![[팩플]“Avatar dating and making a company” The future of the metaverse platform “ZEPETO”](https://pds.joins.com/news/component/htmlphoto_mmdata/202104/03/39481522-c06b-41bd-8905-e30b949e97f4.jpg "[팩플]“Avatar dating and making a company” The future of the metaverse platform “ZEPETO”")
Among the services offered by Naver, the service that captured global users in the shortest period and largest scale. Besides, most of them are Gen Z. These are the modifiers attached to’ZEPETO’ in the 3rd year of its launch. ZEPETO is a social network service (SNS) enjoyed with an augmented reality (AR) avatar. Out of 200 million subscribers, 90% of overseas subscribers are spread across 165 countries. 80% of users are teenagers.
Summary of Pack Letter 83
Interview with Daewook Kim, Co-CEO of Naver Jet
ZEPETO is attracting more attention recently as a’metabus platform’. Metaverse is a virtual space where social, economic, and cultural activities are possible, just like in reality. Metaverse is a daily life and reality for the generation of’Post Coronas’ who meet and play games online.
On the 12th of last month, I met Daewook Kim, 33, co-representative of ZEPETO at Naver Jet headquarters in Pangyo, Gyeonggi-do. ZEPETO spun off from Snow in May of last year. If Snow, who is responsible for diversifying Naver’s mobile business, is the 2nd generation representative subsidiary, Naver Jet is the representative of Naver 3rd generation. The interview was accompanied by Lee Chung-min, head of business.
Kim Dae-wook, co-representative of Naver Jet, who operates the global AR avatar service’Zeppetto’, poses after an interview with JoongAng Ilbo at the headquarters in Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do. Reporter Kim Sang-sun
- The metaverse platform is on the rise, what is the metaverse?
- It is a two-way communication between reality and virtual reality. My’Bukkae’ is created in a virtual space where there is a point of contact with reality. Metaverse is completed only when the user has a job, establishes relationships, and can do whatever he wants to do. The most important condition of the metaverse is that it must not be controlled by any single person or company.
- Did you have the concept of metaverse in mind from the beginning of ZEPETO?
- The concept of a world created with users came from the beginning of the concept. If you translate this into words these days, it’s a metaverse. User participation-based services such as a function that allows users to create and sell clothes or items (Geppetto Studio) and a virtual space by theme (Geppetto World) where users can meet and communicate with other users such as’classroom’ and’shopping mall’ are continuously added. That’s the reason. It’s a bit far from the future, but I’m really trying to open up all of ZEPETO so that users can create their own features someday.
ZEPETO of K-pop idol’Black Pink’. Photo Naver Jet
- Is the participation of ZEPETO users active?
- More than 80% of the items sold in ZEPETO are made by users themselves. In the case of clothes, new products come up 7000 to 8000 pieces a day. We also tend to do various experiments, but users experiment more boldly than we do. Like the clothes that look like invisible people by erasing the bottom of the avatar’s neck, or the shoes that a puppy follows (laughs).
- What is the reason why luxury brands such as Gucci and Christian Louboutin and idols such as Black Pink are looking for ZEPETO?
- It seems that it is because of the attractiveness of being able to give consumers a new experience different from existing media or social media marketing, and to communicate with young consumers two-way. The impact of Corona 19 is also great. Since we can’t face-to-face events, we hold a virtual fan signing event (Black Pink) and a fashion show (Louboutin) in ZEPETO.
In ZEPETO, there are more than 60 costumes and accessories using Gucci IP, and a 3D world map’Gucci Villa’ in Florence, Italy, where Gucci headquarters is located. Photo Naver Jet
- YG and Big Hit invested a total of 12 billion won and JYP invested 5 billion won in ZEPETO. Is Enter ZEPETO’s killer content?
- Enter is one of the many axes that make up the metaverse. Sports, games, fashion, comics, and later education, the metaverse covers a wide and deep area.
- How far are you planning to expand ZEPETO?
- We are not expanding. People already make money here. ZEPETO STUDIO generated 800 million won in sales within one month of launch. Only the cumulative number of creators is 60,000. Someone who quit his job and became a full-time ZEPETO costume designer, and a virtual architect who creates and distributes maps for avatars to play. Some of them earn more than 3 million won per month.
- If that’s enough, there will also be companies that run ZEPETO as a stage.
- right. Right now, we’re paying rent from affiliates and creating the virtual spaces they want, but in the future, Gepetto’s architects will create maps for companies around the world and make money. I think there can be many other jobs. Oh, I also have a relationship in Zepeto.
- Avatar dating?
- In ZEPETO, weddings are held and small characters are sometimes called’my baby’ (laughs). Gen Z think that avatars don’t necessarily have to be the same as real me. In reality, even if you are an ordinary high school student, in ZEPETO, you play a kind of’role play’ as an actor, an idol, or the president of an entertainment agency. He also became a drama director and made a ZEPETO drama.
A YouTube video uploaded by creator Timmy based on her dating experience at ZEPETO. Photo Naver Jet
- What do they react to Zepeto?
- This generation is familiar with the activities of platform influencers such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Most of them are pretty and handsome, or are real people with their own specialties and charms. However, in ZEPETO, anyone can become a star without an attractive capital. Among low-age users, there are many cases where Zepeto was started before Instagram and Facebook. For certain age groups, ZEPETO is the’first social media’.
- Where and how does Naver Jet make profits?
- Now, the sales of our items account for about 75% of our total revenue. In the future, the platform-type revenue structure, which receives a payment fee (30%) each time an item created by a creator is sold, will be further strengthened. Sales in affiliate marketing with brands such as Gucci and North Face are also increasing.
- Where are ZEPETO’s competitors?
- Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft. Each has a different personality, but has a common point that the creator’s participation is important. ZEPETO is more focused on using avatar personality than these.
Cover of the September 2020 issue of Cosmopolitan. Cosmopolitan’s ZEPETO’HATTY’ is the cover model. Central photo
- Founder Lee Hae-jin once said, “It is the greatest success (June 2019) that a company larger than Naver will appear within Naver.” Is ZEPETO such a success?
- I’m looking forward to it. When looking at the size of global users, Naver has gathered the fastest and most people among the businesses that Naver has been doing. The company is also very good at applying.
- Any plans to list overseas such as the US stock market?
- It’s not without thinking, but now I’m trying to focus more on improving the service. As you grow, you will have opportunities on your own.
Reporter Kim Jung-min [email protected]
Are you curious about the companies that are emerging these days?
This article is on April 1 A summary version of’The future of metaverse is ○○○○○’ sent to subscribers as a pack newsletteris. I found out how Naver, who has been 20 years old, has been preparing for innovation through co-CEO Daewook Kim, who runs’ZEPETO’, Naver’s youngest organization and service. What is the’metaverse’ that is said to be hot these days, why is the metaverse attracting attention now? . If you would like to see the full FACPLE newsletter, please subscribe by email. ‘Article +α’ is visiting the three-dimensional news of the hot tech companies these days.
Subscribe → https://url.kr/factpl
If you take a QR code, you can apply for a pack subscription.
