Is the future of luxury in gaming?

Today I have Michael Norris, Research and Strategy Manager at Agency China, on the podcast to discuss the growing intersection of luxury and gaming, from collaborations with virtual influencers, to luxury brands creating their own games or gamifying the shopping experience, to brands creating product lines influenced by characters from popular online games.

This trend is not isolated to China, it is a global phenomenon, so we discuss the origins of the trend and how it manifests itself differently in the West vs. in China, and how it might develop in the future. To help illustrate the trend, Michael and I shared several case studies which I have linked to below!

Resources/Mentioned in the Episode:

1. Global Phenomenon
   1. LV: Lightning – A Virtual Heroine
   2. Even better than the real thing? Meet the virtual influencers taking over your feeds
   3. You can try on the latest Adidas sneaker drop on Snapchat
   4. From Animal Crossing to esports: how fashion met gaming
   5. Animal Crossing

2. China Angle
   1. Dissecting the 10 Best Luxury WeChat Campaigns
   2. Luxury brands Hermès, Guerlain and Dior use mobile games to attract Chinese millennials
   3. Beauty games: M.A.C. lipstick collaboration with Tencent mobile game sells out in 24 hours (not specifically luxury, but relevant)
   4. Why luxury brands are betting on Bilibili
   5. Alibaba Uses Lockdown to Promote Its Virtual Avatar Game
   6. Can Virtual Influencers and Avatars Change the Face of Chinese Ecommerce?
   7. What Could Be the Next Trend for Livestreaming?

Guest: Michael Norris

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljohnnorris/

Twitter: briefnorris