Second Life Safaris - Booking Now!

Generally I don't mix that much with marketing types - at least not in Real Life. However, for reasons I have yet to fathom - at least, without the aid of a therapist - I seem to be rubbing virtual shoulders with marketeers and other creatives in SL and related blogs with astonishing regularity. This is doing my geek credenda no end of harm, but it does mean I pick up some interesting bits & pieces that occasionally I feel worth sharing with you, dear reader.

Are you a marketeer who has no idea what SL is all about? Or maybe you've been frightened off the SL experience by an unfortunate encounter with a giant (and I mean "giant") furry penis? Well, fear not, those awfully nice folk at K-Zero have got a solution for you - Marketing Safaris in Second Life. The safari season does not actually start until March, but you can book now to avoid disappointment and tantrums later. The safari will seemingly consist of a guided tour of some interesting and relevant sites, where you can pick up handy hints and tips on marketing in SL. The safaris (apparently there's more than 1, to suit different levels of experience) are aimed at UK-based marketeers. However, if you can manage an accent more convincing than Dick Van Dyke's in "Mary Poppins" ("bloy-me, Me-air-ee Poor-pins") then maybe they will let you in.

Any road, toddle along here to register, chuck.

Oh... and if it's not your lucky day, you might find me helping out.

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I've had a number of conversations with SLers in recent weeks about what works and what doesn't in SL. There has been general agreement that AOL Pointe is a great example of "what works", while most people who expressed a preference reckoned that Cisco had missed by a country mile. I've already discussed AOL in an earlier entry, and I would certainly agree that they've put together a compelling blend of branding and interactivity, and have crafted a good "sticky" site as a result (or rather Electric Sheep have on their behalf).

I finally got round to visiting the Cisco islands for the first time the other evening, and I have to confess I didn't think it was bad - certainly no worse than most RL company sites, and better than many. It has freebies (if you are really desperate for a corporate T-shirt) and a newbie orientation zone, together with a new tropical bar area for a bit of chilling. There's also plenty of links to their website if you are so inclined to discover more about Cisco's products and other paraphenalia. However, it does seem to be another Ghost Sim, so there is clearly something missing. My guess is (a) lack of someone to meet & greet, (b) lack of events and (c) little to prolong one's stay after an initial look-see. They've got 2 more islands, so let's hope they take the opportunity to make these a bit more engaging.

NEWSFLASH: The grid will be down for its fortnightly maintenance slot on 21st Feb from 7:00-9:00 AM SLT. Should be a doddle :-)