Oberalp takes its first steps into the Metaverse
Oberalp takes its first steps in the Metaverse to discover new virtual opportunities to offer mountain lovers and its partners
On the occasion of the Oberalp Summit, an annual meeting organized by the Oberalp Group to present and discuss current or future issues impacting the outdoor world, research was conducted with the aim of analyzing and investigating the opportunities and limitations of the Metaverse for companies specializing in mountain sports. The study, conducted among more than 2,500 respondents, shows that the time for presenting products in a virtual-only format is still premature, but that ample space is given to educational programs for their best use and to do awareness work in the community. It is ruled out that the Metaverse with its features such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and related technologies such as glasses and visors can replace a real experience.
In 2022 alone, investment in companies and start-ups operating in the Metaverse was $120 billion. By 2030, according to estimates by the German consulting firm, Dr. Wieselhuber & Partner GmbH, this market will be worth between $1 and $8 trillion. There is no doubt, then, that the Metaverse, with its “virtual worlds” and interconnectedness, represents an investment opportunity for companies in every sector today.
“The theme of the Metaverse has fascinated us from the start because it brings with it more questions than answers. Will the mountain become an experience that can be experienced in the virtual world as well? Will communities and alpine sports enthusiasts arise in the Metaverse? We don’t know yet, but it is important to find out now to keep up with the times and to understand what challenges and opportunities await us as Oberalp Group” comments Christoph Engl, CEO of the Oberalp Group.
Thus, several potentials emerge that the South Tyrolean company wants to seize by announcing the development, in the short term, of virtual experiences not only for mountain enthusiasts but also for those taking their first steps (virtual or physical) in the mountains. In particular, to better interact with partners and customers, Oberalp will develop virtual showrooms and many other digital services for a unique product experience for its six mountain brands Salewa, Dynafit, Wild Country, Pomoca, Evolv, and LaMunt.
“The idea to talk about Metaverse came from the need to understand what the next stage of development would be for our online business, both from a sales perspective and at the strategic level of brand building and communication. We launched our first e-commerce site in 2015 under the Salewa brand. Since then, buying our products has become a multichannel experience, where there co-exist physical store and e-commerce. It is therefore incumbent on us to question the life of our brands in the Metaverse as well,” adds Ruth Oberrauch, member of the Oberalp Group Board of Directors.
The Metaverse represents a great opportunity to build a brand’s reputation on future generations. Through numerous virtual platforms, inhabited by heterogeneous communities with specific interests and passions, the Metaverse becomes a rich territory for creating communication and brand awareness campaigns, with initiatives also aimed at new target groups such as Gen Z and young people under 20. By bringing brands together, these initiatives aim to build strong and lasting relationships for future mountain visitors as well.
Another great strength of the Metaverse in relation to mountains and of great interest to Oberalp is the possibility of integrating training platforms into it. As the mountain sports industry and its products are often very technical and innovative, requiring in-depth and detailed explanations, developing presentations on digital platforms will bring significant benefits.
Product representation and visualization through augmented reality is also very useful at the point of sale to display products of certain sizes. In fact, the Salewa brand recently developed an innovative solution to visualize its tents through the use of VR technology. To date, the solution has not yet been applied to stores, however, discussions are underway at Oberalp on how this technology can also find implementation in the creation of virtual showrooms for its six mountain brands.
The Oberalp Group is confident of the many possibilities that the Metaverse already offers and will continue to offer, and envisions a future in which digital experiences and the real mountain will coexist.
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