Who remembers the Metaverse?
I wonder how many businesses wasted thousands, or even millions of punds, and ountless days investing into the hype of the Metaverse.
We were told it would transform our lives. People would use it to meet, play sports, travel, and even live out entire virtual existences.
Brands like Nike were selling digital trainers. To my daughter, that sounds great as she plays Roblox and has no concept of money, but for global brands it was presented as “the future of consumer engagement”. Even Snoop Dogg was buying up virtual land in Sandbox.
And of course, the ‘futurists’ told us if we didn’t get on board, we were dinosaurs.
The same story keeps repeating
These were the same experts who promised that by 2025 we’d all be searching by voice. That your business had to optimise for it. Or that you needed an app for Apple Vision Pro because, you know, that’s clearly been a massive hit, right?
They’re the same people who sold “digital monkey NFTs” as the future of value creation.
I lost count of the number of clients who asked if they needed a Metaverse presence, a voice search strategy, or a branded app, all because they’d been to an event, opened an email, or seen a post on LinkedIn declaring “the future is here” and your brand is missing out.
Why businesses fall for it
The truth is simple: ‘new’ is one of the oldest sales and marketing tricks, us humans have ever used.
‘New’ feels sexy.
‘New’ sounds cool.
‘New’ always promises to be better.
And when FOMO is wrapped up in expert language, businesses feel pressured to act before their competitors do.
But here’s the reality: anyone who tells you they know the future of marketing technology is, at best, guessing. At worst, they’re selling you something.
What actually matters
Chasing gimmicks won’t grow your business. What matters is:
• Understanding the psychology of your buyers.
• Creating campaigns that connect emotionally, not just technically.
Technology has a role to play, but only when it supports your business strategy, not when it distracts from it.
Knowing where and how your customers really make decisions.
The Fireworx approach
At Fireworx, we cut through the noise. Our job is to help clients focus on what drives results, not what drives hype. That means:
Evidence over speculation – we test, measure, and prove what works.
Strategy before shiny objects – tools only matter if they deliver ROI.
Challenging conventional wisdom – because following the herd rarely makes you stand out.
The Metaverse, NFTs, voice search, they were all presented as the next big thing. But if you’d invested heavily, you’d be counting the cost today.
Final thought
Don’t be distracted by the noise of ‘futurists’. The next time someone says “this is the future, and if you don’t do it now you’ll be left behind”, remember it’s a sales pitch.
Because in marketing, the real future isn’t about gimmicks. It’s about clarity, creativity, and connecting with human behaviour, and that’s where the results come from.
Let’s chat about how Fireworx can help your brand stay focused
Email: ideas@fwx.co.uk or even better, talk to one of our friendly team on: 01202 559 559
