies for such initiatives."

Speaking personally, the 'fashion companies' that are here aren't actually 'here'. They've just paid someone to build them something in Second Life, and have probably never even logged in for themselves.

They can't be part of the community if they aren't actually here. There's so much more to SL than buying overpriced replicas of real life clothes that only command the price they do because of a label. I don't fall for such marketing tricks, but many do.

I go out of my way to avoid such places, as they are really only cheap advertising and product placement, rather than providing something positive to the community at large. Plus, of course, a real life corporation has far more disposable income than the average player, who has spent far more time and effort building up their particular brand name and product range - only to see it blown out of the water by a multinational corporation.

I do find it highly amusing that, in a world that allows you utter freedom and unlimited creativity, that many people simply want to adorn their pixellated personas with the same mass produced clothing that they do with their real selves - all in the name of 'individual expression'.

Lewis

I love my sl clothing and would buy it for rl if it was offered and not too outrageous in either price or style. That being said, why on earth would I want to dress in sl like rl? The clothes designers in sl are GREAT and I love their spirit of adventure. Chanel in SL? I don't think so..lol.. Second Life is an expression of our creative child at work enjoying themselves without having to conform to the Corporate Sterotype. Where else could a Nonna Hedges outfit be used to ice skate, eh? hehe

Guys you are amazing, these are the best quotes in the world!
Keep them coming.
Does anyone have the opposite view point? Who does want to wear Chanel in SL? What about Topshop, H&M, Zara, Gucci, Nike, etc etc.
Oh and most importantly American Apparel as they're here, or rather they have a presence here (which may I add on occasion I believe gets you discount in RL too!)
Would you be more inclined to buy things here if it meant you got discount in RL. What about if they made it so that what you bought in SL was delivered to you in RL???

On an extra note... would you mind emailing me a pic of your SL self? It'd be amazing to put a picture of you beside your comments, I will email you in return a copy of the article once it has been completed.

Ooh just realised on that last note I could use your profile pictures that already exist, rather than you emailing. Excellent.
Please let me know if you'd rather I didn't.
Thanks!

SL is a fantasy world for me, here, my av has the perfect body. And with that perfect body, I'm sure as heck not gonna waste it on those drab numbers from the apparel companies already in game now.

American Apparel? Please, give me NTD! Give me Image Reflections! Give me anything but boring!

If I wanted to dress in SL the way I would in RL, I'd be in T-shirts and jeans! To most, that's not sexy.

Now maybe if Fredricks of Hollywood brought in some of thier racier stuff, I might possibly get that, but considering the amount of work thier racy stuff details, they more than likely wouldn't pay for it to be done.

Honestly, I don't care if RL companies are here or not. I won't be purchasing from them simply because they are not a part of SL as far as I'm concerned (echoing Lewis' statement).

We are bombarded daily with marketing from every angle in RL, and now they invade SL? Spare me.

If they were adding to the enjoyment of SL and giving something back to the community or here for any other reason than to make money, then perhaps I'd feel differently.

I love having all of the independant designers here. It's wonderful to go to 10 different stores and see 10 different styles and knowing someone put their heart and time into creating it from conception to birth...that's someone's idea that they created just for us. SL is about fun and doing things that can't be done in RL!

Now I love fashion and Chanel is choice, but wearing a Chanel suit to a business meeting in RL is one thing. Wearing it to climb the waterfalls in the Svarga sim is just no fun

Keep your Adidas...for me it's 4" stilettos and a handpainted latex mini! LOL

Best wishes on your article,
~Ari

What would really be cool is if RL companies would take note of SL fashions and come up with similar lines in RL - and pay the SL designers real money for having come up with the design. That would define "being a good corporate citizen."

I hate clothes shopping in RL and I hate most RL fashion trends. Although I'm pretty new to SL and haven't really delved into the whole fashion area yet, I'm a musician and have to be somewhat image conscious but I like to define my own unique style. So SL appeals to me in terms of being able to try on different things immediately or order custom clothes for minimal investment. And because I'm a musician and intend to be playing live music in SL, I'm keeping my avatar reasonably similar to RL. So just as I'm having SL designers reproduce my band's RL musical instruments in SL, we may end up having someone design clothes for us in SL and then reproduce them in RL. That'll be much more likely to happen than me wearing American Apparel or Chanel clothes in SL! (or RL for that matter.) Barf-O-Rama!

