Marketing in the metaverse: A practical & strategic guide for brands

Originally published in 2022, updated in 2025

The term “metaverse” may have fallen out of fashion, but the technologies behind it have quietly become embedded in real-world products, platforms, and workflows.

No longer just a playground for virtual concerts or avatar dress-up, it has matured into a continuum of immersive digital experiences.

These blend physical and digital worlds in ways that create genuine marketing, operational and community value.

Even without a VR headset, many people already engage with metaverse-adjacent technologies like augmented reality (AR) filters, virtual product try-ons, and immersive digital environments, often without thinking of them as “the metaverse” at all.

For marketers, the opportunity is not to chase spectacle but to understand where immersion actually helps people make decisions, learn, connect and engage more meaningfully.

This guide brings together practical strategy and modern technological understanding to answer the core question:

What does the metaverse mean for marketers today, and how can brands use it in ways that are ethical, effective and future-proof?

What the metaverse actually is: A modern, clear definition

The metaverse isn’t a single destination, platform or technology. It’s a layer of immersive digital experiences where people interact with content, environments and each other in more spatial and embodied ways than the traditional 2D internet.

It includes:

• Virtual worlds (like Roblox, Fortnite UEFN, Meta Horizon Worlds)
• Augmented reality experiences
• Immersive digital stores and showrooms
• Virtual training simulations
• Digital twins of factories, offices or retail spaces
• AI-powered synthetic characters and guides
• Communities built around persistent digital spaces

The metaverse runs across devices, not just VR. Phones, tablets, laptops and AR wearables all act as gateways.

The metaverse stack model

1. Access layer: headsets, mobiles, browsers
2. Platform layer: Roblox, Fortnite, Horizon, spatial apps
3. Experience layer: games, stores, training worlds, events
4. Identity & economy layer: avatars, collectibles, digital assets
5. Governance layer: safety, moderation, data standards

This model helps brands understand where they play and what they actually need to build.

Clearing the confusion: Metaverse vs spatial computing vs Web3

Metaverse

Immersive, 3D, interactive digital experiences.

Spatial Computing

Digital content interacting with physical space, popularised by devices like the Apple Vision Pro.

Web3

A decentralised ownership layer powered by blockchain.
Useful for digital ownership, but not required for the metaverse to function.

Understanding these distinctions prevents brands from investing in the wrong capabilities.

How the metaverse evolved: From hype to utility

Early metaverse experiments focused on NFTs, crypto land and VR-only concepts. Some succeeded; many stalled. Meanwhile, the underlying ecosystem matured quietly:

Immersion is more accessible

Low-friction, browser-based worlds and mobile-friendly platforms lowered barriers.

AI supercharges creation

AI tools like Luma AI and Sloyd generate 3D assets and environments in seconds.

Platforms stabilised

Gaming ecosystems became central to brand activations.

Digital identity matured

Avatars, skins and digital fashion have become mainstream cultural expressions.

Spatial computing reframed expectations

Mixed-reality experiences like product previews, training, and education, made immersion a practical tool.

The metaverse is no longer a hypothetical future: it’s an expansion of how people already engage online.

The use cases that actually work (and why)

After years of experimentation, several categories consistently deliver meaningful value.

A) Branded worlds in games & social virtual platforms

Platforms like Roblox and Fortnite host some of the most successful immersive brand experiences.

Examples:

Newer high-performing examples you can include:

• E.l.f. Beauty Virtual Kiosk on Roblox: blended virtual try-ons with real-world product sales inside a high-engagement experience.
• Ariana Grande’s Fortnite Rift Tour: previous Fortnite concerts have hit 27M+ unique participants, proving virtual worlds can become cultural event spaces.

Why it works:

These are native behaviour spaces, and the target audience already spends hours here.

Brands meet users where they naturally play and socialise.

B) Virtual stores & 3D product try-ons

E-commerce is evolving into interactive commerce, where shoppers can preview products in realistic, immersive ways before they buy.

