JOURNAL OF GLOBAL FASHION MARKETING

2024, VOL. 15, NO. 3, 320–340

https://doi.org/10.1080/20932685.2024.2331518

Fashion brands in the metaverse: Achievements from

a marketing perspective
a a
Patricia SanMiguel , Teresa Sádaba and Narmin Sayeedb
a
ISEM Fashion Business School, University of Navarra, Madrid, Spain; bFaculty of Communication, Culture
and Society, USI Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland

ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY

Since the early developments of Web3 and the Metaverse, the Received 30 October 2023
fashion industry has been actively launching initiatives, especially Revised 30 January 2024
through gamification, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and shopping Accepted 12 March 2024
experience. Up until now the academic literature relating to the KEYWORDS
implications for fashion brands in a digital fashion marketing con­ Metaverse; fashion brands;
text has been scarce. Through a systematic content analysis of 235 marketing; branding; digital
articles published between 2021 and 2023 in Vogue Business and
The Business of Fashion, this research has focused on the main
brands and uses of the Metaverse, as well as their real applications.
Through a thorough analysis, this research reveals that the most
active fashion sub-industries on the Metaverse are those relating to
luxury, sportswear and beauty, with Nike, Gucci and Hermès emer­
ging as the leading brands. Furthermore, when it comes to fashion
and the Metaverse, the most popular topics relate to NFTs and
gamification, to the point that they are used as synonyms of the
Metaverse. This practice creates confusion, not only in terms of the
meaning of the term “metaverse”, but also regarding its implica­
tions for fashion brands. Finally, the study identifies issues that
demand further analysis in subsequent academic research regard­
ing the notion of falsity and the Metaverse.

1. Introduction
Over the past few decades, the fashion industry has become one of the first to embrace
digital disruptors, such as Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), the
Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented and Virtual Reality
(AR and VR), 3D modelling and Social Media Networks, to name just a few (Alexander &
Bellandi, 2022; Baek et al., 2022). Digital transformation strongly influences fashion
marketing and communication (Cantoni et al., 2020). Thus, every new emerging dis­
ruptor has the potential to become a paradigm-shifter for fashion brands. This is the case
with the Metaverse, a complex space and place.
Barrera and Shah (2023) refer to the Metaverse as a “hyper-connected digital
universe”, while Hackl et al. (2022) argue that it is a combination of physical and
digital reality, enabled and powered by AR and VR. The Metaverse is a sum of

CORRESPONDENCE TO Patricia SanMiguel patricia.sanmiguel@isem.es ISEM Fashion Business School,

Universidad de Navarra, Marquesado de Santa Marta, 3, Madrid 28027, Spain
© 2024 Korean Scholars of Marketing Science
 JOURNAL OF GLOBAL FASHION MARKETING 321

cutting-edge technologies, such as blockchains, social algorithms and AI (De la

Fuente Prieto et al., 2022). Furthermore, Joy et al. (2022, p. 340) describe the
Metaverse as “a place where predominantly young consumers develop online lives,
with avatars who can move, speak and be customized to look in whatever way their
creators wish”. Through scrutiny of multiple definitions of the Metaverse, this
research proposed its own definition to the phenomenon, of which we are reminding
the esteemed reader once more: Metaverse is a perpetual, persistent, and synchronous
multi-user digital environment, which merges traits and basic characteristics of
physical reality with the technology, opportunities, and allowances of digital
virtuality.
According to Google Trends, worldwide web-searches for “metaverse” have
increased dramatically since October 2021. This sudden interest in the term is most
likely due to Mark Zuckerberg’s rebranding of “Facebook Inc”. into “Meta Inc.”, as
well as the launch of “Horizon Worlds” (Dwivedi et al., 2022). The inappropriate use
of “metaverse” as a synonym for VR and AR has become widespread in the media
and literature. Indeed, there is an ongoing debate on whether or not the Metaverse is
“the fad or the future” (Aiello et al., 2022). Although there are numerous published
studies on the concept of the “metaverse”, fundamental academic contributions
regarding the Metaverse in the context of fashion marketing and its role in Digital
Fashion Marketing (DFM) for fashion brands are lacking. For instance, even though
Sayem (2022) positions digital humans and the Metaverse as one of four major
themes in digitization and innovation within the fashion industry, the author’s
main focus is on digital promotion and digital design (Sayem, 2022). Furthermore,
in the latest systematic literature review pertaining to digital fashion communication,
despite mentioning avatars and VR – both forming “building blocks” of the
Metaverse – Noris et al. (2021) do not mention the Metaverse and its disruptive
power in the fashion industry.
Even though we cannot predict the development of the Metaverse as a place and
a space (Joy et al., 2022), a number of studies incorporating a Metaverse fashion-
marketing approach were published in 2023 (Kniazeva et al., 2024; Mogaji et al., 2023,
H. Park & Lim, 2023; Sun et al., 2023). Nevertheless, only a handful of them focused on
fashion brands’ real use of the Metaverse, instead of the brands’ potential use of the tool.
This research examines and analyses these recent studies and highlights their implica­
tions regarding the marketing strategies of fashion brands. The objective of this study is
to detect, describe and analyze which initiatives in the Metaverse are the most common
in fashion brand communication and which are the most successful in brand marketing.
Therefore, the study applies a digital fashion marketing analysis approach and reviews
current trends established by the fashion industry and its presence in and shaping of the
Metaverse. For this reason, the main research questions are: RQ1 - What is the true use of
the Metaverse at fashion companies and the applications in Fashion Marketing? RQ2 -
What are the most mentioned application cases of the Metaverse in the Fashion
Marketing Industry?; RQ3 - How can we envision a DFM Future with the Metaverse
in it?
In order to answer these questions, a qualitative analysis of news and reports on the
Metaverse published in two of the most renowned fashion business magazines was
carried out: Vogue Business and The Business of Fashion.
322 P. SANMIGUEL ET AL.