Brilliant plan!

Oh god I know, that's why I'm in T-shirts! Pastels were popular and dominant in many mainstream stores... I don't do pastel. And that pink outburst (fine for others might I add...) ICK!

Not to mention most of the cute stuff is like size 6 and under. (Did you know the average female waist size is 12?)

I wish to god that some of the fashions in SL existed in RL.

Rachel - I sent you an e-mail but thought I would post here as well.

I have mixed feelings about RL brands in SL. For one thing, I have yet to see a large corporate brand that understands what makes SL unique and what the residents want to experience...and it is an experience.

What I do see is lots of RL branding in a place that cannot use it. Large corporates following their PR people blindly because it's the "cool thing to do." I would love to see a corporation actively contribute to the community - not hide on their island and talk at each other underneath big billboards for things you can only buy in RL.

As for fashion, I am even less interested in wearing Chanel or similar in world as it stands today. Afterall, if you look at the brilliant designers we already have, what does wearing a Gucci logo do for me? That said, I certainly would take a "wait and see" approach to whether or not they could offer something of use over time. After participating and immersing themselves in what the residents are looking for.

I should think that either way, I am much more likely to buy from a resident designer (my favorites include Shai, Paper Couture, Dazzle and Callie Cline) than I would be Chanel or similar.

Finally, the one RL designer brand I have visited was American Apparel. The quality of the clothing was poor and the selection very bland in my opinion (though the build of the store was nice) so I can say for sure that I would never buy from them.

You know Gillian, you have a point with designers in SL.

Many of the designers that are established in SL ARE the brand names we want.

Only a brilliant Plan if they PROPERLY credit those SL designers who's work they appropriate.

SL has it's clothing designers, who's names have, or are becoming quite well known, Like the Nomenie Line, or the Clothing of Fey Brightwillow. If some RL designers see thier work, and Want to use thier designs RL i think it would be Fantastic for them, a Real Break. I Know there is a negative possability here too, But i like to think that Fashion design companies would think more in terms of Cultivating the tree, rather than Stealing a single apple.

I look forward to a news article some time in the Future about the Fashion designer who got his/her start making and selling Virtual clothing in SL before making it Big in the Real World.

Angel.

Exactly. My line of thinking was using the designer, not simply stealing the designs.

With the fashion industry always searching for the next Sean Combs or Ralph Lauren, SL may become another venue for them to seek such talent. Now translating SL designs to RL would be an interesting undertaking, but it may open up a new market selling those who are tired of the fashion dictates of the big RL names.

Since shows like Project Runway did (finally) catch the attention of the NY fashion industry, perhaps there is hope that someone would be willing to look at the virtual world for fresh talent.

If AA and Adidas can find their way to SL, there is a chance that others will as well and discover that there are great talents here who could *cross over*.

Only time would tell.

Rach, please let us know when your article comes out. I am looking forward to reading it.

Best,
~Ari

I'm mildly surprised nobody else has brought this up but then I guess it's a negative view and mebbe of little value to the article.

Bilbo is a fantasy figure. He dresses fairly undramatically, a leather jacket over his t-shirt at times, jeans, trainers or boots. In SL like RL I just dress for function rather than fashion.

A lot of guys I gather from these informative pages, myself included, run an alt, a female avatar. Mine's gorgeous and I love her to bits. She has an enormous and varied collection of clothes but names mean very little. SL is a very visual thing and when I 'see' a nice dress or blouse, t-shirt created by anybody, I might buy it on price consideration. The name doesn't enter into it. I wander from shop to shop effortlessly in SL. Try it in RL and I'd hate it I'm sure.

Some of the 'little' creators and designers come to these pages. We converse and exchange views etc. Like Lewis says, no-one in the big names are here. There's no-one to interact with. It's the interaction that makes SL what it is .. it's a community.

My Avatar is better dressed than I in first life. In fact pardon the English pun he is a high maintenance Avatar that’s what he is.

I agree with some comments here about talented Second Life fashion designers moving across into first life. I know I am a sad person and/or Avatar for fancying her but can you imagine what a wow Victoria (Posh Spice) would look in some of the Second Life creations.

