Recently, Momentro, the parent company of the marketing services brand Enfection, won Silver at the APPIES APAC 2022 under the category of Marketing Innovation. For the unfamiliar, APPIES is an annual event recognizing the best marketing campaigns by the APAC region’s creative, media, digital, and marketing agencies. Momentro earned this award for its work with Melbourne Polytechnic, which featured a Metaverse experience-based platform. Such international recognition is a sign that their work is making a difference.
Over the years, Momentro has mastered the art of marketing transformation. Today, it helps organizations across APAC in several industries to achieve their business goals. The company does so through a unique micro-moment-based Lean Test Marketing approach, combined with a unique perspective to agile creativity and a stack of Marketing Tech (MarTech) solutions. This novel approach has allowed it to effectively build Web 3.0 experiences to help organizations better engage with their customers.
Momentro and the Metaverse: The Melbourne Polytechnic story
Traditionally Melbourne Polytechnic was dependent on educational fairs for enrollments. However, when the pandemic struck, its usual recruitment of international students was disrupted. This is where Momentro’s Metaverse experience-based platform came into play. It provided an immersive experience to potential students about Australia’s oldest Polytechnic, its courses, and life in Melbourne.
“We analyzed the personas of potential students, where they hung out online, what channels they use, and so on. With this data, we created a plan to help Melbourne Polytechnic reach these students,” Co-Founder of Momentro Saliya Withana shared, “Based on the target group, we reached them meaningfully. We gamified the whole experience across multiple channels. The idea was to get potential students to understand what Melbourne Polytechnic had to offer, from courses to the campus. This is what the game (a web app) captured, with students able to log in each day and explore different sections of the game.”
Nominated and won big at APPIES APAC 2022
Momentro’s Metaverse experience-based platform was the most successful marketing campaign by Melbourne Polytechnic in recent years. Not only did it allow the institution to connect with students, but it also enhanced its brand image. The campaign’s success has resulted in Melbourne Polytechnic looking to invest more into its digital marketing efforts.
Upon being selected as a finalist in the competition, Momentro had to undergo a rigorous evaluation process. It involved presenting detailed reports and presentations to an eminent panel of judges. Ultimately, Momentro secured the Silver Award under the Marketing Innovation category at APPIES APAC 2022. “We’re delighted to have won the award. It’s the first time a Sri Lankan company has won this award,” Withana said, noting “the fact that it’s a regional award solidifies and endorses the thinking we’ve had regarding Web 3.0 and the Metaverse.”
What does marketing look like in a Web 3.0 world?
The internet as we know it is, of course, ever-changing. In many respects, it’s only in its second major iteration. The first version of the internet publicly available, the World Wide Web, is called Web 1.0. This version dating back to the early 90s was primarily made up of static web pages connected by hyperlinks. Then came Web 2.0, the age of the internet as a platform where anyone could create content through tech giants like Google, Microsoft, Meta, or Amazon.
The next evolution, Web 3.0, promises a decentralized internet built on the blockchain and powered by AI. A Web 3.0 internet would also be permissionless, meaning anyone could use it without generating access credentials or getting permission from a provider. Such an internet would be built upon cutting-edge technologies such as the blockchain, with NFTs for ownership, and the Metaverse offering immersive experiences in AR and VR. However, Web 3.0 is still largely theoretical and has a steep learning curve. It has many definitions but lacks standardized governance and the infrastructure to become the third iteration of the internet.
What Momentro learned from venturing into the world of Web 3.0
Momentro’s work with Web 3.0 has only begun. However, Withana explained that the company is currently working on several Web 3.0 projects. One notable example is Dúté Island, the world’s first asset-backed NFT marketplace for gems. Its use of the blockchain enables the buying and selling of precious stones in a tokenized economy that guarantees security and proof of origin. Another project Momentro is working on is with a Malaysian property developer to sell apartments with the attached garden as an NFT.
“We’re investing a lot in this space and going well beyond the flashy, glamorous side of marketing. It’s an exciting space with unique challenges, from a lack of infrastructure to undefined governance. There are a lot of things that need to be set up,” Withana explained, stressing that Web 3.0 and the Metaverse are still in their infancy, “but once a few players come in and start building things at scale, it will be adopted a lot more, and become more cost-effective.” These economies of scale will make infrastructures such as VR headsets and 5G more affordable and will see more formal governance across Web3.0, which is currently lacking.
How can brands build meaningful Web 3.0 experiences?
Already, several brands are experimenting with Web 3.0 experiences. Withana points to the fashion industry as a leader, which has embraced it to create phygital (physical and digital) shopping experiences where customers can try products on digital avatars before a purchase. Of course, other industries are also experimenting with Web 3.0 experiences. However, Withana notes that regardless of the technologies we move on to, the cornerstones of marketing remain the same. This foundational fact is what brands need to remember when creating marketing strategies with any new channel.
“The basics of marketing – segmentation, targeting, positioning – what you learn on day one will always apply,” he shared, “Digital marketing is just another marketing channel. The Metaverse is just another way of accessing the internet. If your customers are out there and you can help solve something for them, focus on fixing the problem. Please don’t use a channel like Web 3.0 or the Metaverse for the sake of it. It should be part of an overall omnichannel strategy. It’s always good to stick to the basics and figure out where your customers are, their problems, and how you can help. Keep those basics in mind, and you won’t falter.”
Investing in people: How Momentro mastered building Web 3.0 experiences
“As a company, we believe in constant experimentation,” Withana explained, adding, “one thing about us, and you can see this as soon as you walk in the door (we have a big sign that says it too), is that we are a learning company. We invest a lot in learning and plan on doing much more.” Working with cutting-edge Web 3.0 technologies like NFTs, blockchain, and VR is no small feat. To do so, Momentro took a holistic approach to upskill its team as it set out to explore this new frontier.
Previously, we’ve seen how the culture for learning and continuous improvement is visible in all aspects at Momentro. Notably, the company facilitates international training programs with its industry partners (many being leading marketing agencies such as Dentsu Grant, TBWA, McCann, and Weber Shandwick) alongside weekly knowledge-sharing sessions amongst its team. This drive for continuous learning and development had the company exploring the potential of Web 3.0 technologies. “Metaverse was a big bet of ours looking at the next few years,” Withana explained, “We’ve invested in other initiatives as well (like, for instance, making Malaysia a second home). But our core vision remains to invest in a growth pillar in the market space, the Metaverse.”
Momentro future plans
Since it was founded in 2017, Momentro has grown to a team of 50+ marketers with offices in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Dubai. The company has now built a global reputation as a collective of innovators in classic digital marketing and cutting-edge niche verticals such as energy marketing, pharma marketing, and investor marketing.
Today, Momentro, together with Enfection, work with global organizations to build technology, track, optimize their market approaches and achieve their business goals effectively. Now, it has embraced new digital frontiers and the future of the internet as a pioneer working in the Metaverse and embracing Web 3.0 marketing. Its latest victory with the Silver Award at APPIES APAC 2022 solidifies Momentro as a transformative guide for organizations looking to reimagine their approach to digital marketing.