Horizon Media, which bills itself as the largest privately held media services agency in the world, has opened Chapter & Verse, a marketing unit dedicated to Web3 and the metaverse.
The company says it will offer consulting, creative concepting/development and event-activation services.
The consultancy efforts will aim to assist consumers in navigating the environment and comprehending the shift from Web2 to Web3. It will also provide execution/activation strategy, innovation and project management.
In creative concepting and development, Chapter & Verse will seek to assist brands in developing immersive experiences within the metaverse, such as in-game media, digital billboards, nonfungible token (NFT) development, marketing amplification of decentralized autonomous organizations and NFTs, brand merchandising on platforms, blockchain for customer loyalty programs and fan engagement/ticketing.
Through its third service, event activation, the Chapter & Verse unit will assist customers with the execution of experiential and retail activations, as well as brand-appropriate large-scale event marketing campaigns such as the Super Bowl, music festivals and red-carpet events.
“Far too frequently in our sector, we see marketers and agencies taking a cautious ‘wait and see’ approach to emerging technology,” said Donald Williams, chief digital officer of Horizon Media. “Instead, Horizon has swiftly embraced and amassed expertise that will educate and lead businesses through these uncharted waters so that they not only feel comfortable in these new environments but also so that no opportunity is missed.”
Horizon Media’s establishment of its Web3 branch is representative of a recent trend among creative agencies to establish their own metaverse practices, foundries and virtual offices.
Notably, three media companies that entered the metaverse in the past six months are: Hogarth, which launched a metaverse foundry with a 700-person staff; Vice Media’s creative firm, Virtue Futures, constructed an office building in Decentraland; and DEPT, a global digital firm, launched its metaverse practice in March to assist clients in interacting with consumers in the virtual world.
Not sure what all the metaverse entails? Here’s a handy definition: It’s a “digital reality that combines aspects of social media, online gaming, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and cryptocurrencies to allow users to interact virtually,” Investopedia.com said. “Augmented reality overlays visual elements, sound and other sensory input onto real-world settings to enhance the user experience. In contrast, virtual reality is entirely virtual and enhances fictional realities.”
Produced in association with MetaNews.
