James joins Team vvast Building our Creds in the Web 3 Metaverse

Working in digital for over 26 years and specialising in Web3 since around 2017, James brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in the field of blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and decentralised technologies to team vvast.

Being at the forefront of these technologies is crucial as they begin to change the way consumers interact with brands online. There are already a growing number of opportunities for brands to engage with customers through Web 3 and in the much hyped ‘Metaverse’, a trend that will only continue to grow, likely putting Web 3 at the heart of D2C retail, in the near future. 

Building stronger customer connection

In the cookieless environment that GDPR and the privacy savvy consumer has gifted us, there is a strong shift towards customers withholding their identity and data. At the same time, there are growing numbers of customers who are product enthusiasts and brand advocates eager to connect and showcase their passion with likeminded people through Web 3. Be that by proudly displaying digital product NFTs in their socials, by accessing exclusive ‘tokengated’ community channels, or by interacting directly with the brand through crypto loyalty and community tokens. Web3 aligns perfectly with vvast’s vision of D4C, providing tools for brands to develop deeper, more engaging relationships with communities of customers.

“I’m super excited to be working with the vvast team as we explore the possibilities available to bring Web 3 features to the consumer. I’m deeply passionate about how this decentralised technology can improve many aspects of business and reframe online relationships between brands and customers. vvast is perfectly positioned for this with their D4C approach to enhanced customer experience, and a commitment to relentless R&D to stay ahead of the curve.”

James Guest

Customers are taking back control

With Web3, brands no longer own the customers and their data; the customer owns, manages and controls how they interact and share their information with brands. Anonymity (well, pseudonymity) is the default, with customers identified by their ‘wallet’ alone. However, with the right digital products and services customers will be eager to connect with brands and their communities, and to share information. The Web3 space is quite tribal, full of gated, yet very active communities where individuals are proud to show their affiliation with brands through their crypto tokens and NFT holdings. 

Deeper engagement, more immersive brand experience

‘The Metaverse’ is also shaping up to be another exciting opportunity for brands to engage with customers. For sure, fully immersive 3D, virtual and augmented reality worlds aren’t quite yet living up to perceived expectations, but there are certainly billions being invested by the likes of Meta, Alphabet, Microsoft, Epic Games and many others to make this a reality. Web 3 underpins this, providing the ownership layer for people’s digital products and other assets across different virtual worlds. Again, the tech isn’t quite there yet, but Brands like Nike, Gucci and Coca-Cola have already been exploring the potential of the metaverse for enhancing the shopping and brand experience for their customers.

What the future holds

Experiments from big consumer brands so far include virtual stores, products, apparel, fashion shows and other live events represented in the metaverse and twinned with physical products and experiences in the real world. With a growing audience in the Metaverse, having a virtual presence, be that through NFTs, virtual products, stores or experiences is going to become essential for all brands –  especially for the unique, niche and premium.