Japanese firms are eager to get into SL while Western firms seem to have had enough. This was based on LA Times article that has propagated throughout the Internet, with the majority of the articles just replicating the new found knowledge that plugging products is as problematic in the virtual world as it is anywhere else. Why would it be any different?
There are other ‘interesting’ statements. For example, did you know that even at peak times, only about 30,000 to 40,000 users are logged on SL? Of course you did because that’s on the home page of Second Life. So how can that be an excuse for poor retailing performance? If that was an issue then why did these companies established a presence in SL? Another perhaps even more ‘interesting’ statement is that for some advertisers, the problem is that Second Life is a fantasy land. Was it the name that gave SL away?
In anyway, first mover advantage and adoption of new technologies always come with a certain risk tag and SL is no exception. Good marketing plans and clear objectives are needed as in any other case.
