It was last October that Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg re-termed his tech empire as Meta, referencing its future projects focused on the Metaverse, making the metaverse a more commonly used term among non-tech gurus. Now, companies which are not even related to the tech industry are hiring "Chief Metaverse Officers".
Nothing speaks of how fast the tech world is evolving in this day and age as much as the pace at which familiarity with revolutionary concepts happens and the changes that follow.
If we were to start a random survey asking people about what the Metaverse is, very few can provide a thorough and confident description of new virtual world, as it remains a mystery to non-experts who have not yet been part of the experience.
Every company is trying to figure out its metaverse strategy. So P&G, LVMH, Disney and others are paying big $$ for “chief metaverse officers,” the latest addition to an already-bloated c-suite. What do they do all day? (thread) https://t.co/fdzQb0my7L
— Matthew Boyle (@bizboyle) September 22, 2022
Meanwhile, it is becoming more and more common that tech and media giants are recruiting "Chief Metaverse Officers", leaving many questions over what the role entails and how it will introduce more organizations and entities to the Metaverse.
What is the Metaverse?
The term Metaverse was first coined in a literary work that was published in 1992. American Sci-Fi writer Neal Stephenson introduced it in his dystopian novel Snow Crash, referring to an emerging world where humans interact with one another in a 3D virtual space as pre-programmed avatars.
While many think the Metaverse is going to change the face of the earth once and for all, it is not as brand new as one can imagine. For several years now, video game players have grown familiar with similar concepts as they create their own worlds and characters and have been interacting using them, such as Second Life and Sims.
However, the Metaverse takes this virtual world a further step than the gaming world, making it an everyday practice enabled by technologies that are already in use.
Most young people around the world have already tried VR or AR headsets and have a basic understanding of what they mean. These two technologies make up the cornerstones of the Metaverse, as they provide the main tools through which people like us can be immersed in virtual experiences.
But besides developing technologies that will form the Metaverse in the near future, companies are interested in developing in-depth strategies to keep up with the new technological element, which is they have been on the look for Chief Metaverse Officers (CMO).
Source: Twitter
Who is a Chief Metaverse Officer?
Last month, Forbes reported that Journey, formerly known as Futures Intelligence Group, has hired the world's first Chief Metaverse Officer CMO; Cathy Hackl, who has been introduced as a Web3 strategist and tech futurist who serves as a major provider of guidance and support.
According to Bloomberg, consumer-products giant Procter & Gamble Co., talent manager Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Spanish telecom carrier Telefonica SA, luxury-goods maker LVMH and wedding-registry retailer Crate & Barrel have all hired their first Chief Metaverse Officers CMOs.
The article highlights the main tasks the CMO will be required to oversee in this newly-created position, including " helping blue-chip clients like Walmart Inc., UBS Group AG, and Nestle SA understand what the blockchain, NFTs, and a more immersive internet experience could mean for their businesses."
CMOs are much-needed starting and linking points, who can introduce the different ways the Metaverse can be integrated into businesses and how it can serve their goals and generate more profit.