2. Theoretical framework: Fashion marketing and communication in the

metaverse
2.1. The metaverse in the realm of marketing
The popularization of the Metaverse depends largely on three factors: 1) advanced
technological and communication infrastructures; 2) user-friendly platforms; and,
most importantly, 3) value-added applications for users (Kirkpatrick, 2022). “Digital
twin” – a facsimile of a physical entity, product, service, or even a person in the virtual
environment – is one of the applications of a meta-business model mentioned frequently
in the academic and industry literature (Abraham et al., 2022; Holopainen et al., 2022; Lv
et al., 2022). However, when mentioned, it is mostly within the context of supply chain
and production tracking, rather than marketing and communication strategies. Dwivedi
et al. (2022) analyze the applications of the Metaverse from two perspectives as a tool and
as a target: “‘Metaverse as a tool’ means the metaverse is used to solve difficulties and
problems in the real world. ‘Metaverse as a target’ refers to how the metaverse itself can
perform actions such as developing the metaverse and generating profits (. . .) The
metaverse itself is used as the target. In the beginning, the metaverse was used as a tool
that reflected the real world. However, people found social communication and value in
the metaverse”. (p. 7). Within this perspective, brands are interested in becoming part of
the Metaverse by following the current trend. Both perspectives are suitable within the
context of the Metaverse’s implications in fashion marketing and communication.
Many brands and companies have started to adapt their business models to the
Metaverse; some of these businesses have already experienced profit growth and success­
ful results (Abraham et al., 2022; Dwivedi et al., 2022). According to Barrera and Shah
(2023), consumer experience in the Metaverse exists in a three-dimensional space, at the
intersection of immersiveness, environmental fidelity and sociability. Examining aug­
mented reality marketing through the prism of Bick’s four marketing goals (branding,
inspiring, convincing and keeping), Rauschnabel et al. (2022) states that the most
researched communication elements in Web3 are advertising, social media and influen­
cer marketing. Furthermore, when discussing virtual marketing, Rauschnabel argues that
“branding” and “inspiring” are the most important features in communication within the
Metaverse (Rauschnabel et al., 2022).

2.2. Application of the metaverse in digital fashion marketing

As noted in the introduction, the literature that focuses on the Metaverse and its
applications to marketing for fashion brands is still very limited, as many researchers
have pointed out. However, 2023 was the year in which this line of research began to
develop more clearly.
Some studies indirectly address marketing in the Metaverse, analyzing Digital
Fashion Innovations (Sayem, 2022), the use of non-fungible tokens by luxury
brands (Joy et al., 2022; Sung et al., 2023) or the motivations of fashion brands
when it comes to entering the Metaverse (Kniazeva et al., 2024). However, two
studies should be highlighted that have directly addressed fashion marketing in the
Metaverse. The study by Mogaji et al. (2023) offers an analysis of the literature and
identifies three stakeholders that can shape the practice of fashion marketing and
 JOURNAL OF GLOBAL FASHION MARKETING 323

how to generate consumer engagement in the Metaverse. Furthermore, the research

carried out by H. Park and Lim (2023), in addition to proposing a typology of
current marketing strategies of fashion brands in the Metaverse, states that aca­
demic research is limited and there is a lack of consensus on the impact of the
Metaverse on the fashion industry. Table 1 highlights some of the most significant
studies.
The following three sub-sections analyze the findings under the heading of three
themes: Gamification, NFTs and Shopping Experience. These findings support and
complete the trends identified by Mogaji et al. (2023) and H. Park and Lim (2023).

2.2.1. The metaverse and gamification

The first time the Metaverse was ever insinuated as a business and marketing trend for
the fashion industry was in the “The State of Fashion” Reports in 2020, when the role of
gamification and virtual environments was scrutinized and the report mentioned how
Nike created special “skins” for the online multiplayer game “Fortnite”. Games and
game-based social networks were described by the report as one of the cornerstones of
Generation Z (GenZ) leisure and pastime, alongside regular social media. However, the
Metaverse, Web3 or the Token Economy were not mentioned.
While gaming is now considered to have an almost untapped marketing potential
(Bain, 2021), GenZ is considered to be one of the generations most likely to make a digital
purchase of luxury goods. In this respect, brands were advised to use games and virtual
platforms (as well as social media) as grounds for e-commerce (Amed & Berg, 2022a).
In contrast, “The State of Fashion” Report of 2022 delved into the depths of the
Metaverse and its place in fashion through the specified “Metaverse Mindset” section.
The gamification of marketing was highlighted as one of the top digital targets for brands.
Meta-gamification and virtualization of fashion for the luxury fashion brands, according
to the report, can be separated into two major flows (Amed & Berg, 2022a): a) brands
entering pre-established games and creating content for Metaverse Platforms and virtual
reality games (e.g. Ralph Lauren x Zepeto partnership), and b) brands creating games of
their own as part of a digital advertising campaign (e.g. FW2021 collection presentation
by Balenciaga).
Digital fashion itself is synonymized with games and gamification Noris et al. (2023).
Fashion in the digital setting is seen to benefit both individuals and brands in economic
(e.g. marketing, brand engagement, commerce), mental (e.g. sense of belonging, sense of
standing out), cultural (e.g. iconicity, cultural belonging and representation), and social
(e.g. social status in multiplayer games) terms (J. Park & Chun, 2023; H. Park & Lim, 2023).
Virtual games – and especially the aforementioned Fortnite – have “bridged the gap
between character and fashion design” (Särmäkari, 2023, p. 6). Digital skins and virtual
fashion in multi-user meta-environments are a short-term profit opportunity for brands
(Amed & Berg, 2022b; Alexandrova & Poddubnaya, 2023). Fashion brands can produce
immersive experiences through relationships between fashion and gaming, and can reach
new demographics and cohorts that are not usually exposed to luxury, thus interacting with
previously unattainable audiences (Amed & Berg, 2022a; Noris et al., 2023).
Gamification in the Metaverse can also drive user-generated content (UGC), increasing
brand-consumer collaborations in order to maintain consistent brand storytelling in the
Metaverse and keep consumers engaged with the experience (Wanick & Stallwood, 2023).
324 P. SANMIGUEL ET AL.

