The epidemic has accelerated the online migration, the virtual and the real are gradually deeply integrated, and the tipping point of human virtualization seems to be getting closer and closer.
Roblox, known as the "first stock of the metaverse", landed in China; NVIDIA launched an industrial version of the metaverse Omniverse; Baidu released the first domestic meta-universe product "Xi'an"...
The 2021 Metaverse Global Development Report released by Newzoo and Gamma Data points out that consumers are generally excited about the concept of metaverse, expecting to meet with friends and family, hold events, and enjoy concerts/performances/sporting events in the metaverse, and also expect to be able to choose the physical appearance of their avatar and interact with the world. All kinds of expectations have also opened up a new world for the commercial application of META-universe-related AI technologies.
As Baidu's "2022 AI Marketing Top Ten Insights" said, this is an era of "everywhere AI" when users touch the network; the metacosm has pushed open the door of "virtual and real symbiosis", and digital people have brought "effective communication" with temperature. For brands, only by innovating the form of communication can we achieve the double improvement of user experience and brand customer acquisition efficiency.
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In terms of AI innovation marketing, Baidu has always been at the forefront of the industry. Since the launch of the Xilang APP, Baidu has successively worked with major platforms to create a wealth of meta-universe marketing cases to help brands build a new bond to reach Generation Z.
Meta-universe invasion conference, a bit dazzling!
According to the data, by the end of 2021, there were 1692 companies in the mainland, applying for 11,400 yuan universe trademarks. Major brands have also used meta-universe technology and concepts to carry out commercial marketing: Gucci has partnered with Roblox to develop the experience game Gucci Garden Archetype; Nike has established NIKELAND on Roblox; McDonald's, Nesher's Tea, and Michelle Ice City have also entered the "Meta-Universe".
On March 13, Lynk & Co and Baidu jointly created the first digital exhibition hall for automobiles - "Lynk & Co Park". When users enter the "Lynk & Co Park", they will first see the appearance of continuing the new urbanism style; enter the exhibition hall, they can freely choose in the three major scenes of fuel, new energy and performance vehicles, immersive car viewing, experience changing the body color, opening the door and trunk, feeling the interior and other interactions, and trying convenient car purchase services. In the future, users can even access production processes such as vehicle manufacturing, model testing, and modified vehicles.
Not only that, the meta-universe even "invaded" into the launch of major brands, bringing users a refreshing and cool experience. In the Meta-Universe Conference, any user can create a personal character and enter the venue, and 360 full scenes can watch the conference.
On March 18, FAW Besturn B70S pioneered the first automotive product launch on the Baidu Xilang platform. In this 1:1 simulation and restoration world, users can virtually test drive and go to the Pentium digital showroom to learn more about the brand and product information. In this way, even if the majority of users stay at home, they can also experience this good-looking, fun and easy-to-open trendy single.
It's not just car brands that are eager to try it out. On March 16, Jindian held a low-carbon organic meta-universe conference. With the blessing of Baidu VR technology, the entire immersive conference was full of technology. In addition, the "Jindian Carbon Neutral 2060 Organic Life Limited Digital Collection" launched by Jindian and Baidu Super Chain was sold out as soon as it was launched.
At present, the meta-universe is the focus of national public opinion, through the meta-universe marketing, the brand can naturally attract massive attention, widely reach the Z generation group that is willing to taste and pursue the new dimensional culture.
Ordinary brand showrooms and conferences are difficult to take care of the experience of every user, but in the meta-universe world, brands can tell brand stories in a more interactive way, so that every user can get the interactive experience they want.
In addition, relying on the blockchain technology behind the digital collection, brands can also provide users with a scarcity experience to transform intangible brand value into a measurable brand digital asset, enabling exciting and multi-faceted customer relationship management. Over time, memories of brand events fade, but digital collections are preserved forever and even appreciate.
On March 31, the limited edition of the small smart screen X10 digital collection of the smart technology brand Xiaodu limited edition was officially launched, with more than 150,000 people snapping up online and 5,000 products quickly sold out, which also confirmed the public's positive attitude towards digital collections.
In the metaverse world, users are both content creators and players. With the help of metacosm, brands can break boundaries and change from the narrator of the story to the co-creator of the story, truly linking the social power of Generation Z and allowing the brand story to continue to develop.
Digital people on call, who doesn't love?
From Lingling galloping in the field of carrying goods, to Nai Xue's tea official announcement virtual character NAYUKI as a brand ambassador... In just a few months, a variety of virtual people have attracted the attention of the whole network, and the prospect of commercial application of digital people has aroused industry expectations.
During the two sessions in 2021, the digital virtual editor "Little C" created by Baidu Intelligent Cloud appeared on CCTV, she not only mastered english, French, German and other multilingual inputs, but also interacted smoothly in real time. In November of the same year, CCTV News and Baidu Intelligent Cloud's first AI sign language anchor provided sign language services 24/7 starting from the Beijing Winter Olympics.
