Virtual Realms, Real Brands: VR Marketing in the Metaverse with Charlie Ferguson

About this episode

The episode discusses the future of branding and marketing in the metaverse with insights from digital brand strategist Charlie Ferguson.

In this insightful episode, we explore the future of branding, marketing, and consumer engagement in the metaverse and spatial internet era. Our guest is seasoned digital brand strategist Charlie Ferguson, who shares his thoughts on extended reality (XR), immersive virtual worlds, user-generated experiences, and the convergence of technologies driving this metamodern shift. We dive deep into the evolution of VR/AR, discussing the major technological hurdles that still need to be overcome for mainstream metaverse adoption. Charlie provides a fascinating perspective on interoperability across metaverse platforms and the emergence of decentralized "Fediverses." The conversation also covers how brands can embrace user-generated content and virtual co-creation in this new paradigm. From virtual McDonald's franchises created by fans to overlaying experiences on games and products, we unpack the ownership and IP challenges companies will face. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Personal Background 06:27 The Evolution of VR and Apple's Entry into the Market 21:25 Leveraging User-Generated Experiences in the Metaverse 22:22 The Rise of Branded Content in the Metaverse 22:51 Virtual…

People in this episode

Host: Fabien Hameline

Guest: Charlie Ferguson

Topics covered

• VR marketing
• metaverse
• user-generated content
• digital branding
• interoperability
• extended reality

Keywords

• virtual reality
• augmented reality
• consumer engagement
• immersive experiences
• decentralized platforms
• branding strategies

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Apple, McDonald's, Fediverses, Linkedin

More episodes of Brand Runner

• Can AI Make Us Better Artists? with Farid Ismail (special episode in French · May 26, 2026 · 24 min
• AI Is the New OS. Humans Are the Luxury — What You MUST Do in 2026 · January 7, 2026 · 9 min
• Inside Canva’s Visual Suite: AI, Creativity & the Future of Marketing Teams · April 14, 2025 · 12 min
• AI Goes Ghibli: The Viral Trend and Its Implications · April 1, 2025 · 14 min
• Inside Adobe Summit 2025 (recap): Creativity is the New Productivity · March 24, 2025 · 23 min
• The State of VR with Sébastien Hameline · January 28, 2025 · 48 min