The Metaverse is quickly shifting from buzzword to business reality, offering companies new ways to connect with audiences, create immersive experiences, and open fresh revenue streams.
As more consumers spend time in virtual environments, brands are exploring how these spaces can extend their presence, strengthen engagement, and even redefine entire industries.
Businesses across sectors are experimenting with virtual offices, branded spaces, digital real estate, and immersive education models to understand how the Metaverse fits into their long-term strategy.
This article explores the most promising business opportunities emerging in this new digital frontier and the real-world examples leading the way.
Meta What?
The metaverse refers to a network of interconnected virtual worlds where people can socialize, work, play, and create, often using virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) technologies. It includes things like:
- VR spaces (e.g., Horizon Worlds, VRChat)
- AR overlays (digital elements layered on the real world)
- Gaming worlds (like Roblox, Fortnite, or Minecraft)
- Virtual economies (NFTs, digital real estate, etc.)
Movies had envisioned it: Matrix, Ready Player One, Her, and perhaps the first, Tron, created in 1982 which was then revisited in 2010. Today, it has a ways to go, but it is very much a thing. If everything goes right (or wrong?) it’s going to be a new way of living.
Think of it as the next evolution of the internet: instead of browsing pages, you enter shared 3D environments as an avatar. You can attend meetings with your colleagues, visit virtual art galleries, buy a virtual plot of land for your avatar to live in, and who knows what else.
Sounds like fiction? Think again. All this already exists, it just doesn't have mainstream adoption. Yet.
Considering how many of us are chronically online, it would be naive to think that brands won’t capitalize on this, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’ll create new jobs and impact economies in very interesting ways.
Who Owns It?
No one company owns the Metaverse. Meta, formerly Facebook, rebranded in 2021 to highlight its focus on metaverse platforms such as Horizon Worlds and Quest VR hardware, but other major players are building their own pieces too.
Microsoft is developing Mesh, Apple has Vision Pro, Nvidia offers Omniverse, Epic Games powers experiences through Unreal Engine, and Roblox hosts immersive worlds for millions of users.
The Metaverse functions as an ecosystem of platforms and technologies that may one day interconnect, much like today’s internet.
How It Will Shake Up Careers
The birth and expected adoption of the metaverse has huge implications for future careers as well, not just for hospitality but across all sectors. As facilitators of learning here at EHL, we must mentally prepare our students for jobs that barely even exist yet.
For example, creating a hotel in the metaverse will require virtual world architects and environment artists to make sure operations run smoothly online.
The metaverse will represent many different immersive worlds, like we have with social media today. Those lacking an understanding of digital culture, art, trends and technologies will require the help of metaverse tour guides to take them to the new frontier with curated guided tours.
As such, digital tour guiding companies may very-well become a norm and as such a lucrative business.
As our lives become more digital, an increasing number of events will be solely held online. Hence, we will require digital events directors to organize large gatherings and we will see rental companies emerge for digital items and NFT’s to decorate venues with.
In this world, the students that will succeed are the ones with a lot of curiosity, not necessarily the most savvy ones, but those who have developed a capacity of imagination derived from their curiosity, those who will be bold enough to try new things and accept that sometimes they are too early.
– Rémi Walbaum, Chief Innovation Officer at EHL Group
How Brands Can Capitalize On It
There are still many questions without answers regarding the ways to build a successful brand strategy in the Metaverse. Many of these questions can only be answered through experimentation and early adoption.
Facebook is a testament to this. After its rebranding to Meta, a tidal wave of popularity crashed on their alternative reality platform, which they conveniently called Metaverse. Since then, a handful of multinational companies have announced their move.
Adidas launches NFTs (non-tangible tokens) and buys a plot on the Sandbox Metaverse, Balenciaga has dedicated a business unit to working on digital projects, and Nike has partnered with the Roblox video game platform to build a virtual world called Nikeland.
Even Dyson has built Dyson Demo VR for customers to simulate and visualize the use of its hairdryers, stylers and hair straighteners from their home.
Virtual Offices and Coworking Hubs
Remote work is here to stay and companies want collaboration without the commute. That’s why startups like Gather, Spatial, and Meta’s Horizon Workrooms are creating digital offices where employees brainstorm in creative environments.
Some organisations even replicate their real HQ layouts so every meeting room is already familiar. Virtual coworking spaces are also attracting freelancers and entrepreneurs who want a community feel without paying for a desk in the physical world.
Virtual Storefronts and Pop-Up Shops
Brands are building stores that never close and don’t require rent in Times Square. Samsung launched its first virtual store “Samsung 837X” in Decentraland, hosting product drops and exclusive quests. Walmart has teased virtual try-ons and grocery shopping that ships to your home.
Fashion labels like H&M are exploring pop-ups that test demand for new lines digitally before manufacturing anything physical. The metaverse is turning experimentation into a business strategy.
Real Estate Services Inside Virtual Worlds
Sure, you can buy land in the metaverse, but entire industries are forming around it too. Metaverse Group calls itself the first virtual real estate company, helping clients buy, lease, develop, and market properties.
There are brokers, architects, and interior designers who design everything from luxury penthouses to art galleries made only of pixels. Even Snoop Dogg owns a virtual neighbourhood, and a fan once paid over $450,000 to be his metaverse neighbor.
Healthcare and Therapy Innovations
Healthcare isn’t just in hospitals anymore. XRHealth and Cedars-Sinai offer VR-based therapeutic programs that help patients manage chronic pain, anxiety, and phobias, all delivered in relaxing digital environments.