Table 1. Academic literature focus on fashion marketing and metaverse.

Author(s) and Marketing and Communication
Public Research aim Method/Sample Findings and Contribution
Mogaji et al. Identify three stakeholders that Conceptual framework; The study establishes three
(2023) can shape the practice of academic literature analysis metaverse stakeholders: Tech
fashion marketing developers; Fashion Brand;
Consumers. The study finds
that fashion brands generate
consumer engagement in the
metaverse by: creating
experiences and relevant
content for consumers;
ensure there is a prolonged
immersive time and
engagement; marketing
fashion line on metaverse;
offering digital-only
garments; sustainable
design; online fashion shows
and events; collectibles,
partnerships and
collaborations
Sung et al. Marketing strategies of Luxury Qualitative research, hypothesis Analysis of how NFTs contribute
(2023) brands by using blockchain- testing; 469 real users of the values to the brand such as:
based NFT metaverse platform in the appearance, authenticity,
United States (146) and scarcity, social value, and
South Korea (323). economic value. point to the
need to verify the
authenticity of NFTs. For men
the economic value of NFTs is
more important, and for
women the social value.
Launch of NFTs is an
opportunity for Brand
Awareness. Main platforms
used in United State Fortnite
and Roblox; in South Korea
Zepeto and Roblox.
H. Park and Lim Address gap Thematic analysis approach on The research found three main
(2023) limited academic research on trade journals and industry Brand Strategies in the
the metaverse’s influence on articles that cover fashion metaverse: releasing brand-
fashion brands’ marketing brands’ metaverse strategies related NFT assets; engaging
strategies and brand consumers with a virtual
experiences branded world in games and
virtual worlds; and leveraging
immersive technologies to
build brand experiences.
Kniazeva et al. Understand the Content analysis through The paper provides fast fashion
(2024) motivational factors driving google of publicly available brand motivations enter
fashion brands to establish website metaverse: environmental
a presence in the metaverse publications containing sustainability, sales
insights from fashion promotion. Luxury brand
industry leaders. motivations enter metaverse:
Competitive advantage,
brand identity. Fast Fashion
and Luxury motivations:
Consumer-Brand
relationships, OmniChannel
strategies.
(Continued)
 JOURNAL OF GLOBAL FASHION MARKETING 325

Table 1. (Continued).
Author(s) and Marketing and Communication
Public Research aim Method/Sample Findings and Contribution
Murtas et al. Analyses how the first Study of four cases of Luxury fashion brands can use
(2023) experiments of luxury fashion pioneering events with Web NFT to reinforce the
brands with Web 3.0 3.0 technologies: Louis The perception of scarcity,
technologies have been Game; Collaboration Balmain accelerate the “artification”
perceived by journalists and and Barbie Gucci Garden process, and innovatively
consumers Roblox, and the Metaverse convey their ancestral
Fashion Week. heritage. But must be
cautious about the risks of
conveying their distinctive
aesthetics ineffectively.
Profumo et al. Contribute to the Metaverse A systematic literature review The study explains that
(2024) and its implications for between 2009 and 2022 metaverse can increase
brands literature lack consumer experience,
change customer perception
and influence purchase
intentions. Authors propose
address marketing mix in the
metaverse.
Noris et al. Understand how fashion Analysis of secondary data and Fashion Brands can produce
(2023) companies adopt and adapt the study of three cases immersive experiences
digital games to develop through relationships
their communication and between fashion and
marketing strategies gaming, proposing three
categories: gamification in
fashion, fashion games and
fashion in games.
Alexandrova Peculiarities of using metaverse Conference paper; exploratory Branding through expanding
and in fashion industry research, no methodology real-world positioning;
Poddubnaya presented. Interacting with potential
(2023) and current customers;
engaging consumers by
providing virtual products;
building brand equity
through gamification.

2.2.2. The metaverse and non-fungible tokens

NFTs fit in perfectly with the concept of DFM in Web3 and the Metaverse. In fact, the
luxury industry and NFTs present some of the same qualities: both concepts are built on
the notion of exclusivity and limited supply, the value of the items is dictated by market
demand, and the target audience and most avid consumers belong to the youngest
generations with purchasing power, Millennials and Generation Z (Alexander &
Bellandi, 2022; Murtas et al., 2023).
“Immersive social environments” and the Metaverse are covered thoroughly in “The
State of Fashion 2023”. It was argued in the report that the Metaverse is one of the few
ways for brands to establish first-hand personal relationships with their customers, as
well as to build communities (Amed & Berg, 2022a). Community management is
especially applicable to fashion and luxury NFTs (Bain, 2023).
NFTs can help to add value to luxury fashion brands in the following terms: monetary
appeal, authenticity, proprietorship, scarcity, access, appearance, social value and eco­
nomic value. NFTs can also be used to generate hype, to attract new consumers and to
implement a new digital identity (Alexander & Bellandi, 2022; Sung et al., 2023). NFTs
326 P. SANMIGUEL ET AL.

