The cultural dimension of Web3

CODES, CULTURE CHANGES, AND A COMMERCIAL (BRAND) PERSPECTIVE

The ominous web3 is amongst us – whether it is the dawn of a new, better internet or another pandora's box full of bizarre businesses is yet to be seen. What can be seen though is the effect of blockchain technology, metaverses, and NFTs already have on:

1. Commercial(s): platforms

2. Codes: aesthetics

3. Communication: vernacular

COMMERCIAL

FIRST-MOVER BRAND BATTLES AND PRODUCT PLATFORMS

Every week now we read about another major brand entering the metaverse, launching an NFT collection, or buying a web3 player for their portfolio – last month sports brands Nike and Adidas were battling for the first-mover spot with their Swoosh platform and digital fashion collection respectively. This month Porsche takes over the hot Miami event NFTNOW and the H&M Metaverse Design Story collection takes the mainstream clothing brand one step further into phygital brand experiences for the masses.

Physical ready-to-wear garments and digital garments in one

©Images courtesy of H&M

While early attempts saw brands “just” launching an NFT collection without real-life value or letting consumers pay for goods with cryptocurrencies the shift to valuable phygital experiences has begun. Luxury, fashion, and automotive are leading the charge toward immersive, web3 based brand-experiences more and more brands will and need to follow to capture some of the attention of GenZ and affluent consumers in the future.

“Luxury, fashion, and automotive are leading the charge
toward immersive, web3 based brand-experiences more and more
brands will and need to follow to capture some of the attention
of GenZ and affluent consumers in the future.”

–– Katharina Kiéck ––

CODES

FROM PUNKS AND MONKEYS TO #WAGMI

Relevant innovations and trends always bring changes in behavior, new habits, symbols, and words with them – web3 is no different. Most notable (and irritating probably) are the pixelated, childlike, playful, street-art, comical visuals the most notorious of NFTs brought into the mainstream.

From CryptoPunks to CryptoKitties

Amongst the 10 most expensively sold NFTs 5 have been crypto punks

Dapper Labs >Dragon CryptoKitty< was sold for a whooping $1 080 000

While these are not the only visual directions – especially with analogously successful artists entering the space – they are the biggest change. VIPs, VPs, and VCs swapping their profile pictures on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, or in the family chat for Kitty's, Punks, and Penguins is a signal of change. Whether they are a valuable investment is a question we are not here to answer.

One of the biggest changes ahead lies in the platforms used in the wake of web3. From Discord servers to telegram groups to Notion Roadmaps. The fast and further growing platforms are a far cry from Instagram posing aesthetics and broad Facebook advertising. Brands will need to build communities and followerships differently on these platforms if they want to stay relevant.

Discord: VoIP & instant messaging social platform that gained massive usage through the gaming community originally.

“Relevant innovations and trends always bring changes in behavior,
new habits, symbols, and words with them – web3 is no different.
Brands will need to build communities and followerships differently
on these platforms, if they want to stay relevant.”

–– Katharina Kiéck ––

COMMUNICATION

NEW RULES OF COMMUNICATION

Web3 conversations do not only take place on different platforms – but they also include a different vernacular. From “Crypto-Twitter” to Discord – new abbreviations and acronyms serve as differentiators between those in the know and those who are not “gonna make it”.

Some brands get in on the discourse as you can see in the Twitter conversation between Budweiser, Pepsi and Meta 2022. New rules of communication and how to speak the language of this rising group of fans and frens are crucial for future-oriented brand communication.

STAY RELEVANT IN THE FUTURE

HOW COULD YOUR BRAND TRANSFORM CULTURAL BEHAVIOR?

The above-listed signs and shifts can only scratch the surface of the cultural and behavioral changes pushed forward by “web3” and all that this term currently entails.

For a deeper understanding of the above or further contemplation on

1. How artists monetize and grow web3

2. How activism worked its way into the metaverse

3. Which brands and products lead the space

reach out to STURMundDRANG and our Tec and future expert Katharina Kiéck to book one of our web3 educational days focussing on cultural and behavioral changes.

aschubring@sturmunddrang.de
+49 40 - 20 20 100 30

Author: Katharina Kiéck

Founder and CEO of LoyalSea

The anthropologist originally wanted to become a museum curator or mixed martial arts pro – a far cry from her focus on pushing diversity in media production today. Between one and the other she worked as futurist, brand strategist at Twitter and CSO at an Artificial Intelligence Start-Up.