Still, it comes with challenges, including mixed messages from digital communities. Discord is often criticised for a user experience and an aesthetic that is discordant with fashion and inhospitable to new users. “It’s aesthetically ugly, busier than a Bloomberg terminal, difficult to learn quickly and can quickly turn into a ghost town or cesspool of ugly rage,” M7 Innovations’s Maher says, and brands can struggle with cadence. SamJ, an artist whose works have been featured by Gucci, Givenchy Beauty and Christie’s, has been using Discord since 2016. They say the platform is great as a casual social hub for small groups of friends, but “anything Web3 or brand-related is a nightmare”.
Additionally, the platform’s audience of Gen Z and gamers doesn’t necessarily translate into an audience for high-value NFTs. In addition to the original cost of the Via key, holders must also purchase exclusive-to-them Louis Vuitton items; the duffle bag, for example, was more than $9,000.
On the other hand, it can be valuable as a source of truth for NFT projects, including being used as a customer service tool even after sales are live, says Julien Rosilio, head of growth and NFT lead for digital fashion company DressX, which maintains an active Discord server with 4,400 members, two administrators and two moderators. “The key is to constantly have private and exclusive perks in the channel,” Rosilio adds, such as co-creation, clear impacts on brand strategy, early access, discounts and more.
As with the advent of e-commerce and social media, brands are undergoing a transition in this new realm, including hiring Discord moderators and adapting communication strategies to be suitably transparent and receptive to feedback. Maher, of M7 Innovations, advises brands to be realistic in managing fan expectations in terms of number of channels and in maintaining an ongoing presence. “You need to have rock solid strategy, support and a roadmap before you go live,” he says. “It demands a thoughtful and strategic investment of time, energy and dedicated support.”
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