might also accelerate the “artification” process, conveying ancestral heritage in an

innovative manner (Murtas et al., 2023)
NFTs are the long-term solution for brands to build relationships with customers, and
would be a relevant authentication item for luxury items in the future (Amed & Berg,
2022b; Bain, 2023). For instance, NFTs are a means of rewarding customer loyalty by
providing customers with access to exclusive services (Bain, 2022). One of the possible
applications of NFTs in Luxury Fashion consists of promotion of physical products via
virtual tokens: by attributing exclusive collection properties to the NFT and making it
available solely to token-holders, brands are marketing the limited supply of the physical
product as the benefit to consumers (Bain, 2022; Murtas et al., 2023). All in all, NFTs in
fashion have the potential to enhance customer relationships, to integrate the new Web3
business models into their structure, and increase and reward brand loyalty (Pont, 2021).
Even though NFTs are one of the more academically researched topics within DFM on
Web3, it is worth mentioning that most of the literature concerns the supply-chain and
secondary market applications (Alexander & Bellandi, 2022; Periyasami & Periyasamy,
2022; Sherman & Bain, 2022).

2.2.3. The metaverse and shopping experience

Even though retail and shopping experience in the Metaverse is a “huge market oppor­
tunity” (Sabanoglu, 2023), there is still a long way to go until it is applied widely
throughout the fashion industry. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, the phygital
fashion shopping experience, including smart mirrors and virtual try-ons – the precur­
sors of meta-shopping – has experienced considerable growth, which is a telltale sign of
the fact that consumers are open to virtual shopping (Ogunjimi et al., 2021).
The interface of meta-shopping is often imagined as simply a digital twin of the
shopping venue in the virtual environment – meta-mall, meta-shop or meta-boutique.
However, this approach to the meta-shopping experience is “shortsighted” (Stephens,
2021). The Metaverse provides the shopper with the opportunity to test out the virtual
equivalent of the physical product they are shopping for in an environment closest to the
moment of use. For instance, a puffer coat might not only be tried out on the avatar
resembling the end-user, but could also be tried out in an extreme-cold environment
simulation in the Metaverse (Stephens, 2021). Virtual stores can engage consumers and
contribute to the development of immersive and more stimulating retail experiences
(Profumo et al., 2024; Weiss, 2022)
AR and VR are two of the topics most connected to the Metaverse shopping experi­
ence (J. H. Kim et al., 2023; Ogunjimi et al., 2021). The success of the virtual shopping
experience depends on the degree of immersion in the shopping environment and the
high level of interactivity with it, these being the defining characteristics of the Metaverse
(J. H. Kim et al., 2023). One of the drawbacks of the virtual fashion shopping experience –
and, by extension, of meta-shopping – is the lack of tactile sense and haptic technologies
(Ornati & Kalbaska, 2022). Recent studies examined how purchasing intention for virtual
products through avatars and digital influencers in the Metaverse affects behaviour in the
real world (Haikel-Elsabeh, 2023; J. Park & Kim, 2023). Additionally, Venturini and
Columbano (2023) highlighted the fashion consumption values associated with the use of
the Metaverse – utilitarianism, social identity, personification, hedonism and personal
beliefs – and their implications for brands.
 JOURNAL OF GLOBAL FASHION MARKETING 327

Finally, it is important to highlight how the Metaverse has also influenced the devel­
opment of new products relating to fashion, going beyond NFTs, such as: digital skins for
gamified environments, digital skins for virtual influencers and digital twins (Chan et al.,
2023). However, one of the biggest challenges for fashion brands is how to analyse the
data provided by the Metaverse in order to improve the shopping experience (Profumo,
2024) and to understand how the metaverse will shape the future of consumers (Dwivedi
et al., 2023).

3. Study: Content analysis of brand marketing and consumer engagement

initiatives
3.1. Methodology
We carried out a systematic qualitative analysis of the content of news, studies
and reports on the Metaverse, following the approach and steps detailed by
Mayring (2004), Sjøvaag and Stavelin (2012) and Selvi (2019). Recent studies
focusing on blockchain technologies (Chen et al., 2021) or the Metaverse have
used similar research methodologies (Kniazeva et al., 2024; H. Park & Lim, 2023).
H. Park and Lim (2023) point out that the novelty of the Metaverse topic and the
emergence of this relatively new business environment makes research in trade
publications and international newspapers appropriate. Unlike H. Park and Lim’s
(2023) research, which chose Factiva as a data source, encompassing news items
published in the year 2021, this research focuses on media specialized in the
fashion industry and broadens the sample to include 2022.
Therefore, in order to analyse these contents, we selected the two most
renowned sources of news and information for the fashion business: Vogue
Business and The Business of Fashion (BoF). These fashion business magazines
are a good secondary source when it comes to tracking any new developments
regarding brands, and they regularly publish news and reports on the real appli­
cation of the Metaverse by fashion brands. The two sources selected offer relia­
bility and professional recognition within the industry, given their collaboration
with expert analysts, academics and reputable consulting firms such as McKinsey
& Company or Accenture. In addition, various academic studies have already
analyzed these two sources in their research (Ospital et al., 2023; Poorthuis et al.,
2020; Torregrosa & Sadaba, 2023).

3.1.1. Data gathering

Data was collected between October 2021 (which is considered to be the beginning of the
Metaverse as we understand it today, coinciding with the birth of Meta Inc.) and
January 2023, with all the content published on these websites being brought together
that included the keyword “metaverse” and “meta” (in the headline or in the full text).
The extraction of articles resulted in 130 articles from Vogue Business and 105 articles
from The Business of Fashion. The publications were reviewed carefully to examine their
relevance to this research and, as expected, due to the focus of the sources used, all the
articles found were kept for analysis.
328 P. SANMIGUEL ET AL.

