Second Life Marketing

In 2007, Moderne Promotions launched TheSLAgency, an interactive marketing agency dedicated to helping global brands navigate their way through virtual world Second Life. The virtual marketing agency offered large brands customizable integrated marketing packages that included virtual event marketing and brand promotion alongside tangible real world event tie-ins. The Second Life marketing agency required that its clients sign a declaration stating that they are completely truthful in their companies' representations in online marketing. This distinguished the company from others offering similar services, and ensures that community ethics within Second Life are upheld. Joe Mastrocovi of Moderne Promotions, explained that his agency is "able to offer something unique to global brands: integrated real world and virtual marketing, events promotion and advertising services that engage consumers and form life-long relationships." The advertising agency for Second Life hosted night life events throughout the country.

In an example of Second Life marketing, through Coty UK, residents were able to visit the ck IN2U site to pick up virtual bottles of the new ck fragrances and connect with other in-world virtual partners by spraying them with fizzing fragrance bubbles to initiate dialogue.

Marketing within Second Life

Brands began to recognize the potential of Second Life as a marketing platform due to its millions of engaged users and the possibility of creating immersive brand experiences. They built virtual storefronts, hosted events, and even created branded virtual goods for users to interact with.

In Second Life, users can interact with these brands in ways that are impossible in the physical world. For example, they can virtually try on clothes, test drive cars, or visit destinations, offering a different kind of experiential marketing.

Some brands also used Second Life for market research. By observing how users interact with their virtual products or services, they gained insights into consumer behavior that could inform their real-world marketing strategies.

However, marketing in Second Life also had its challenges. Many brands found it difficult to effectively engage with the Second Life community and to measure the impact of their virtual marketing efforts. Furthermore, as the user base of Second Life has declined, so too has its attractiveness as a marketing platform.