SAGINAW, Mich. – The Scott & Miller Group, a business-to-business marketing communications firm, recently used Second Life, an online 3D virtual world, to help The Dow Chemical Company plan and design a customer hospitality and business center at the 2009 National Plastics Exposition tradeshow in Chicago.
The agency built a virtual replica of the 36,000-square-foot ballroom, including customer center walls and furnishings, and applied a variety of graphic theme approaches. Clients were able to log-in to Second Life and, using avatars, walk freely around the virtual room to evaluate layout and design.
The Dow customer center was located in the Skyline Ballroom at McCormick Place and included meeting rooms, workstations, e-kiosks, lounge and dining areas, and a full bar. Dow welcomed nearly 1,137 customers throughout the week.
“Given the size and various functions of the room, we needed a tool that would help everyone visualize the possibilities,” said Tom Leinberger, owner and president of The Scott & Miller Group. “The ability for clients to ‘get inside’ and explore and our ability to make design changes on the fly kept everyone focused and streamlined the review and approval process.”
According to Greg Baldwin, Dow Basic Plastics communications manager, the virtual 3D ballroom was an invaluable tool. “When you’re working in such a large space, it’s difficult to predict every nuance that will impact the look, feel, and functionality of the room – color choices, deciding where graphics are needed and where they aren’t, or even arrangement of dining tables. I was able to log-in to the virtual customer center any time and feel confident about the final decisions.”
The 1:1 scale and 3D realism of Second Life also contribute value. “When I first arrived at the actual customer center, my reaction was ‘I’ve been here before,’” Baldwin said. “There were absolutely no surprises, for me or executive leadership.”
Second Life can increase efficiency as well. The ability to bring multiple parties and locations together in a virtual space saves time, money, and materials, making 3D virtual worlds a more sustainable means of presentation and communication.
Leinberger admits virtual worlds are not the right fit for all businesses, but the popularity is growing. “Companies and organizations are using virtual worlds today to communicate with stakeholders through customer events, training programs, and collaboration sessions. When you have access to a dynamic medium like Second Life which combines social and visual components and can help achieve resource and cost efficiencies, it’s reasonable to assume many more companies will be incorporating virtual world activities into their integrated marketing communications strategies.”
About The Scott & Miller Group
Specializing in business-to-business communications, The Scott & Miller Group has created award-winning strategic and creative work for 45 years, in a broad range of marketing communications media. www.scottandmiller.com
