What is Walmart Realm?

+ Barbie and Hotwheels video games, and Hugo Boss XP

Welcome back from the long weekend! Whether you were enjoying Labor Day (🇺🇸) or the 2nd May Bank Holiday (🇬🇧), Edition #11 of The SEG3 Report has you covered as you ease back into the week.

This week we cover another immersive launch from the biggest company born out of Arkansas, USA: Walmart! Thanks to Mattel's partnership with Outright Games, Barbie, Hotwheels, and Monster High are all coming to consoles and PCs. And finally, Hugo Boss launched a Web3 customer loyalty program.

So, here’s what you need to know this week:

Let’s dive in…

Walmart enters (more!) new immersive shopping realms

Walmart Realm is a new immersive online shopping platform launched by Walmart. It features three virtual shopping environments - "So Jelly," "Y'allternative," and "Go Chromatic" - curated by social media influencers and designed around trending aesthetics and social media themes.

These virtual "realms" transport customers into 360-degree worlds with custom soundtracks and visuals, where they can explore the environments, interact with products, play nostalgic online games, and collect virtual rewards, cleverly places as Walmart “Sparks”. The products available for purchase within each realm align with its unique theme and aesthetic, ranging from neon handbags in the underwater "So Jelly" world to gothic western apparel in "Y'allternative."

Customers can click on products to add them to their cart and then checkout on Walmart.com to complete the purchase. The platform aims to gamify the online shopping experience by immersing customers in these virtual worlds curated by influencers.

Why you should care?

Walmart is relentless.

Walmart Realm represents the retailer's latest foray into virtual worlds and the metaverse, following previous initiatives like launching experiences on Roblox. It leverages technology from virtual shopping company Emperia and is part of Walmart's broader strategy to embrace emerging platforms and technologies to meet customers where they are online.

You have to give Walmart credit for not resting on its laurels. By some measures the largest company in the world, Walmart is taking immersive technology extremely seriously and is determined to remain a retail giant regardless of the medium.

Having already broken new ground in Roblox by connecting digital and physical purchases, Walmart's new project is perhaps even more ambitious, seeking to draw the audience away from pre-existing platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and, of course, Roblox into a wholly owned and operated Walmart space.

Time will tell if they can select influencers with the right eye for customer relevancy and the total audience to bring fans into the realm. But the Waltons are betting the answer is yes, and they can afford to employ an “if you build it, they will come” strategy.

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 Mattel and Outright announce partnership


Mattel, the iconic toy company, has announced a multi-year strategic partnership with Outright Games, a leading publisher of family-friendly video games. This partnership kicks off with the release of three new games for consoles and PC before the end of 2024: “Matchbox Driving Adventures”, “Monster High: Skulltimate Secrets”, and “Barbie Project Friendship”.

The partnership aligns with Mattel's strategy to deepen its engagement in the digital gaming sector, leveraging its beloved brands to create compelling experiences for a global audience. With successes like Barbie DreamHouse Tycoon and Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged, Mattel's digital games reached 48 million monthly active players in 2023. As the company nears its 80th anniversary, it aims to expand its digital footprint across more platforms and resonate with fans of all ages.

Outright Games, renowned for producing high-quality family-friendly games, is the perfect partner to bring Mattel's franchises to life on gaming consoles. The games will offer a range of experiences, from high-speed driving adventures with Matchbox to stories emphasizing teamwork and friendship with Barbie and Monster High.

Why you should care?

This project is textbook example of ‘playable media’, made all the more relevant due to the quality of the IP involved. 

By leveraging its iconic brands and partnering with a reputable game publisher like Outright Games, Mattel is positioning itself to capture a share of the gaming industry, which is expected to continue its upward trajectory.

Moreover, the partnership allows Mattel to extend the reach and longevity of its beloved franchises, such as Barbie, Monster High, and Matchbox, by introducing them to new audiences and platforms. By creating engaging and immersive gaming experiences around these brands, Mattel can deepen the connection with existing fans while attracting new ones, ensuring the relevance and popularity of its intellectual properties for generations to come.

The collaboration with Outright Games underscores Mattel's commitment to delivering family-friendly transmedia experiences. By partnering with a company that specializes in creating accessible and enjoyable games for all ages, Mattel is reinforcing its position as a provider of wholesome and engaging content for families. 

Hugo Boss create Web3 loyalty program

Hugo Boss has launched a new customer loyalty program called Hugo Boss XP.. The program blends traditional loyalty features like levels and points with blockchain-supported elements and Web3 features.

Members can collect and redeem tokens (NFTs) through purchases and interactions across channels and brands. These tokens act as keys to unlock products, unique brand experiences, and special offers from Boss, Hugo, and partners. The program also plans to enable customers to trade these tokens in the future.

Aligning with Hugo Boss' two-brand strategy, customers can experience the program through Boss XP or Hugo XP, enhancing brand discovery and engagement. The program uses digital and physical touchpoints and customer data to create a hyper-personalized and localized omnichannel experience.

Why you should care?

Okay, it is another Web3 brand loyalty program. What’s the news? 

First, what we have heard before:

  • By integrating blockchain technology and Web3 features into a loyalty program, Hugo Boss sets another industry benchmark for customer engagement in the fashion sector. 

  • The launch of Hugo Boss XP strengthens the company's position as an industry innovator and aligns with its vision to become a leading premium tech-driven fashion platform worldwide. 

  • It demonstrates Hugo Boss' commitment to leveraging technology to enhance customer experiences and loyalty.

What feels a bit more fresh and modern: 

  • The use of NFTs and the potential for token trading introduces a novel and engaging experience for customers.

  • The clear commercial intention for Hugo Boss XP is to drive higher customer lifetime value, supporting the company's profitable growth journey.

  • The program's omnichannel approach is not cryptowallet dependant, and, leverages both digital and physical touchpoints, creating a seamless and personalized experience for customers across various channels.

While many Web3 loyalty programs focus solely on blockchain technology and NFTs, Hugo Boss XP attempts to blend traditional loyalty with innovative blockchain-supported elements and Web3 features. This hybrid approach aims to make the programme more accessible and engaging for all customers - not just Web3 natives.

In other news…

A quick round-up of other stories we found interesting this week!

Working on anything cool, or have a press release you would like us to cover? Send it in for the chance for it to be covered in next week’s edition!