Consumers want everyday things in the metaverse

More than half (55%) of consumers want to be active users of the metaverse and nearly all of that group (90%) want to be doing so in the next year, according to a survey by Accenture. 

Why it matters

There’s a danger that the hype around the metaverse is creating expectations among consumers that businesses may struggle to meet effectively. (Remember how Mark Zuckerberg was mocked when he unveiled his Horizons World avatar?) 

But business leaders can’t ignore the evidence of a high level of consumer interest, however it was created. Accenture’s parallel survey* of C-suite executives suggests that 89% believe the metaverse will play an important role in their organization’s future growth: 4.2% of company revenues, or a total of $1 trillion, could come from metaverse experiences and commerce by the end of 2025.

Takeaways 

• Gaming is appealing for 59% of metaverse users, but only 4% of consumers generally see the metaverse as just a gaming platform. 
• 70% of all consumers say they intend to use the metaverse to access products and services across media and entertainment, fitness, retail, travel and healthcare. 
• While preferences vary by age, there is a common desire among consumers to enhance things they are already doing every day, whether that’s the experience of working out at home (cited by 60%) or improving interactions with health professionals (55%).
• Top features consumers want are easy-to-use interfaces (cited by 70%) and access to a wide variety of applications (68%).

Key quote

“Businesses able to deliver tangible experiences that address consumer needs in key areas of interest will gain early-mover advantage in a rapidly forming metaverse industry” – Kevan Yalowitz, Software & Platforms industry practice lead at Accenture.

*Accenture produced two separate reports, the first based on a survey of 9,156 consumers around the world, the second on a survey of 3,200 C-suite executives.

Sourced from Accenture