BMW, Karta and marketing in the metaverse

This week's podcast features Yanni and Andy taking a deep dive into the world of gaming with Pia Schörner, head of digital content creation & BMW Metaverse at BMW, and Erik Londré, co-founder and CEO of Karta – the Sports Loft member which works with sports teams and music artists to build experiences in games like Roblox and Fortnite. We dig into how sports organisations and other brands can incorporate gaming as part of their marketing mix, touching on in-game merchandise, measuring success and picking the right platform. Highlights include Pia pushing BMW execs to allow gamers to blow up Bimmers in a game (“the community will like it and they'll talk about it because it's authentic”), Erik on the thrill of live esports events, and how to find the “sweet spot” that allows for both authentic gaming experiences and brand promotion. Our guests also reveal lessons learnt from their recent projects and discuss why engaging with younger audiences on these platforms is so crucial for brands who want to stay relevant – across the world of sports and beyond. Timestamps: 06:30 – Defining the metaverse 13:00 – How sports can utilise the metaverse 15:45 – The pros and cons of e-sports as a marketing tool 23:30 – The process of designing an activation 29:30 – Marrying brands with the gaming platform 36:30 – Using gaming to boost relevancy  40:00 – KPIs and indicators of success