Physicians can meet patients in secure virtual clinics, while medical students practice surgery on accurate 3D models. It improves access for people who can’t easily visit clinics and expands the definition of healthcare delivery.
Education Campuses and Immersive Learning
Schools want richer learning than a typical webcam grid can provide. Universities like Stanford and Arizona State have created fully virtual campuses with simulations that would be impossible physically, like traveling through the human bloodstream or exploring ancient civilizations in their original form.
Career training grows too, enabling aspiring mechanics or surgeons to practice detailed skills without the risk of breaking an engine or hurting a real patient.
Creator Economies and Virtual Craftsmanship
Millions of people already earn from digital assets. Platforms like Roblox, Zepeto, and VRChat let creators sell avatar accessories, custom worlds, animations, and tools.
A teenager with 3D modeling skills can pull in more than some full-time jobs. Independent musicians host listening parties. Artists mint tokenized sculpture gardens that only exist in VR. The metaverse puts creators in charge of their own economies.
Metaverse Tourism
Explore impossible destinations with zero jet lag. Virtual Japan Experiences bring the cherry blossom season year-round. Seoul is building a virtual city hall for tourism and citizen services.
You could walk with dinosaurs or visit digitally resurrected ancient wonders like the Library of Alexandria. Travel companies unlock new revenue by selling virtual adventure passes that extend physical trips or replace them entirely when budgets are tight.
Corporate Training and Simulation
Dangerous or expensive training scenarios suddenly become easy. Aviation firms simulate emergency cockpit procedures. Retail employees use VR to handle difficult customer situations safely.
Walmart reportedly trained over a million workers with VR modules for holiday rush preparation. Companies save money and employees gain confidence faster.
Sports Fandom and Virtual Stadiums
Sports leagues know fans crave participation. Manchester City is building a virtual Etihad Stadium so supporters worldwide can attend matches with front-row immersion.
Basketball fans can shoot hoops with their favourite athletes’ avatars or buy digital trophies to flex their loyalty. Merchandise, tickets, and meet-and-greets transform from scarce perks into scalable fan experiences.
Sustainability and Virtual Prototyping
Brands use digital twins to test storefront layouts, manufacturing lines, and even city infrastructure before building anything. BMW runs entire factories as virtual replicas to optimise efficiency and reduce waste.
Architects collaborate in shared VR models rather than printing physical prototypes. Reducing real-world resource consumption becomes a business advantage.
Brand strategy: The Four Questions
If you’re still unsure whether your brand should be in the Metaverse, or how to approach this entirely new digital world, it helps to take a step back and think strategically. It also helps to not think of the Metaverse as just another social media platform.
Understanding whether your audience is present, how to create meaningful engagement, and what long-term value you aim to deliver is essential before jumping in.
How Will You Enrich The Customer Experience?
The Metaverse is a space where users seek socialization, entertainment, and exploration. Brands can enhance customer experience by creating interactive, engaging opportunities that encourage participation rather than simple observation.
Examples include virtual concerts, digital exhibitions, and immersive event spaces that bring people together in memorable ways. Offering experiences that allow users to interact with the brand and with each other fosters deeper connections and strengthens loyalty.
Thoughtful engagement in this environment transforms casual visits into meaningful brand interactions.
Is Your Primary Audience Active in the Metaverse?
A Gartner report from 2022 predicts that by 2026, 25% of people will spend at least one hour per day in the Metaverse. This growing engagement makes it a key space for brands to connect with their audience.
Younger demographics are particularly active on these platforms, exploring games, events, and social interactions. Brands that want to remain relevant and visible to this audience should start experimenting with the Metaverse and learning how users engage with content and virtual experiences.
What Is The Long-Term Strategy?
Success in the Metaverse requires a clear strategy and defined objectives. Brands need more than presence to make an impact. Establishing goals, such as raising awareness through limited-edition NFTs, hosting immersive events, or creating interactive experiences, ensures activities are purposeful and measurable.
Without planning, it is easy to miss opportunities or fail to connect with the audience. Every initiative should align with the brand’s broader mission and contribute to growth, engagement, or long-term customer relationships.
How Will You Enhance Brand Exposure?
Brand visibility in the Metaverse comes from placement, presence, and activity. Logos on avatars, virtual merchandise, and digital environments ensure repeated exposure to users as they navigate the platform.
Sponsoring events, hosting virtual concerts, or creating shared spaces amplifies reach while allowing organic interactions. The same principles that work in the physical world, such as advertising, partnerships, and experiential marketing, apply in digital spaces.
Consistent and creative exposure helps brands stay top of mind in environments where attention is highly competitive.
Endless Possibilities
At EHL Group, our teams are driving digital transformation projects that bring virtual education to life, enabling students from around the world to interact in alternative realities using next-generation learning technologies. These experiences prepare them to explore the careers of tomorrow while developing skills that matter today.
We focus on nurturing out-of-the-box thinking and design thinking strategies. Electives in innovation and entrepreneurship introduce emerging subjects that may seem abstract now, much like how the internet felt in 1995.
Should we teach students to code? Perhaps. But just as Gen Z picks up new technologies naturally, it is likely our students will learn independently and tackle new challenges once they reach undergraduate education, when the Metaverse is fully integrated into daily life.
For now, our priority is to ensure they understand these topics and appreciate their impact on society, future careers, and the skills needed to thrive in a Metaverse-driven world.
