The metaverse. It's finally here and promising to emerge and to define tomorrow's new digital media landscape. But are we ready for the metaverse, or is the metaverse a new theoretical distraction? A PR stunt? Or damage control from the collapsing ceiling of brand destruction accumulated from unresolved public damage?
There's no longer any doubt regarding the basic existence of the "metaverse" and its potential according to research and press over the last month - it's much very much real, alive, and coming. Perhaps it also may be the perfect timing during the midst of Covid-19 mandates and social accommodations to piece together a newer and more technologically advanced method to communication and digital existence to maintain the forced social changes caused by the strong-coming pandemic.
The Coverup Story
The overall idea of flying cars and holograms popularly associated with movies such as Back to the Future and Star Wars introduces the underlying concept of a unique technically sound universe challenging the everyday norms of digital objectivity, function, and means of communication online. With the challenges and new social opportunities provided by the pandemic, it was expected and often wondered if a digital "breakthrough" of some sort would occur and now might just be the time. Which is also why this beautiful design of chaos management might become the perfect cover story to a brand of many highs, many lows, but unforgivable failures.
More specifically, mishandled or unanswered failures. Facebook messed up big time. Their solution? Let's develop a universe. That'll distract them. And we'll make our profit back.
Policy Over People
Noted by an employee of Facebook from The Washington Post reads, “The specter of Zuckerberg looms in everything the company does,” said Brian Boland, a former vice president of partnerships and marketing who left in 2020 after coming to believe that the platform was polarizing society. “It is entirely driven by him” (The Washington Post).
Whistleblower Haugen repeatedly accused Zuckerberg of choosing growth over the public good, an allegation echoed in interviews with former employees. Evidence of company decisions poorly affecting consumers and employees are right forward and shine in the spotlight. Exasperating a new technologically advanced digital universe won't suppress nor rid of these legal and ethical issues among Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg.
The Importance of a Consumer Foundation
Jake Hancock of Fast Company states "A new corporate name does little to alleviate customer concerns around ongoing crises associated with Facebook’s social media practices and policies. Instead, it prioritizes the investor audience – compartmentalizing those challenges and pivoting focus to greener meta-pastures." Facebook never fails to orchestrate clever and creative ideas, but taking care of consumers doesn't appear to be the plan's top priority according to Facebook papers, employees, consumers, and brand experts.
Building a "monolithic" brand is difficult and rebranding is essentially more than 50% of the time to redefine company goals with vision and execution. However, separating investor brands from their consumer brands isn't always the answer if confusing consumers constitute the results. It's more important to build customer connection as your rebranding code rather than creating distance just to prove your point.
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