Examples:

• Warby Parker Virtual Try-On: Try on eyeglasses and sunglasses directly on the Warby Parker site using live AR via mobile or desktop.
• IKEA Place lets shoppers visualise true-to-scale furniture in their own homes using augmented reality before making a purchase.
• Google AI Virtual Try-On (Search Labs): Google’s AI try-on feature lets users upload a photo to see clothing rendered on their own body within Google Search.

Benefits:

• Higher purchase confidence: Shoppers can see how a product actually looks on them before buying, reducing uncertainty around fit, style, and suitability.
• Lower return rates: When customers make better-informed decisions upfront, they’re less likely to return items due to poor fit or unmet expectations.
• Richer product understanding: Interactive previews help shoppers understand proportions, details, and use cases better than static images alone.

C) Virtual events, launches & concerts

Virtual events reach audiences at a scale and spectacle impossible to replicate physically.

Examples:

• The Weeknd x Fortnite Festival: a music-driven interactive experience inside Fortnite’s new rhythm-game platform, combining performance with gameplay.
• Elton John’s “Beyond the Yellow Brick Road” on Roblox: a virtual world featuring concerts, quests, and fashion drops tied to Elton’s iconic style.
• FIFA World Cup 2.0 on Roblox Experience: an always-on football hub on Roblox with localised environments, mini-games and collectible items, used to host ongoing fan engagement around FIFA competitions.

Why marketers use them:

• Global reach
• Cultural relevance
• Massive earned media

D) Training, education & digital twins

High-value enterprise applications include training simulations and digital replicas of factories or offices.

Examples:

• Accenture partnered with MQDC to apply metaverse technologies in real-estate experiences, demonstrating how immersive digital environments can bridge physical and digital asset planning.
• DHL Supply Chain tested AR smart glasses (“Vision Picking”) to guide warehouse workers through order picking, boosting speed and accuracy with real-world AR overlays.
• Cleveland Clinic VR clinical training uses immersive virtual reality simulations to train clinicians in realistic surgical and medical scenarios, helping standardise learning and improve hands-on preparedness before real-world procedures.

Benefits:

• Faster onboarding and skill building
• Lower real-world risk and cost
• Higher precision before physical execution
• Better operational efficiency

E) Community & loyalty worlds

Persistent loyalty ecosystems reward interaction, not just purchases.

Examples:

• Nike’s NIKELAND on Roblox: a sports-themed virtual world with mini-games, sport courts and Nike-branded avatar items, designed as an always-on youth community hub.  
• Tommy Hilfiger “Tommy Play” on Roblox: an immersive community space inspired by Brooklyn, with BMX challenges, mini-games, Tommy Coins and co-created digital fashion drops.
• NASCAR x Driving Empire: a year-long collaboration adding official NASCAR cars, races, a dedicated “NASCAR World” hub and ongoing events into one of Roblox’s biggest racing games.

These deepen loyalty through experiences, not discounts.

AI: The real metaverse accelerator

AI has made immersive experiences scalable, affordable and customisable.

AI enables:

Instant 3D generation

Luma AI 3D Generation has tools that create environments, props and textures rapidly.

AI-powered NPCs

Virtual hosts, assistants or instructors powered by models like Inworld AI or Character.ai.

Personalised environments

Worlds can adjust content based on user skill, preference or behaviour.

Automated moderation

Critical for youth platforms.

Synthetic influencers & virtual humans

The virtual influencer Lil’ Miquela is an example of a synthetic human that can be used for storytelling, customer service, or product education.

AI is the force enabling SMEs to create immersive experiences that were once exclusive to Fortune 500 budgets.

Where the metaverse performs best

1. Retail & Fashion

• Digital couture collections
• AR try-on
• Interactive pop-ups
• Gamified loyalty

Examples:

• Burberry x Minecraft collaboration: a fashion and gaming collaboration featuring custom Burberry skins, in-game worlds and a physical capsule collection inspired by the digital universe.
• ZARA x ZEPETO: a metaverse-ready fashion drop featuring digital outfits for avatars alongside a physical collection, blending virtual style with real-world retail.

