Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
sacrificing the innate luxury qualities of exclusivity and superiority. And this
brings me to the key issue of the suitability of the social web to luxury; the
approaches that may be adopted in integrating the social web in the context of
luxury online; and to what extent luxury brands should be exposed and repre-
sented on the social web. Before delving into these issues, it's most relevant to
clarify the confusion of the terms associated with the social web, particularly
those grouped under 2-D platforms (blogs, forums, social networks, e-zines
and discussion boards) and 3-D platforms (virtual worlds and game worlds),
as well as to explore their major aspects, benefits and challenges.
2-D platforms are essentially the social web networks that allow for a one-
to-one interaction in a public or private medium in a manner that is two-way.
This means that the interaction could be between two people, say in a con-
versation, although as many people as possible may join in the discussion.
In most cases the people participating in these discussions are known to, or
at least can be seen by, others through their profiles and photos, which give
them a face. And most importantly, they are united by a common interest.
Examples are blogs that are themed around people or specific interests such as
luxury, fashion, travel and aviation like Café Mode, Luxist and Le Blog Luxe,
as well as social networks that may be exclusive to a specific group or aimed
at the masses. Other types of 2-D networks are online forums, which act as
messaging platforms like Twitter, discussion boards or debate platforms that
are integrated in online magazines such as Luxe-Mag.Com's “Opinion” sec-
tion; and e-zines featuring interactive elements where readers can comment
and debate on published articles, for example the Wall Street Journal 's online
magazine. They often feature rich and insightful content, which allows
for the analysis of the topics and messages, the usage patterns and user
influence.
3-D platforms, on the other hand, are virtual worlds, also known as metaverses,
where people have a 360º existence through avatars that have been re-created
to represent them. These avatars exist in real time in a virtual world that has a
close resemblance to the real world and partake in activities that a human being
would normally be involved in, like shopping, partying and gardening. In most
cases, the avatars are also able to walk, run, talk and perform other extraordi-
nary feats like flying and teleporting. Since the avatars exist in a community that
is within a wider virtual society, 3-D platforms naturally have social web fea-
tures that enable participating, connecting and sharing because the avatars live
in the way that the people who created them wish them to exist. Virtual worlds,
also known as Virtual Immersive Environments like Second Life, Kaneva and
Activeworlds, as well as game worlds like World of Witchcraft and Everquest,
represent 3-D platforms that have a dedicated cult user following.
Both 2-D and 3-D platforms provide luxury brands with a unique oppor-
tunity to track the progression and evolution of the online consumer mind-
set, particularly the consumer group that may be classified as early adopters.
The change in consumer mentality that has arisen as a result of 2-D and 3-D
Search WWH ::




Custom Search