3.1.2. Thematic coding and analysis

In order to identify themes, the authors conducted a thematic analysis on the
dominant narratives by initially reading and re-reading the articles, following
Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis methodology. The analysis process
took place in six steps: data familiarization, initial generation of ideas and codes,
searching for and identifying themes, reviewing themes, naming them, and final
report production. Data were coded manually and themes were reviewed throughout
the analysis process. At the same time, a fact sheet was prepared for each article,
including titles, date of publication, hyperlink and type of article (News, Criticism/
Opinion, Interview, Unclear/Mixed), as well as the brands that may have been
mentioned in the title.
The analysis of thematic coding was carried out concerning the realms of Marketing
and Communication. Thematic categories were created based on the Theoretical
Framework by developing inductive and deductive categories, using additional keywords
relating to different dimensions of the relationships between marketing and the
Metaverse, as explained in Table 2.

Table 2. Thematic categories in relation to domain of marketing and metaverse.

Category
type Category Name Description
Inductive Social Media Keyword “social media marketing”; mention of social media
platforms (e.g. Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok); mention of social
media corporations (e.g. Meta)
Influencer Marketing/Celebrity Keywords “influencer”, “influencer marketing”, “celebrity”; mention
Endorsement of a particular celebrity or influencer (e.g. Marilyn Monroe)
Advertisement Keywords “campaign”, “advertisement”, “ad”; mention of any kind
of paid media
Non-Fungible Token Keywords “NFT”, “non-fungible token”, “token”; mention of the
exclusive non-fungible piece of content in Web3
Gamification Keywords “game”, “gamer”, “gamification”; mention of any specific
games (e.g. Fortnite); mention of any specific gaming platform/
company (e.g. Roblox)
Shopping experience and/or Sales Keywords “shopping”, “sales”, “retail”, “shop”, “e-commerce”;
and/or Retail mention of the shopping experience or e-commerce user
experience in Web3; mention of virtual shopping presence/
entity in Web3
Branding Keyword “branding”; mention of status (pertaining to brand,
audience, and/or product), luxuriety, limited supply; mention of
strategic thinking and/or approach to communication
Trends Keyword “trends”; mention of a certain tendency and/or
predictions of a behavior and/or strategic pattern
Deductive Virtual Products Keywords “virtual product”, “virtual garment”; keyword “virtual”
with reference to a type of garment and/or product; mention of
a digital commodity created in the Metaverse
Web3 Keyword “Web3”; mention of a brand presence established/
establishing in Web3
Phygital Keyword “phygital”; mention of the products, services, and/or
events on the verge of physical and digital
Collaborations and/or partnerships Keywords “collab”, “collaboration”, “partner”, “partnership”;
mention of a collaboration and/or partnership of “Brand –
Brand”, “Brand – Web3 Platform”, or “Web3 platform – Web3
platform” structure
Avatars Keyword “avatar”; mention of means of self-expression in Social
Media and/or Metaverse; mention of the sense of individuality in
the Metaverse
Events – Virtual Reality, Augmented Keywords “event”, “show”, “runway”, “party”, “fashion week”;
Reality, Augmented Virtuality mention of VR or phygital events
 JOURNAL OF GLOBAL FASHION MARKETING 329

Subsequently, a review of the categories was carried out by the authors, followed by the
classification of the articles into the categories, cross-referencing of the categories and
a search for ties and connections within them, with the most important category overlaps
being identified. It was noted that it was appropriate to omit the category Web3 for the
sake of avoiding multicollinearity: according to the Theoretical Framework section of this
research, the Metaverse is part of Web3, which means that all the subsequent research on
this matter falls under the grand umbrella term of Web3.
After this first analysis, the 41 most relevant articles were identified and a more
detailed analysis was carried out. These 41 articles were identified as the most relevant
because they included the keywords “marketing” and/or “communication” and some of
the keywords listed in the inductive categories in Table 2. In addition, after reading them,
it was found that the article focused on the application of the Metaverse to marketing and
communication strategies.

3.2. Results of the systematic observation

3.2.1. Brands and fashion categories
The types of articles observed mainly comprised “criticism/opinion” (122 pieces out
of 235), closely followed by “news” articles (106 pieces out of 235). The rarest type of
articles in the sample were the “interviews” (7 pieces out of 235). The “unclear/
mixed” type of article was not chosen even once chosen during the title analysis.
Some 83 (out of 235) articles in the sample mentioned (or insinuated) one or multiple
specific fashion brands. We considered the brand to have been mentioned if its name
was spelled outright in the article title (e.g. “Why Nars’s new brand ambassadors are
all virtual” (Schulz, 2022) – the beauty brand NARS is mentioned directly); alterna­
tively, we considered the brand to have been insinuated/referenced if there was
a direct mention of the product (e.g. “In pivotal case, Metabirkins to move to trial”
(McDowell & Schulz, 2023) – the infamous product by Hermès is mentioned: the
Birkin bag) OR the person affiliated with the brand (e.g. “Virgil Abloh Honoured at
Fashion Awards” (Miller, 2021) – the late artistic director of Louis Vuitton (ibid.)
referenced outright).
As can be seen in Figure 1, 41 unique individual brands were mentioned in total,
of which Nike (13 mentions out of 83) and Gucci (12 mentions out of 83) had the
majority of article titles devoted to them, followed by Hermès (6 mentions out of
83), Burberry (5 mentions out of 83) and Ralph Lauren (3 mentions out of 83). It is
also worth noting that 5 out of 6 mentions of Hermès are devoted to the infamous
trademark infringement lawsuit between the company and one Mason Rothschild,
a creator of “Metabirkin” NFTs (Swithinbank, 2022). This last observation is
particularly important in the discussion of issues that arise in the Fashion
Metaverse.
Then, eight unique sub-industries were identified in 83 individual articles, the most
popular of which were Luxury (46 mentions out of 83), Sportswear (16 mentions out of
83) and Beauty (6 mentions out of 83).
330 P. SANMIGUEL ET AL.

