Multiplied Living

Imagine a future where we all have multiple personalities.

Multiplied Living describes a future where with the advent of the metaverse, our online selves will shift into a new era, becoming multiple 3-D walking, talking representations. How will we navigate this shift and reinvent ourselves in this new world? And could we become the best version of ourselves, powered by AI?

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Why is this important for brands?

It allows brands to target one consumer in multiple ways with multiple offerings.

Who we present ourselves as online may change over time and be at odds with our offline personas. The digital sphere suddenly opens up many opportunities to explore new versions of ourselves. What positive, unique characteristics or versions of ourselves could we (and brands) explore? An enticing world of freedom from monotony and endless adventure awaits.

What's driving all of this?

Psychologists believe that we constitute many selves; according to Brian Little, a personality psychologist at Cambridge University, we all have three layers – biogenic (biological), sociogenic (sociocultural influences), and idiogenic (interests, likes and dislikes etc.). The layers are often at odds with each other, and at times one layer will come more to the fore, changing the person's personality. 

The rapid acceleration of our social selves has progressed from the early days of online message boards & forums to Facebook, Twitter and now TikTok. We've been under the digital spotlight for decades; however, it's about to step up a gear. 

Data signals of now:

Exciting research is being done into the construction of our digital identities, from online personas to correlations with mental health:

There are 5 dimensionsof online personas

According to research by the Universities of Western Australia, Adelaide and Wollongong, they are; public, mediatised, performative, collective and value.

Buying clothing for our metaverse selves isexpected to increase to US$ 6.61 billion by 2026

with an expected compound annual growth rate of 36.47%

52% of Gen Z Gamers feel more like themselves in the metaverse than in real life

according to research by VICE Media Group and Razorfish

THE "MIGHTY" QUESTION:

How might brands celebrate our multiple selves by empowering consumers to show up however they want to, wherever they want to, at any given moment?

THE "MIGHTY" SOLUTION

Hidden Needs Research: Uncover consumers' hidden needs to create meaningful brand and product innovation opportunities.

Our Hidden Needs research explores how people construct meaning for what they need from brands and products through in-depth interviews.

Our approach explores how individuals experience and interpret reality differently by devising and navigating their unique personal constructs, which subconsciously guide their brand and product preferences. We uncover the meaning of their constructs through structured compare and contrast discussion, which results in a rich understanding of their hidden needs.

Brand Exemplars

Several early-adopter brands & causes are already exploring Multiplied Living:

Virtual sneakers

In December 2021, Nike acquired metaverse sneaker company Rtfkt, and in April 2022, released a collaboration digital sneaker Nike Cryptokicks, with the sneakers only available to people who already own Rtfkt's NFT Mnlth; the company are offering eight customisable skins.

AI Avatars

The company Synthesia has created lifelike professional business AI avatars for videos that can be programmed to present a script which can instantly be translated into over 50 languages, and you can also customise the avatar to mimic an individual's facial expressions, inflexion and intonation.

Virtual influencers

Lil Maquela is the world's most famous virtual influencer; the 19-year-old robot has 3 million Instagram followers, has modelled for Prada, and made a virtual appearance at Coachella, named by TIME magazine as of the world's 25 most influential people on the internet.

Employee avatars

India's NextMeet is an avatar-based immersive reality platform aiming to combat the isolation and disconnection of remote working; the platform offers spaces for interactive working and collaboration, from virtual offices and meeting rooms to conference centres and exhibition spaces.

Life after death clones

LA tech company StoryFile has allowed customers to appear at their funerals via an AI-powered video platform. The technology captures a 'personal life story' video, is used to create a Q&A session following their death and is already in use in the US.

Virtual gigs

In August 2021, Ariana Grande headlined the Rift Tour concert held in Fortnite, with over one million virtual attendees at its peak; it follows similar gigs by Lil Nas X and Travis Scott, held in Roblox and Fortnite, respectively.