In 2009, Internet users bought nearly $2.2 billion worth of virtual goods; experts forecast that number will increase to $6 billion by 2013. – eMarketer
Applications and social games that allow users to spend real-world money to enhance their online experience are the top earners in the virtual numbers game.
“Last year, social games, one of the most popular forms of social application, generated over $500 million in revenue — the majority of which came from social games on Facebook.” – Mashable
This growing trend of virtual shopping presents a huge opportunity for premium food marketers to repurpose their real-world product in an online world.
UK newspaper, The Guardian recently reported that Small Planet Foods, a subsidiary of General Foods, had introduced a new brand of organic blueberries that only exists in the virtual world where it is traded although the money needed to purchase them is quite real. The blueberries represent a “brand extension” of a real-world product which General Foods plans to use to establish a presence in FarmVille.
As consumers continue to spend more time engaging with social gaming tools, how can you integrate your food product into this virtual world? Is there an application or game that currently exists, such as Second Life or FarmVille, where you would like to create a presence? Or, would you create your own virtual world or game to engage customers?