Brand mentions
14

12

10

Brand mentions

Figure 1. Distribution of fashion brands mentioned in the titles. Source: by the authors.

3.2.2. Application of metaverse categories in digital fashion

The analysis of the categories relating to the application of the Metaverse in the area of
marketing and communication made it possible to highlight the most frequent use of the
Metaverse in the area of marketing and communication.
As can be seen in the Table 3 above, the most talked about notions and keywords
within the framework of the Metaverse, according to the observed article sample, were
“NFT” (49 mentions), “Trends” (49 mentions), “Branding” (29 mentions), “Virtual
Products” (23 mentions) and “Gamification” (22 mentions).
In view of Research Questions 2 and 3 that have been posed, our review of the overlap
of the inductive category “trends” with the rest is particularly important. Taking into
account the meaning we have identified for it (keyword “trends”; mention of a certain
tendency and/or predictions of a behaviour and/or strategic pattern; see Table 1), the
“trends” category refers simultaneously to the tendencies which are being observed (i.e.
the actual current/past precedents of the Metaverse being used in DFM) and to the expert
predictions of a pattern (i.e. the purported future of the Metaverse in DFM).

Table 3. Number of mentions per category.

nº of nº of
Category mentions Category mentions
Non-Fungible Token 49 Social Media 15
Trends 49 Collaborations and/or partnerships 15
Branding 29 Avatars 12
Virtual Products 23 Influencer Marketing/Celebrity 8
Endorsement
Gamification 22 Phygital 8
Shopping experience and/or Sales and/or Retail 16 Advertisement 0
Events – Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, 16
Augmented Virtuality
Source: by authors.
 JOURNAL OF GLOBAL FASHION MARKETING 331

For instance, even though “Trends” and “NFT” are the two categories that proved to
be most popular, their mentions in the sample only overlapped 11 times, i.e. only 11
article titles were devoted to the “NFT-related trends in the Fashion Metaverse”. By the
same logic, out of most popular article categories analyzed, five articles talked about
“Trends” and “gamification”; 10 articles were devoted to “Trends” and “branding”; and
four other pieces concerned “Trends” and “virtual products”. More important thematic
overlaps were also observed between the category “branding” and “NFT” (five articles
devoted to the role of NFTs in Fashion Branding); between “NFT” and “phygital” (out of
eight articles devoted to the category “phygital”, four were also devoted to “NFT”);
“gamification” and “collaborations and/or partnerships” (out of a total of 15 articles
devoted to “collaborations and/or partnerships”, eight were also devoted to
“gamification”).

3.2.3. Initiatives and trends in metaverse fashion marketing

Through content analysis (of the 41 most relevant articles) the two most significant
marketing trends in the Metaverse for fashion brands were obtained: 1) Trends in
Fashion Gamification & Brand Partnerships (17 articles); and 2) The role of NFTs in
Fashion Marketing (24 articles).
The following Euler diagram (Cronholm & Göbel, 2022; Fish et al., 2011) in Figure 2
maps out the distribution of codification:
As can be observed in Figure 2, news items relating to Non-Fungible Tokens included
common thematic patterns, which were identified as: “Community Management”,
“Loyalty Program”, “Long-Term Benefits” and “Utility”. With regard to news relating
to Gamification, the common patterns identified were: “Reaching new audiences (Gen
Z and Gen Alpha)”; “Virtual Shopping Venue”; “Phygital”; “Virtual worlds”; “Self-
expression and Avatars”; and “Short-term”.

NFT Gamification
Virtual Products • Inmmersive
• Brand Loyalty
Storytelling Experience
• Utility
New audiences • Virtual worlds
• Community
Phygital • Avatars
Managment
• Virtual Shopping
• Long-term
experience

Figure 2. Distribution of codified categories across the trends content analysis. Source: by authors.
332 P. SANMIGUEL ET AL.

Other thematic patterns were present both in the news relating to Non-Fungible
Tokens and Gamification, the common ones being: “Virtual Products”, “storytelling”
“new audiences” and “phigital”. In addition, concerning virtual products, the term
“sustainability” was identified as being used fairly often, a trend that is increasing and
has been analyzed in greater detail by Chan et al. (2023).

