lab_5

=Do you see that conventional means of mass media advertising can translate into Second Life? Provide reasons why or why not? = Conventional means of mass media advertising work in some ways in Second Life, because anything some types of advertising, no matter if it is reality or "Virtual" reality, will work in a visual world. For example billboards, when you are driving down a highway you eye is focused on driving but at the same time huge images promoting different products are made for one purpose, to catch a glimpse of your time, for only a split second, because you are engaging in an activity which requires much thought and concentration. The same can be said for Second Life, where billboards, no matter if you are walking, talking, driving or flying in the air, you will still see them and they will catch your eye, and it cannot be avoided. But in other ways, the "unconventional" ways that companies are trying to attract consumers in the virtual world of Second Life can definitely flop. In the article, Tracy Ryan, the associate professor, Virginia Commonwealth University, says, "The first mistake is companies assuming, 'OK, well, I have a store on Fifth Avenue that's very successful, so I could put a store in a heavily trafficked area of //Second Life// and it'll be successful.'" The main point is that just because it is a heavily trafficked area, like that of a highway per say, it doesn't mean people will want to enter that store or engage in what they are trying to sell. There needs to be a clear demographic of people that brand is trying to market to, and in Second Life, that can be extremely hard to determine, especially when 50-year old men are parading around as whoever they want to be, be it a 20-year old girl or a 45-year old woman. There are so many layers of identity that it may be hard to market to a specific group. When it comes down to it, advertising in Second Life was clearly just another place companies discovered to infiltrate with their advertisements, and whenever there is a large audience to market to, they will find it and plant themselves there. The same thing happened with facebook, at first there were no ads and gradually companies realized it was a huge place to target people to market their brands and products.