Nearly 7 million people have visited Nike's Metaverse store
Together with Roblox, Nike is experimenting with metaverse commerce and NFTs. Now, for the first time, the company reports on visitor numbers and a first campaign.
Nikeland exists in the Roblox universe and attracts users with digital sports and game ideas. The entertainment is admittedly only a means to an end for the actual goal: Metaverse commerce. Nike sells digital shoes, clothing and accessories for Roblox avatars in Nikeland.
Seven million visits in five months
In an investor call on the latest quarterly figures, Nike CEO John Donahoe talks about the development of the new business line and further Metaverse investments.
Since Nikeland opened at Roblox in November 2021, 6.7 million people from 224 countries visited the digital destination. Donahoe did not provide revenue figures specifically for Nikeland, but did talk about monetization and activation strategies.
Among other things, Nike acquired digital item-focused startup RTFKT last December, which, incorporated into the new "Nike Virtual Studio," released the first official Nike-branded NFT last quarter. Donahoe sees this move as Nike's "first step into the world of digital product creation" and holds out the prospect of further investment.
"We're pleased by the positive momentum and energy we're already seeing in the space, and we're excited about the future as we continue to extend our digital leadership in the industry," Donahoe says.
Nike's digital arm is the group's fastest-growing division, accounting for 26 percent of the Nike brand's total revenue.
Nike brings LeBron James to Nikeland
In the Nikeland context, the Nike CEO specifically points to a collaboration with NBA star LeBron James, who visited Nikeland as an avatar during All-Star Week in mid-February 2022 and interacted with the Roblox community. LeBron James "trained" avatars on the Nikeland basketball court to win virtual products during the event and afterwards.
Having stars from the real world perform in virtual worlds to attract visitors is becoming a relevant marketing mechanism, especially when Fortnite concerts are visited by millions of young people. Platforms like Roblox or Fortnite, which are visited by millions of young users anyway, are therefore tailor-made for Nikeland-style brand appearances.
Read more about the Metaverse:
- Qualcomm invests millions in the Metaverse, cooperates with Square Enix
- Microsoft Work Trend Index 2022: The Metaverse is for the next generation
- Nintendo: Ex-president does not trust Meta with the Metaverse
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