4. Discussion
As observed in the literature review, and as Mogaji et al. (2023) analyzed from
a theoretical point of view, there have been three main applications of the Metaverse in
the fashion industry relating to marketing: Gamification, NFTs and Shopping
Experience.
But the results of this study highlight and corroborate that the first two have been
developed the most during the years 2021 to 2023, a result that is consistent with the
conclusions drawn by H. Park and Lim (2023). The content analysis highlighted how the
fashion industry companies that are exploring this area the most are luxury brands
(Gucci, Hermès, Balenciaga, Prada, Tiffany), sports brands (Nike, Adidas) and beauty
brands (Clinique and L’Oréal), although there are also initiatives from department stores
such as Walmart. The most discussed topics by the specialized media were: NFT Phygital
products, Metaverse trends, Branding and Virtual products.
Fashion brands have been infiltrating their brand codes into the Metaverse via tools
such as NFTs, Gamification and Virtual Products, for such purposes as community
building and management, loyalty rewards for long-time customers, attraction of new
demographics, and reinforcement of brand identity within Web3.
During the literature review, no studies or findings were found regarding whether the
use of NFTs or Gamification by brands was carried out with short- or long-term strategic
marketing objectives (Table 1). However, the analysis of the news content and thematic
patterns relating to tools such as NFTs are included in the long-term communication
strategy of brands, whereas Gamification is part of a short-term communication strategy.
Storytelling plays a crucial role in both of these tools. However, the final function
differs in each case: while for NFTs narrative presents a compelling selling point or an
“augmented product” (either digital or physical), in Gamification storytelling is an
“actual” product or part of its anatomy, without which Gamification is pointless per se
(Wanick & Stallwood, 2023). In our content analysis it was observed that the shopping
experience was associated with the gamification processes of the experience and the
virtual or phygital products relating to NFTs. The news analysis noted how fashion
brands strengthen their storytelling in the Metaverse, but the literature on this aspect is
almost nonexistent, except for an analysis of the Ralph Lauren case (Wanick & Stallwood,
2023).
With regard to Gamification, partnerships and collaborations with gaming platforms
and Web3 companies are not just a sure way to create best possible content for fashion
gamification and attract new demographics, but also an opportunity for brands to create
buzz and media coverage: by teaming up with industry usually associated with fashion
and luxury, brands are attracting attention and creating hype. These collaborations have
become a massive part of marketing strategies in gaming for fashion brands, with luxury
giants, sportswear brands, fast fashion and even retail chains of various ranges joining in
 JOURNAL OF GLOBAL FASHION MARKETING 333

the conversation (Noris et al., 2023). The famous Nikeland, brought forth in 2021 by the
collaboration of Nike and Roblox, is one of the early examples of a fashion brand using
gamification in the Metaverse and creating its own virtual world in Web3.
The Metaverse offers fashion brands the opportunity to build customer loyalty (H.
Park & Lim, 2023), and it was revealed during the research process that branding
practices most associated with NFTs are Community Management and Customer
Relationships and Loyalty. The results of the research are also backed up by the literature
review that was carried out (Amed & Berg, 2022b). To a lesser extent, some applications
of NFTs as “collectibles” were observed, being particularly applicable and profitable to
the luxury market. Patek Philippe watches have a unique identity number, which creates
a sense of “rarity” and “exclusivity” for its customers, a descriptive aspect adjacent to
NFTs and the token economy (Swithinbank, 2022). Similarly, although there are some
articles on the Secondary Market, this is also a topic that has been addressed rather less.
However, it should be noted that it is being reviewed by collectors as an investment and
profit opportunity, rather than an item to be treasured and showcased. Resale and
secondary market placement often indicate a low level of customer loyalty towards the
issuing brand (McDowell, 2022).
Other advantages of NFTs identified were virtually-personalized Profile Pictures,
being used largely by influencers and celebrities (McDowell, 2022). Gucci stood out as
a brand that made use of NFTs in real life, when the token-holders were all invited to an
“IRL Dance Party” (Bain, 2022).
H. Park and Lim (2023) pointed out that the brand value that the Metaverse could
offer could be financial-based and customer-based, and after our analysis of the news
items we can state that fashion brands have focused their marketing in the Metaverse
with the main objective of improving customer-based brand equity, with Brand associa­
tions and Brand loyalty being the most enhanced dimensions. The main roles played by
NFTs in DFM are: reinforcement of a brand identity within theWeb3; reward for the
loyalty of long-time customers; and attracting new demographics previously not exposed
to Web3. These roles align with the marketing objectives outlined by Rauschnabel et al.
(2022).
It is worth noting that some themes or trends were not highlighted in the literature
beginning to emerge from the application of the Metaverse in the fashion industry. First,
one of the most specific issues of the Fashion Metaverse (and a quite extensive one)
witnessed during both primary and secondary research was “falsity”, an aspect covered
by Golf-Papez et al. (2022). Falsity originates in the public’s inability to recognize
synthetic customer experiences as being valid. Although the Metaverse, as we established
before, is one of the tools employed to erase the dichotomous and mutually-exclusive
nature of the “virtual” and “real”, the issue of “falsity” arises in the case of consumers of
meta-goods, since many individuals only consider those products and services that exist
physically to be “real” (i.e. they can be experienced by all five senses without any help
from technology) (Golf-Papez et al., 2022). The problem of “falsity” is particularly
applicable to the digital fashion industry, and has been covered in numerous publica­
tions. Since before the introduction of marketing and retail, the industry (or the art) of
fashion has been enabled by touch, with consumers and customers having the urge to
feel, try on and interact haptically with the garment (Chrimes & Boardman, 2023).
334 P. SANMIGUEL ET AL.

The second issue is the breach of Intellectual Property in the Fashion Metaverse:
“Metaverse and Ethics”. There is little legal control or regulation in the Metaverse,
as the concept is still under construction. In this respect, multiple ethical conun­
drums and lawsuits were recorded within the landscape of Web3 and its comple­
mentary and surrounding products. The phenomenon has not escaped the fashion
industry, with the most famous lawsuit to date concerning Hermès and its legal
process regarding the “Meta Birkin” NFTs released by one Mason Rothschild
(Williams, 2022). For example, the case of Hermès against Meta Birkins is extre­
mely important within the framework of DFM in the Metaverse, as it clearly shows
that the Metaverse is currently a “no-man’s-land”, with little or no legal regulation
applying to it.

