Telstra has decided to pull the pin on its bigpond Second Life experience, evicting “residents” and causing outrage in the interim. Second Life is a virtual world that enables members to build or trade in-world objects and interact through their “avatars”. In its early days, organisations raced to set up a presence in order to engage withusers and customers on a new level. The Second Life platform peaked in 2005, interest has since dropped off considerably.
Second Life wasnt exactly the commercial success some businesses had hoped for. Telstra has stuck it out for a lot longer than most others.
Brands that try to innovate using Social Media need to remember that when they enter into a strategy they also need to consider their exit strategy. Offering customers reduced rates and incentives to provide feedback is just one very important piece of the puzzle.
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