Look me up in Caledon Cay Rachy if you would like some more details and a tour of Second Life and the Caledon Sims

Regards

John

I think it's great you are interested in doing research in SL.

The problem is you need to clear all research with Linden Lab first, you can't just come in and start asking questions.

http://secondlife.com/knowledgebase/article.php?id=062

Thanks, a point well made, and one I was not particularly aware of, so thank you. I may add however, that this looks to be a preference of the company for specific interviews and not individual comments, and I doubt it to be legally binding. I will however get in touch with the company.
In the mean time, I assume that people responding on this thread are happy for their views to be published, although it may help to know that I am a postgraduate journalism student, this article is for an assignment deadline that I will be marked on. It is reasonably unlikely that I will strive to get it printed as well, although not impossible.
Many thanks.

For all those that are happy... please keep commenting. There's some great stuff on here, so thank you.

I'm am so utterly grateful for these responses guys. Forget the fact I need to put this into a fetaure, this is truly fascinating stuff.
A great concept made that more time is spent shopping here than in RL, browsing etc. And so true. My boyfriend hates shopping in real life but in this world, am sure he would do it loads. The interaction thing is a great point also. I personally believe that if RL brands tried to interact with people here, more would be interested in their products, but just shoving them out there branded is not particularly appealing.
So now I throw you another point... forget known brands, forget SL made brands. What about RL brands that are completely unknown. You know, those small independent stores that little towns have, one that are amazing but small and successful purely for that. And the same with new graduates, people translating their designs onto here as a mans of getting spotted. Would that be appealing? I suppose in reality you would never know they were RL in the first place.
So many of you have talked about wanting SL brands in RL, so if a designer offered you a product, which led you to a website to buy in RL would that appeal? Or alternatively if you bought in SL and they delivered it to you in RL is that a good idea? Is this perhaps the future of an SL/RL merge?

What would be cool though was if some of the expensive luxury item makers in RL where to come in to SL.... I'm thinking of Ferrari, Lambourghini, Mercedes ... that sort of scale... so that in my second life I could get to own my own Merc SLK or Ferrari F430... something I will almost definately never have the chance to do in RL.

That is what SL is about have the chance to play the fantasy life you would like to have in RL.

I've had further thoughts:

One of the topics circulating when I joined SL a little over a month ago was that SL or something very similar could be the new WWW with SL shops linking directly to commercial websites.

A lot of the posts here have been on the lines of the commercial names coming to SL and what they need to do to conform with our established ideals.
I gather a lot of the commercial PR folk have egged their companies to embrace SL cos 'it's the cool thing to do'.
LL obviously want to increase their assets with the arrival of said companies.

No-one is wrong in their own thinking .. but to me it just simply doesn't gel.

How many of us model our avatars on our true selves?
What relevance therefore is there for trying out a ball gown on our avatar to decide whether to buy the real thing? 'Awww, it looked so much better on <insert name>'. I'm talking about the customer here, not the costumer Most apparel then falls under this issue.
Given the 'sim' situation, other than the mere 'look' of a car, boat, aeroplane, considering the physics, how would driving around Jamma Jamma in a SL DeLorian really be of valuable help in making a buyer decide?

Frankly at an avatar level, I just can't think what the commercial companies can expect to gain here but the alternative access to their established websites. They would need to analyse what makes us tick if they want to get us to buy their SL goods and that would need some communication.

Bilbo, what rl companies can do here in terms of advertizing and promoting their brand is someting that cannot be achieved on the more usual web, that is personal interaction, as well as a good picture (paints a thousand words etc)

Take Dell Island for example.

If I was interested in buying a new computer I can go to Dell Island, contruct one, configure options AND have the chance to talk to another user/and/or Dell employee before purchasing

That is but one client specific example, there are thousands of others

I like the Dell Island example. Nothing against that form of product placement combined with client counseling. I only see a problem when an SL product is sold, meant to be used inworld.

In SL, usually the designer / creator themselves sell their own products and do the customer service as well. If I have a problem with an article, I check for the name of the creator and send an IM. In order for this sort of customer service to work, the designer has to spend a lot of time inworld, and also has to be in a position to make business decisions for their company (refunds, replacements etc.).

