Key Points:
- McDonald’s is entering the metaverse by allowing customers to buy food online and have it delivered to them
- This model can be replicated in other verticals
McDonald’s recently filed applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, in what indicates to most that the global fast food chain is setting up to open shop in the metaverse. Its applications largely center around the $36 billion company’s expansion into the “virtual food and beverage sector.” But McDonald’s isn’t just betting on demand for digital burgers or Golden Arches NFTs.
Below the surface, McDonald’s is a case study illustrating how brands can enter the metaverse, as it is banking on exactly what has already made it billions of dollars.
Hidden within the depths of its applications, and beyond the downloadable multimedia files, virtual events, and non-fungible tokens is what McDonald’s is really after: “operating a virtual restaurant online featuring home delivery,” according to trademark attorney Josh Gerben, who tweeted about it last week.
McDonald’s is entering the metaverse to offer patrons another way to order food (real food) for delivery online, to its customers’ real homes. The seemingly mundane move is smart, and business owners who want to stay on the cutting edge should pay attention. Here are three guideposts that can help inform a savvy strategy to enter–and make money in–the metaverse.