The PR potential of the metaverse

Talk to a PR professional about the metaverse and you’re likely to get reactions that range from dismissive to confused — to downright anxious. It’s a concept many are discussing but few seem to truly understand.

For communications experts, that’s excusable for now. The metaverse is such a broad, ill-defined concept — infinity is implied in its name. But the massive uptick in discussions about it (with online mentions increasing over 30,000% in the last two years) should be a wake-up call for communicators because, like it or not, the metaverse is coming for our jobs — or at least the way we do our jobs.

So what will the metaverse mean for PR? And what should we be doing right now to start leveraging its potential?

Defining the term

First, we have to understand what it is. An instructive definition comes from last year’s introduction via Meta (formerly Facebook): “a set of virtual spaces where you can create and explore with other people who aren’t in the same physical space as you.” But that’s not quite it. For those in our profession, the metaverse is a much more immersive way to connect and communicate — that means richer, more compelling experiences engaging stakeholders and convening key audiences.