Those numbers sound high until you think about how many equipment manufacturers started offering virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) options for service and training during the pandemic. Over the past few years, virtual plant tours, digital twins of equipment, and AR-assisted service calls have become common offerings. They may not have specifically been touted as part of “the metaverse,” but they all fit the definition.
This trend toward the use of virtual worlds will likely continue as technologies improve and manufacturers start to realize the very tangible bottom-line benefits, such as the money saved from testing a piece of equipment before it’s even built. Keith Shaw, contributing editor for the Association for Advancing Automation identifies the following as the top five ways the industrial metaverse will benefit manufacturers:
- Training employees more quickly, more safely
- Simulations ahead of physical deployments can find improvements
- Using AR/VR for field service workers to repair equipment on the job
- Product design collaboration virtually around the world
- Building physical products from virtual designs; adding digital assets from physical items
The metaverse also offers huge potential for food brands to interact with consumers in new ways.
In PwC’s survey, 36% of executives said they plan to use the metaverse to create virtual content for customers to engage with. Coca-Cola is a leader among food and beverage brands in this area.
Last month, Coca-Cola celebrated its one-year anniversary in the metaverse by dropping a new digital collectible, of which there are now more than 4,000. People who own these digital collectibles have access to special perks, like Coke Studio experiences, gaming events, and early access to limited-edition product launches. Earlier this year, Coca-Cola launched the limited-edition Coca-Cola® Zero Sugar Byte, a gaming-inspired sparkling beverage that “[brings] the flavor of pixels to life.”
Providing these kinds of experiences may be key for food brands to re-engage consumers who have become more interested in private label since pandemic-related shortages meant they couldn’t find their normal brands, EY senior analyst Jon Copestake told Food Navigator.
Restaurant chains are also taking to the metaverse. McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Chipotle have opened up virtual locations on Facebook’s metaverse (see Business Insider for descriptions and images), and several other restaurants, including Burger King, Yum Brands, and Chick-Fil-A have filed trademarks to join.