5. Conclusion, implications and limitations

5.1. Theoretical implications
From a theoretical standpoint, this study makes a significant contribution to the recent
body of literature, highlighting Gamification and NFTs as the most developed applica­
tions during the period from 2021 to 2023: for the construction and management of
communities, loyalty rewards, and the attraction of new demographics. Moreover, it
underscores the pivotal role of Storytelling and the application of the metaverse in brand
promotion and engagement generation. However, it also draws attention to the prevail­
ing concern regarding the perceived “fakeness” in synthetic customer experiences and
legal challenges such as the protection of intellectual property in the Metaverse.
As noted at the outset of this research, while various studies have explored the role of
the Metaverse in fashion brands (Mogaji et al., 2023; Kniazeva et al., 2024; Sayem, 2022,
Joy et al., 2022; Sung et al., 2023), further research is imperative to delve deeper into the
analysis of Metaverse applications and their effects on consumers and fashion brands.
Additionally, future researchers are encouraged to conduct analyses comparing the use of
the metaverse across different countries and sub-sectors of the fashion industry. On
another note, the research highlighted how Gamification in the Metaverse can also drive
user-generated content (UGC) (Wanick & Stallwood, 2023), potentially fostering story­
telling not only from the brand’s perspective but also through the collaboration of the
users.
The Metaverse and Web3 are important factors that influence the evolution of the
Internet. Subsequently, they also transform virtual communication. As an early adopter
of innovations and technology, the fashion industry is experiencing rapid growth in the
Web3 landscape, with multiple brands introducing their own virtual worlds and meta­
verses. This practice is reflected in fashion business magazines, as they include publica­
tions devoted to the Metaverse and its fashion disruption implications.
As Kniazeva et al. (2024) conclude, it is still too early to point out generalizable
contributions on the strategies of fashion brands in the Metaverse, as we are still in an
incipient phase and the perceived risk for brands is high. It may be because of this
perceived risk that luxury brands and not fast fashion brands are more willing to
experiment in the Metaverse. Therefore, luxury brands are ahead of the fast fashion
labels when it comes to marketing initiatives in the Metaverse.
 JOURNAL OF GLOBAL FASHION MARKETING 335

In addition to the luxury industry, this study also revealed that the Metaverse is
particularly popular in the sportswear and beauty industries, with Gucci, Nike and
Burberry being the most avid adopters of this virtual tool/concept. This research also
identified NFTs and gamification as the fashion brands’ most used techniques for DFM
purposes in the Metaverse. These marketing and communication strategies were applied
during 2021 (H. Park & Lim, 2023), but this study confirms that they were also the most
used during the year 2022.

5.2. Managerial implications

NFTs and gamification contribute to enhancing the phygital experience of fashion
brands and generate revenue (Chrimes & Boardman, 2023; Dwivedi et al., 2023;
Kniazeva et al., 2024). Although the evaluation of their value in relation to financial-
based factors remains challenging, fashion brands are placing their bets on customer-
based brand equity. Subsequent research is needed on this subject in order to gain
a better understanding of their impact. In the context of brand equity, the findings
recognize the deliberate and consistent cultivation of storytelling within the Metaverse as
crucial when it comes to accessing new audiences and fostering engagement, as other
theoretical studies have already pointed out (Rauchenel et al., 2022; H. Park & Lim, 2023;
Dwivedi et al., 2023). But fashion brands not only generate consumer engagement, but
also generate revenue.
This study confirms the way NFTs have experienced a brief evolution from being
a digital collectible sought after in secondary markets to becoming a token of
appreciation from brands to their most loyal customers. NFTs are used in fashion
branding as a community management tool, a loyalty program and as a means of
attracting and securing new demographics. They seem to be part of a long-term
communication strategy in the fashion and luxury industry. Nevertheless, additional
research is required to provide concrete data on these branding strategies and their
objectives.
Mainly populated by younger millennials, Generation Z, and Generation Alpha,
the gaming industry is the largest within the sphere of entertainment. Until recent
years, the majority of the gaming population had no interest in and/or exposure to
fashion brands. The gamification approach in DFM allows brands to reach a whole
new audience of people, not only the younger demographics or the crypto-natives,
but also those previously unreachable through traditional communication techniques.
Like NFTs, gamification forms a strong community management tool, oriented
towards building and engaging communities. However, contrary to NFTs, it serves
more as a short-term strategy. Gamification is a way for brands to transmit their
codes and values in the virtual environment without being limited by the restrictions
of reality.
Finally, this research offers a gentle warning to the fashion brands regarding market­
ing and communication laws, which are yet to be defined within the Metaverse. Thus,
fashion brands need to apply their marketing and communication strategies with cau­
tion, while adopting an ethical approach in Web3, in the same way as they do in real life.
In-depth research on these issues is also needed in order to frame and protect the brands
and users within the Metaverse
336 P. SANMIGUEL ET AL.

5.3. Limitations
This research presents certain limitations. The primary constraint pertains to the study’s
exclusive concentration on fashion marketing, thus constraining the applicability of its
findings to other industries. Furthermore, the chosen methodology, which relies on
secondary sources, does not directly yield consumer-oriented implications.
Additionally, the broader scope of Web3 within fashion communication has not been
subjected to scrutiny. This omission entails a missed opportunity for an exhaustive
examination of practical and technical facets, such as the blockchain’s role in distribution
management. Furthermore, aspects such as VR and the adoption of digital fashion
products, as highlighted by Chan et al. (2023), remain unaddressed. It is noteworthy
that the concept of the Metaverse is still at a nascent stage of development. While this
research predominantly focuses on the present reality, it is crucial to acknowledge the
dynamic nature of the research subject, which warrants future revisitation for practical
applications in forthcoming studies.

Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

ORCID
Patricia SanMiguel http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0438-2830
Teresa Sádaba http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2441-5724

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