Report: 77 percent of marketers are planning metaverse experiments

  • Wednesday, October 5th, 2022
  • Author: Tim Green
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The metaverse might be the next big thing or it could be hyped up nonsense, but either way marketers are taking the interface seriously.

A study released today by R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company says 94 per cent of marketing decision-makers agree the metaverse is a new and exciting way to reach potential customers and 77 per cent have plans to experiment with the channel.

The finding is one of many in a report that reveals marketer perceptions of macro trends impacting today’s consumers. It surveyed more than 500 US marketing decision makers with in-house roles across a variety of industry sectors as well as 1,000 US consumers

Along with a commitment to metaverse, the report also revealed that social media (73 per cent), online or digital ads (69 per cent), and streaming services (57 per cent) are all growing in importance for the majority of marketers.

Elsewhere, the study reflected the attitudes of marketers and consumers to more social and demographic factors. Highlight findings include:

  • Nine out of 10 marketers feel there needs to be an adjustment to marketing strategy as purchasing power shifts to Gen Z. Marketers agree that visual communications (64 per cent), tone of communications (62 per cent), channel strategy (61 per cent), and frequency of communications (53 per cent) need to be restrategized for a Gen Z audience.
  • A majority of consumers (63 per cent) believe that brands should take a stance on political or social issues
  • The top three challenges that marketers are currently facing include improving the customer experience (45 per cent), making data-driven decisions (34 per cent), and rising prices (33 per cent).

Al duPont, RRD’s chief commercial officer, said: “Marketers are currently experiencing a watershed moment: Gen Z now accounts for a larger share of consumer spend, the evolving work-from-home movement is continuing to shift how marketers reach consumers, and many shoppers are coping with soaring prices of their everyday items.

“Our survey found that marketers who can navigate this complex environment with nimble strategies that capitalise on the optimal channel mix will be the most successful in engaging with today’s consumers.”