1. The world has changed

   We are getting closer to a grand „switch off” – while waiting for digitisation, we become co-participants and co-organisers of a grand media convergence. More and more can be done through e-offices of state administration, we use e-commerce to larger and larger extent. In a few years, television will become a centre of active communication. We will be watching evening news while surfing on the same screen at the same time, deepening our knowledge on various issues.

   The advertising market is also changing, as the recipient of the advertising message is changing from being a passive consumer to an active prosumer with extensive knowledge on products and services of his favourite brand, who transfers this knowledge to others and – which is of no lesser importance – desires to participate in active development of products and services, having larger awareness of shopping decisions. The consumer is getting younger and younger, more and more open to new technologies, he understands them and can make use of them.

   We would like to draw particular attention to this area of communication, as we believe that it is the virtual world that creates the real world; and in order to reach the consumer, we must create communication that is integrated (where the new media often constitute a key element and actively harmonise with the traditional ones) and interactive (involving the consumer).

2. Benefits from online and offline integration – on the basis of integrated activities in the virtual and real worlds

   Developing integrated activities at the borderline of the virtual and real world provides a broad range of benefits. Naturally, they may be of various scope and importance, depending on the given project. Owing to them, we might for example:

   • Promote and distinguish selected communities,
   • Provide the consumers with broader opportunities to interact and communicate,
   • To allow for better use of virtual worlds for communication purposes of brands,
   • To allow for better promotion of adopted content and messages,
   • Stimulate the buzz around events,
   • Strengthen the interest in communication activities,
   • Involve the consumers and the media.

3. Goals of the Eurofun 2012 project

   The concept of the stadium and the project were developed in July 2007, and four months later Eurofun has been open to Second Life players. The stadium features a modern, dynamic shape, creates and impression of lightness and radiance, with large quantities of oval shapes and glass. It is impressive in its panache. The building also contains administration facilities and an underground parking lot.

   At present, it is the largest sports facility in the global online game Second Life and the only such place in the Polish Internet. It was intended to become a stage for sports events, music happenings, conferences and debates. With its help we desired:

   1. To achieve social goals:
      • Promote Euro 2012,
      • Promote Poland on the international stage,
      • Trigger various activities around Euro 2012,
      • Create positive image of state institutions,
      • Activate young people, foster creativity, invite to having fun together in promoting sports, culture and Euro2012 brand in Poland.
   2. To trigger debate around modern marketing and PR as well as the integrated media message.
   3. To gain involvement and interest from:
      • State institutions,
      • Business,
      • Celebrities,
      • Foreign entities.

4. Why Eurofun 2012 stadium?

   

   SL is a substitute of the real world, where the players can – among others – work, do business, follow their passions, but also enter relationships they might later develop in the real world. Second Life also offers an opportunity to create one’s own virtual reality and to conduct communication activities – from brand exposure, through event marketing and samplings to marketing research, buzz marketing or running advertising campaigns.

   By August 2008, there were around 15 million players registered on the SL site, of which 1,750,000 have been active in the last 60 days.

   
   
   

   Elements of the project:

   1. Construction of the stadium.
   2. Concert of Aga Zaryan
      • On 28 January 2008, the concert of Aga Zaryan, relayed on 1 February by TVPKultura.
   3. Euro 2012 conference:
      • On 25 February 2008, a press conference with the participation of MPs Roman Kosecki, Andrzej Biernat, President of National Sports Centre Michał Borowski and Director at the Warsaw Municipal Office Andrzej Cudak.
   4. An inter-real football game:
      • On 12 May 2008, a football game of media patrons with Polish Second Life Football League.

5. 1.Basic information about the Eurofun stadium

• The stadium is built in 1:1 scale (in SL scale).
• The surface of the pitch: 55 x 90 m.
• The field of the stadium is build 10 m above sea level, and its height is around 60 m.
• 9,600 construction elements (so-called primes) were used to build the stadium.
• The stadium features a VIP box and an outdoor screen (7 x 10 m).
• Eurofun 2012 is at present the largest sports facility in Second Life.
• When building it, we sought inspiration from the stadiums in the real life – first of all those in Asia and South Africa.

