I was just interviewed for an article about Maple Grove, a shopping mall in Second Life created by Canada Post:

Robert Gourley is creative director of Mojave, an ad agency that has created experiences for brands in Second Life and other social online spaces. He says Maple Grove is an interesting attempt, but it doesn’t take advantage of the virtual world’s potential.

“Brands in Second Life have the freedom to move away from real world metaphors and engage customers in more interesting ways,” he said. “I don’t see users being excited about logging onto Second Life and walking around a replica of a mall, live music or not. Overall, I think it’s best to look at Second Life as a marketing strategy rather than retail channel. The exception to this is digital purchase like music, apps and games, which is a much easier sell to an already connected audience.”

If nothing else, Gourley says it’s certainly a PR win for Canada Post. “But I wonder if the mall will just be a virtual ghost town this time next year.”

You can read the full article at Retail Customer Experience Magazine