Toys ‘R' Us, Sears, Sky Mall and The Shopping Channel Join Canada Post in Second Life
RALEIGH, N.C. (November 12, 2007) - French/West/Vaughan (FWV), one of the nation's largest independent public relations, public affairs and eMERGING media agencies, is launching Canada Post's "Maple Grove," a virtual city in the online community of Second Life. Maple Grove is filled with real-life retailers including Sears, Brookstone, SkyMall, Toys ‘R' Us and The Shopping Channel, to name a few. This holiday season, online shoppers will be able to visit the virtual city to purchase real-world gifts and merchandise.
Second Life is a popular virtual community inhabited by more than 10 million registered users worldwide and is part of a new social networking trend catching the eyes of marketers. While several companies have established a presence in Second Life, FWV's Maple Grove development is the largest collection of real-life retailers in the virtual world.
"To be successful, it is important for brands to stay engaged with the virtual community long after the excitement of a launch," said Chris Shigas, FWV vice president. "In Maple Grove, we are conducting a buzz marketing campaign within Second Life, across social media networks and directly through mainstream media."
The recent launch of Maple Grove kicked off with a six hour live music festival. Throughout the holiday season, the virtual city will host live concerts, discussion forums and a virtual scavenger hunt. Maple Grove will also be promoted on other social media sites including MySpace.
FWV has a virtual office in Second Life and has introduced other clients to Second Life. The Global Water Foundation uses FWV virtual marketing services to raise worldwide awareness of the need for safe and healthy drinking water and adequate sanitation in developing parts of the world. Plans are also underway to build a Second Life presence for WaterPartners International, another FWV client.
About French/West/Vaughan
French/West/Vaughan, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, is the Southeast's largest independent public relations, public affairs and eMERGING media agency. The agency was named a 2006 finalist for PR Week magazine's "Midsize PR Agency of the Year" award, and was named the Holmes Report's 2004 National Consumer Agency of the Year. National and international clients represented by the agency include the Global Water Foundation, Minute Maid, Ford Motor Company, Wrangler, Nestea, the Justin Boot Company, Canada Post, Speedo, AIKO Importers, Pfizer, ASTROTURF and bioMérieux. Regional public relations clients include North Carolina State University and Tweetsie Railroad, among many others. The agency is headquartered in Raleigh and has offices in both New York City and Tampa.