From the very beginning, shortly after having commenced the construction, we began to conduct communication activities about the event through three different channels. On the one side, in Second Life itself, where the moderators were offering guided tours around the construction site for all those interested and providing information on the Eurofun concept – on the other hand, the progress in the construction could have been followed on an ongoing basis on the regularly updated www.eurofun.pl website, owing to teasing news circulated over the Internet or the SL video clips we placed on YouTube. Of equal importance was our contribution to the discussion concerning the timing of Euro 2012, that had been going on at that time in the traditional media.

After the completion of the works, the time came for further activities. The undertakings we have organised on the Eurofun stadium were met with large interest from the media – both Internet and traditional ones, i.e. the press, radio and television. We managed to win media patronage for all the events, which helped us promote and create buzz around these events.

6. Events at the Stadium

   The baptism of the stadium – a concert of Aga Zaryan

   

   The first event organised on the Eurofun 2012 stadium was the concert of Aga Zaryan. It was the first concert of a Polish artist at the meeting point of the two worlds, and Aga was singing live for both real and virtual public. A few days later, the concert was relayed by TVP Kultura TV channel. During the live debate in the programme of Max Cegielski, Aga sung a song that could be heard by SL users at the same time. We had seen the simultaneous integration of SL, television and the real world.

   The success of this undertaking required activities on various areas. We had to prepare the stadium for the concert, which involved the development of adequate infrastructure, virtual office of TVP Kultura, conducting campaign in SL and an inter-real event. The broadcasting of the event also had to be synchronised with the traditional media, among which we won patronage as well. The event was also publicised with the use of the new media, both owing to news releases circulating in the Web and information provided on www.eurofun.pl site, video clips on YouTube or invitations to the event sent via e-mail. Our real world activities bore fruit in the form of obtaining the major sponsor of the event (GE Money Bank), a live meeting with Aga Zaryan and winning the Honorary Patronage of the President of the City of Warsaw Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz.

   The baptism of the stadium – a concert of Aga Zaryan
   
   
   • "Aga Zaryan - Suzanne": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ta16KCf37k
   • "Aga Zaryan - Woman's work": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-zU5FEYOK8
   • "Aga Zaryan - The Man I Love": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt-qyShYZyo

   The media patrons of the Aga Zaryan concert were: Brief, Przekrój, TVP Kultura and Channel 3 of the Polish Radio. News and articles on the event appeared both in electronic and traditional media, such as Brief, Jazz Forum, Polska, Sukces, Życie Warszawy or Rzeczpospolita, as well as Wirtualne Media, Onet or Wirtualna Polska.

   
   
   

   Press conference

   

   Another event held at Eurofun 2012 was a press conference combined with the inspection of the stadium by persons responsible for preparations to Euro 2012 in the real world. Among the invitees were Roman Kosecki (MP of Civic Platform party), Andrzej Biernat (MP of Civic Platform), Andrzej Cudak (acting Director of Euro 2012 Secretariat at the Warsaw Municipal Office), and Michał Borowski (then President of National Sports Centre company). Questions could have been asked both by journalists invited to FireFly Creation office and SL users. Michał Radoń, public relations advisor and political scientist, gave a new name to this event: an inter-real event.

   Similarly to the Aga Zaryan concert, organisation of the inspection at the stadium also involved combining activities in Second Life and the new and traditional media. In the real world, we had to conduct the conference at the meeting point of online and offline worlds and to ensure participation of representatives of states institutions and politicians.

   Press conference
   
   

   The major sponsor of the event was once again GE Money Bank, and the Honorary Patronage was taken over by the President of the City of Warsaw. In the real world, in FFC office, the guests were met by journalists of the media patrons of the event: Futbol, Polish Market, Brief magazines, Radio dla Ciebie and iTV, as well as other journalists, including those from the Polish Radio, TVP, Gazeta Wyborcza and Polska daily. In Second Life, at the Eurofun 2012 stadium, specially arranged for the event, the conference was also attended by journalists, among others from Przekrój, which also was among media patrons of the event.