Let's use Toyota as an example: they sell SL cars. Of course, they only do so in order to advertise their RL brand, but the product they offer will be used inworld as well. When something goes awry with my virtual car, who am I to contact? The creator is either a resident who was only hired for the building & scripting job and isn't paid to handle the customer service for Toyota, or an employee who just did the design and isn't prepared (or isn't around) to help me with my urgent problems as well.

Also, while it's pretty normal for a content selling resident to offer an extensive customer service for products priced at US$ 0.83, a larger RL company will likely have a different view and sell their SL products as is; no refunds, no replacements, no handing out new copies in case of inventory loss, no friendly answer (followed by 20 minutes of chat) to questions like "Hi, I want to place your car in my garden and turn it into a fountain, would you please trade me a version with mod perms so I can delete the scripts, cut a hole into the roof and link prim water to it?".

My own thoughts:

1. At the present time, most people in SL tend to dress *way* more outrageously and exhibitionistically than they would ever dream of doing in reality... most high-street brands would look extremely tame on the shelves of SL stores, and I can't imagine such items having a wide-scale take-up amongst SL consumers. OK... maybe if the likes of agent provocateur, fairy gothmother, or aspirational haute-couture brands set up shop here, there would be an interest (those brands essentially sell a fantasy in real life... which already puts them in the same business as 90% of established clothes vendors in second life) ... but - marks & sparks knitwear and topshop skirts? On the streets of SL?? I think not!

2. The fashion companies who have already made a move on SL seem to have done so - primarily - for the real-world publicity value. Claims about carrying out "virtual testing" of new designs certainly make for headline-grabbing copy, but we've seen little (if any?) follow-through on those declarations. The corporate-branded fashion builds in SL have tended to shine brightly for the first week or so, then lapse into ghost-shop abandonment with little traffic. The stores don't seem to contain any attempt to establish a long-term relationship with their visitors - which ...let's face it... would be the most rudimentary strategy from *any* brand intending to take SL seriously. Encouragment of repeat visits is marketing 101. Not rocket science.

Plus, after American Aparrel won the race to be "first" clothing shop, (and Adidas/Reebok placed so closely together that nobody really remembers (or cares?)), there seems to be a distinct lack of any other clothing brands surfing in on their wake. Perhaps it's because the real-world media doesn't really care any more, now that the headline-grabbing pole positions have been claimed?

Try visiting a few stores in SL - see for yourself which ones attract the green dots. You may be surprised.

3. I don't really imagine that the skills required for designing avatar clothing, and the skills required for designing real-life clothing, are particularly closely-entwined. OK, being able to design neat SL clothing might be a good insight into general creative ability... but designing nice SL clothing is as much about understanding the technical curvature/texture-mapping limitations of SL avatars and being able to convincingly draw creases, shadows and folds as anything else... I run one of the most successful clothing brands in SL (judging from my turnover figures), but wouldn't have the *first idea* about designing clothing for real-life. I'm a graphics geek, not a seamstress.

Or, to put it another way, if I make a house in second life, I don't think it gives me much insight into how to build a house in real life... so we're probably doing real-life fashion designers the same disservice if we make such presumptions about their trade. I'm sure real-life clothing designers need to factor in all kinds of awful parameters and considerations (Gravity, for example. Have you any idea how the Second Life fashion scene would be _decimated_ if our creations had to abide by the laws of physics?? ).

That works both ways - people who design for real-life won't have the foggiest idea how to design for SL. You _can't_ pick up any old real-world clothing design and re-implement it *well* in SL without making certain compromises; SL's UV maps are far too unforgiving for that.

Anyway, got to sign off here, but feel free to catch me in-world (evenings, UK time) if you'd like to chase any of this stuff up.

I don't like nor dislike having big names in-world. But I do wish and hope that they'll be aware of how this world works. Participate in it, don't just dump material as if you're buying an advertising banner on a web site. Make and staff a car dealership: don't make a vending machine, for example.

So many businesses seem to lack the basic understanding of the world, and want to apply "what worked elsewhere on the 'net" to here. They need to think in brick and mortar terms in this digital environment. Otherwise, all you're doing is creating clutter.

Mari