US Firms Launch Virtual World Research Services

Texas-based Sentient Services has launched a Virtual Awareness market research solution and a second life research centre; while Connecticut's Kalypso Agency has introduced a second life omnibus service.

Brands such as Coca-Cola, Adidas, Mercedes, Apple and Sprint are already operating in second life, which has nearly ten million residents, and Sentient's new suite of virtual life market research services have been designed to help brands understand the best way for them to enter virtual worlds.

The firm's Second Life Research Centre includes a garden area for events, two small rooms for focus groups and individual in-depth interviews, and a large auditorium where events can be held and audience testing can be conducted. The centre will gather brand awareness perceptions and attitude data on top brands and product categories, for use alongside respondent data from brand-specific focus groups.

Running every four weeks, the Kalypso omnibus has a representative sample of around a thousand residents, and as well as client questions, includes demographics, information on in-world behaviour and attitudes to the virtual world.

MD Nicholas Cameron explained: 'As the web changes from 2D to 3D we are expecting that there will be continued interest in marketing research in virtual worlds as this presents a new frontier for consumer engagement.'

The Kalypso Agency is a collaboration between research tools provider Starfish Research and online research agency Bellwether Interactive. Web sites are: www.thekalypsoagency.com , www.starfish-research.com and www.bellwetherinteractive.com.

Sentient Services, which combines research and analytics, is online at www.sentientservices.com.

Last month software and panels provider GMI partnered with Amsterdam-based MR firm DervalResearch to launch Second Life Interview Corner, which the firms claim provides a new perspective on conducting one-to-one research interviews in a virtual environment (www.mrweb.com/drno/news7273.htm ).

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.