At the 2021 Baidu World Congress, Gong Jun sang and danced jay Chou's "Nocturne", instantly stunning the audience. In November, Baidu App officially launched the hyper-realistic digital person "Gong Jun Digital Man", which can communicate with users by voice and provide search services. You ask him "what's the weather like today, and he'll quickly identify and broadcast the first search results in a gentle voice." Judging from the reaction of fans, they like this "on call" virtual idol.
Gong Jun's digital person can be called a combination of "service-oriented digital person" and "performing arts digital person". A star artist's time and energy are often limited, and their digital people, like adding "three heads and six arms", can be highly active in social platforms and various brand activities, through lottery, science, Amway and other forms, with each user intimate interaction, accumulation of user stickiness.
Baidu has long realized that functional virtual digital people with dual attributes of service + promotion can be widely used in virtual assistants, celebrity interaction, brand launches and other fields. In 2020, Baidu APP released the AI exploration officer "Du Xiaoxiao", she is based on the ability of Xiaodu assistant, with visual recognition capabilities, users can promote her growth and evolution with every awakening and dialogue she has.
In January 2022, GAC AION LX PLUS jointly held a new car conference with Du Xiaoxiao, allowing the new car AION LX PLUS to land on "Mars" and break through the dimensional wall. At the press conference, Du Xiaoxiao interpreted the performance highlights of the new car one by one, making the original boring parameter explanation vivid and interesting.
The digital people of "service and companion" will provide users with thousands of services, and can also help brands release commercial value in more diversified ways, including video blockbusters, live connections, co-branded products, cover magazines, product upper bodies, etc., to create sustainable digital assets for brands and create more economic benefits.
It is reported that Baidu has opened the capabilities of the Baidu Intelligent YunxiLing Platform to the outside world, and strives to let everyone realize the freedom of digital people in the future.
Strong combination, play AI innovative marketing!
Digital people and meta-universe marketing are changing from trend to trend, and also bring new opportunities for brands to approach Generation Z. More and more brands hope to use the "black technology" game to make brands show a sense of technology, cool and futuristic.
So, how can brands quickly learn these "black technology" games and seize the industrial dividends such as meta-universes and digital people? From the cooperation between the above brands and Baidu, we can find the "right way to open".
Tip 1 is stationed in the metaverse ecosystem of the head platform
The metacosm is a mirror image of the real world, and all the scenes of the brand in the real world may be reproduced in the metaverse, and the challenge for the brand is: how to refine the granularity of the reproduction? With the help of Baidu Brain's leading ability in the fields of intelligent vision, intelligent speech, knowledge graph and other fields and the powerful computing power of Baidu Intelligent Cloud, brands can build vivid combination scenes for their own needs, such as car companies can build car factories, showrooms, test drive tracks, 4S stores and other scenarios, greatly reducing the cost of trial and error in the early stage.
Tip 2 leverages platform AI technology to create virtual digital people
With virtual digital people, brands can easily create avatar spokespersons that match their own culture and brand tonality, as a breakthrough in communication with Gen Z. Through Baidu's portrait drive engine, speech engine, semantic engine and other technologies, brands can create vivid, vivid and realistic digital people and launch "warm" dialogues with users. By working with Baidu Digital People, brands can also obtain one-stop virtual host/virtual idol/brand spokesperson creation and operation services, and realize the freedom of digital people with "zero threshold".
Tip 3 worked with the platform to build a digital art collection channel
The integration of digital collection and patent rights takes into account the value of art and collection, and explores a new business operation model for brands. But if brands want to attract the attention and collection of potential collectors, they first need to rely on blockchain technology to build a collection channel. Baidu's first digital collection platform, Baidu Super Chain, provides strong technical support and channel support for the brand. Users log on to the mobile Baidu APP to search for "digital collections" and open the "Baidu Super Chain Digital Collections" mini program to collect them with one click, and brands can also get new growth opportunities from them.
Over the years, Baidu has been using technology to unlock innovative ways of brand marketing, and find a more efficient and warm "emotional connection" between brands and users through AI technology. From using AI speech synthesis capabilities to help brands and users talk, to using AR technology to achieve in-depth interaction between users and brands, to today's virtual spokespersons and meta-universe conferences, Baidu continues to help brands amplify AI potential energy and quickly seize "market attention".
It is foreseeable that AI technology will further play the role of "middle platform" in the future, helping brands to connect user insights, content creativity, advertising delivery, long-term operation and other links, creating a more integrated marketing case, so that brands and users, machine language and natural language can fully communicate in the open field.
At present, the 5th season of the 2022 Baidu AI Marketing Creative Season has been launched, as an event focusing on AI marketing, we can see some business owners, brands, and products that embrace AI marketing, and find more ingenious ways to play and create. This year, how will brands achieve "virtual and real integration" in the metaverse? And how will the virtual digital person be used to pull into the distance of the user? I believe we can see the next AI marketing outlet that cannot be missed.