Second life breathes new life into law firm marketing.

• Author: Hinze, Chris
• Position: Reprint

Virtual worlds aren't just for college kids anymore. Just when you thought your law firm had a handle on its online presence, Second Life has presented a new window of opportunity for corporate branding and messaging. The site is a three-dimensional virtual world created by Linden Labs that has attracted a plethora of media attention since it was launched in 2003. It now claims to have 13 million users (or residents) worldwide, of whom just over a million have accessed it in the last 60 days.

When our law firm took a look at how it could be among the first in the legal industry to use Second Life in its marketing efforts, we discovered many of our clients were already one step ahead of us.

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Second Life residents are drawn from all around the world, with Europe and the United States representing the largest blocks of users. The age profile of participants is skewed toward the 25-35 year range, and about 55-60 percent of the residents are men. People under the age of 18 are not permitted in Second Life and have their own area.

What makes Second Life interesting is its economy. Users own the intellectual property rights to items that they create in the Second Life world and can trade items, services and virtual real estate with other residents using a unit of currency called the Linden dollar.

The Second Life environment can best be thought of as a three-dimensional Internet that gives you the virtual experience of walking around its online world. To explore the world you need to create a representation of yourself known as an avatar. Using your mouse or keyboard, your computer can navigate the environment, talk to others using voice and keyboard chat, pick up and use items and buy and sell goods.

It is possible to stream audio and video into Second Life, which has been used by some bands to provide alternative concerts or support the launch of new albums or tracks.

To visit the Second Life world, you need to download a free piece of software from www.secondlife.com. As a result, your firewall needs to be able to let data flow in and out, and this may cause some difficulties for law firm and corporate users.

All Types of Life

Law firm marketers need to remember that because Second Life is like the Internet, all types of human life can be found in it, and there are very few restrictions on what you can do or say. Parts of Second Life are rated "mature," and individuals have set up businesses in those areas that cater to...