   The conference and the stadium inspection was featured in Futbol magazine, Rzeczpospolita, Życie Warszawy dailies and Wirtualne Media site.

   
   
   

   Football game at the stadium

   

   In the office of FireFly Creation advertising agency at Chorągwi Pancernej 43 in Warsaw, and simultaneously at Eurofun 2012 stadium in Second Life, a friendly football match was held. Two six-player teams met at the virtual playing field. The first one was composed of Second Life professionals – members of the Polish Second Life Football League, and the second one – of Second Life novices, representatives of FFC, the sponsor of the stadium (GE Money Bank), the media patron (Futbol magazine) and people from sports and politics milieus. It was an interactive event, providing active participation to Second Life users (the stadium accommodated ca. 80 avatars).

   The third event at the stadium involved broader preparations in Second Life. We had to adequately programme the stadium in order to allow for a game to be held and win involvement from the SL community of the Polish Football League. In the real world, our invitation was accepted by the Council-man of Ukraine’s Embassy to Poland Volodymyr Baczynski and Cezary Kucharski, who won the first goal for FireFly Creation team.

   Football game at the stadium (1)
   
   
   • "Football game at the stadium (2)": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfLFv9qJtQY

   Similarly to previous two events, we held a broadly conducted campaign in SL and made use of the range of Internet and traditional media to publicise the event. The first football game at the virtual stadium was featured by – among others – Rzeczpospolita, Życie Warszawy, Przekrój, Sport24, Medialine or Euroraport.

7. Summary of activities at the stadium

   The virtual stadium in Second Life, together with www.eurofun.pl site, was established to bring sports lovers together on an interactive forum of exchange of thoughts about Euro 2012 and on a platform of observation of progress in preparations to Euro 2012 in Poland and in Ukraine. Owing to our actions, it has not only become a platform of debate on football, but also a venue of concerts, cultural events and conferences. We have crossed all the boundaries, drifting at the meeting point of the online and the offline worlds.

   The success of the project is proved by the broad attention of the media. Eurofun was featured in Przekrój, Życie Warszawy, Rzeczpospolita, Polska, Brief, Futbol, Onet, WP, Bankier and many other media. Programmes concerning it were broadcast in TVN Uwaga, TVP Kultura, TV Polonia, TVN24, TVN CNBC Biznes.

   Owing to our activities at the stadium we managed:

   • To achieve our social goals,
   • To trigger discussion concerning preparations to Euro 2012 in Poland and in Ukraine,
   • To win involvement of celebrities and gain interest of various institutions,
   • Integrate the media and communication message,
   • Integrate the online and offline world.

   Both SL users and the media saw that the events organised at the meeting point of online and offline worlds work well. The added value of such events is that they allow for simultaneous, interactive participation of Second Life users and real world persons: it offers an opportunity for instant confrontation.

8. The future of Eurofun stadium

   
   
   
   • Dedicated activities.
   • Promotion of Euro 2012.
   • Grass-roots activities of SL users: the slogan for opening the stadium to ideas of creative Second Life users is: „Ours is the turf, yours is the ball”. According to the regulations of stadium usage we have drawn up, its use will be possible both on commercial and free basis in case of private initiatives. The first interested lessee is the Polish SL Football League.
   • We are convinced that any further projects at Eurofun 2012 stadium in the virtual world will confirm its interactive character and will integrate various fields of traditional and new media communication.

9. 1.Integrated and interactive communication

   More and more frequently the virtual worlds and the new media constitute central points, around which integrated communication is being developed. Integrated and interactive communication involves the consumer and reaches him through various communication channels. It allows to maximise the buzz around events and brands. It should be created for almost every communication strategy for most of the brands, as:

   • Consumers and their expectations have changed,
   • The world around them has changed,
   • The patterns of social interactions are changing dynamically – social relations established in the Internet are being developed in the real world as well.
   • People who have met in the Web meet in the real world, and even get married.
   • The rapidity of dialogue, full time accessibility, interactive character.

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