London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

How Meta’s metaverse vision will change the future of communication

How Meta’s metaverse vision will change the future of communication

Creativity is all about connection and increasingly brands will communicate via evolving technologies as the metaverse takes shape, says Meta’s Angie Gifford.

“Creativity is about connection, but it's a different way to connect these days,” said Angie Gifford.

Creators, business messaging and virtual reality are redefining how businesses will connect and communicate with consumers, Meta’s Vice President EMEA told Euronews Next at the 2022 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity.

And what’s more, she says, brand leaders should be paying closer attention.

“For B2B and B2C, we see great tech improvements that can help how you communicate,” she said.

“Companies are getting on their tippy toes right now to say, hey if I miss that trend, I'm going to have a problem”.

Gifford, who has over 30 years experience working for technology companies including Hewlett Packard and Microsoft, said leaders have woken up to the importance of new communication technologies and channels since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Her ideas on innovation and connection were shared during Cannes Lions’ Changemakers series where she also discussed the journey to make the metaverse a reality - something she says will take shape between five to seven years from now.

So, how does virtual reality, creators and text play a role in the metaverse and what do marketing and communication leaders need to know?


Virtual and augmented reality


The metaverse, being built by companies such as Meta, Google, Amazon and Apple together with researchers and academics, is a 3D virtual world made up of content and digital avatars.

Online experiences in the metaverse will be much more interactive than current augmented (AR) or virtual reality (VR) tech allows, which will help brands to create a unique sensory experience and a stronger connection with consumers.

“Rather than watching the Internet, you will be on it. This is the next immersive version of the internet and how we are going to be together. It’s the next big thing,” said Gifford.

There are already over 700 million people across Meta’s platform using AR and VR for purposes such as education, interactive communication and entertainment.

Meta is collaborating with the the Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin, for instance, to create a digital art experience to better connect with younger audiences. Users can not only see a painting, but can also “go into the picture” and view other works of that era in 3D using a VR headset.

German automaker BMW is also using VR to give potential customers an immersive experience of their latest model.

And this tech won’t just be used with brands; greater accessibility and adoption will see everyday people using AR and VR in the future to connect online with their loved ones, as they do with video calls today.


Creators


Creators - musicians, artists, dancers, chefs and other creatives who exploit their passion to produce and publish content - can drive online communities and help brands share messages in an authentic and indirect way.

Whilst these artists have been hugely successful on platforms like YouTube and Instagram, the metaverse will unleash more opportunities and Meta sees this as a critical part of their strategy.

“Creators are such an important community that we serve and serve to. Meta is spending one billion dollars this year on creators,” she said.

“Everybody can be a creator, it's not just for big agencies and the big brands. The role of the creator has changed and it’s become more important.”.


Business messaging and chatbots


AI-powered chatbots, WhatsApp text for customer service or Slack to communicate with your colleagues; these platforms are more common than picking up the phone and companies should factor these platforms into strategies.

Younger generations, in particular, prefer text to voice calls.

“Sixty-seven per cent of the customers that we ask, say they'd love to have a brand that has a chatbot. They feel much better connected than anything in the call centre,” she said.

But despite these technological advancements and the opportunities they create, Gifford says that nothing should replace human connection and these platforms exist only to enhance the online connection.

“We do not want to substitute time in the metaverse with any physical interaction. We cannot substitute face to face with the best hologram on the planet,” she said.

“But the time we spend online, we want to bring up the quality and we want to also bring people together that cannot be together”.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
×