2. Real estate & architecture

• VR and AR walkthroughs
• Pre-construction selling tools
• 3D neighbourhood tours

Example: Matterport digital twins

3. Education

• VR science labs
• Immersive history simulations
• AI tutors inside virtual spaces

Example: Labster virtual science labs

4. Healthcare & wellness

• Exposure therapy
• Rehabilitation gamification
• Surgical training

Example: gameChange VR therapy recommended for NHS use: Oxford researchers developed an automated VR therapy program for people with psychosis and severe agoraphobia that has been approved for use in the UK’s National Health Service, helping participants practice everyday social situations in immersive virtual environments.

5. Enterprise & Training

• Leadership simulations
• Emergency scenario training
• Onboarding worlds

Example: PwC VR soft skills training

Choosing the right platform for Marketing in the Metaverse

1. Roblox

Users: Gen Z, Gen Alpha
Strength: creation, social play
Best for: fashion, entertainment, youth brands

2. Fortnite / UEFN

Users: teens–young adults
Strength: cinematic visuals
Best for: music, product launches, events

3. Meta Horizon Worlds

Strength: social interaction
Best for: community events, workshops

4. Web-Based Worlds

Strength: no download
Best for: retail demos, B2B, digital twins

5. VR Platforms

Strength: deep immersion
Best for: training & education

Ethics, data & the risks brands must manage

Immersive environments gather data traditional marketing never had access to.

1. Immersive data collection

VR and AR track:

• Movement
• Gaze
• Emotional response
• Miometrics

Reference: Security and privacy in virtual reality: a literature survey

2. Psychological influence

Immersion shapes attention and emotion.
Brands have a responsibility to avoid manipulative design.

3. Identity fragmentation

Multiple avatars can complicate self-perception.
Brands should avoid exploitative or stereotype-driven avatar design.

4. Virtual economies need clarity

Consumers must understand digital ownership.

Brand risks

• Abandoned worlds
• Inaccessible experiences
• Inappropriate community behaviour
• Unsafe user-generated content

Good metaverse strategy requires governance as much as creativity.

How to measure metaverse ROI

Awareness

• Impressions
• Social mentions
• Visits

Engagement

• Dwell time
• Quests completed
• Interactions per session
• Repeat visitation

Conversion

• Product views → add-to-cart
• Virtual try-on → purchase
• Coupon redemption

Community

• Membership growth
• Avatar item usage
• Community event attendance

Operational ROI (for digital twins & training)

• Reduced training time
• Fewer onboarding errors
• Lower event costs
• Faster decision-making

Metaverse ROI exists when the experience solves a real problem.

Should your brand invest in the metaverse? A simple decision framework

Ask:

1. Is our audience already active here?

2. Does immersion enhance the brand story or customer journey?

3. Are we ready for a persistent world, and not just a campaign?

4. Do we have partners with 3D, AI and community expertise?

5. Can we measure success meaningfully?

If the answer is yes to 3 or more, the metaverse is worth exploring.

How to get started: A 3-stage maturity model

Stage 1: Experimentation

• Small pop-up worlds
• AR filters
• Simple 3D product previews

Stage 2: Integration

• Loyalty systems
• Cross-platform identity
• AI-powered NPCs

Stage 3: Transformation

• Enterprise-scale digital twins
• Spatial commerce
• Persistent brand ecosystems

This framework helps shape long-term decision-making.

Summary: The future of metaverse marketing

The metaverse isn’t replacing reality, and it isn’t disappearing.
It’s becoming a persistent, interactive layer woven into everyday digital life.

Brands that succeed will:

• Build with purpose
• Put users first
• Prioritise ethical design
• Use AI responsibly
• Integrate community meaningfully

The opportunity is not simply to “join the metaverse”.

It’s to create immersive experiences that genuinely help people.

FAQ

Is the metaverse still relevant?

Yes, especially in gaming, retail, education and enterprise training.

Do users need VR?

No. Most experiences are browser or mobile-friendly.

What industries benefit most?

Retail, real estate, entertainment, education, healthcare and enterprise.

Is it expensive?

Costs have dropped significantly thanks to AI-generated assets.

How do you measure success?

Engagement, conversions, community presence and operational ROI.