Transcript: SL Business Communicators Meeting 2 with BMW

As he promised in our last meeting, Achim Muellers, Head of Brand Relations and Cooperations for BMW met up again with the SL Business Communmicators Group.  He opened the floor to questions, and topics ranged from internal support for the SL initiative, to Second Life culture, marketing and success measurement; from strategy to hiring in-world staff.

It is apparent BMW is intensly interested in getting feedback and learning from the community.  Interestingly and seemingly as an extension of that approach, they will be framing their success measurements around qualitative factors rather than quantitative metrics.

Thank you to Munich Express for our quality time with BMW.  Below is the conversation transcipt from today's meetup.

Greetings, BMW Internal Perceptions of SL

[9:03]  You: Thanks for coming everyone.
[9:03]  Andy Evans: OK, wold love to chat later
[9:03]  You: Many of you were here last time.
[9:03]  Munich Express: i'll be around let's do that
[9:03]  You: Munich is making himself available to answer questions about BMW or their initiative here in SL.
[9:04]  You: I'll open the floor. Thanks again Munich!
[9:04]  Munich Express: you're very welcome and i thank you all for coming
[9:04]  Munich Express: we're also looking for your input of course
[9:04]  Munich Express: as this will help us to become better
[9:05]  Munich Express: anybody with the icebreaker ?
[9:05]  You: How is management looking at this initiataive?
[9:06]  Munich Express: it's becoming better and better actually
[9:06]  Munich Express: we have a senior management virtual tour this morning
[9:06]  Munich Express: actually that means being on the agenda
[9:06]  Munich Express: so we are happy with that
[9:07]  You: Do they have plans to come into SL?
[9:07]  Munich Express: as avatars you mean?
[9:07]  You: Yes
[9:07]  Munich Express: some are considering it i'm sure
[9:07]  Lukas Chadbourne: Did it take convincing to make BMW to jump into SL?
[9:07]  Munich Express: and some are actually here already
[9:08]  Munich Express: convincing - it was quite easy actually
[9:08]  Soluna Sassoon: do your plans for Second Life include training and development, or do you see this as mostly a marketing tool?
[9:08]  Munich Express: the company is very open minded as far as that is concerned
[9:08]  Walter Sheridan: Did you meet and recruit some "brilliant" residents to help you create and develop yet? as the ones who already created some beamer bikes?
[9:08]  Lukas Chadbourne: I see. I'm asking because many see it as a game merely.
[9:08]  Munich Express: marketing people are very modest, as you know :)
[9:09]  Digitina Dunheved: how will you know if this presnce is a success?
[9:09]  Lukas Chadbourne: :-)
[9:09]  Munich Express: so we like to see ourselves as the pioneers
[9:09]  Munich Express: as i already mentioned to learn and to derive from those learnings where we can use it
[9:09]  Digitina Dunheved: Are there plans to enhance this presence?
[9:09]  Soluna Sassoon: what tools are you using to find the resources you are needing currently?
[9:10]  Munich Express: yes and those plans are in the making
[9:10]  Munich Express: financial or hr ressources
[9:10]  Soluna Sassoon: well, both actually
[9:10]  Soluna Sassoon: and development
[9:10]  Munich Express: the budget we get internally
[9:11]  Munich Express: but here it is intersting trying to explain sl to controlling :)
[9:11]  Munich Express: virtual currencies??
[9:11]  Digitina Dunheved: Have you had very many events here?
[9:12]  Munich Express: as far as hr is concerned so far we cover this in-house, but this is one area where we would like to try something out soon
[9:12]  Munich Express: the number of events is increasing
[9:12]  Munich Express: especially as we find that events and personal meetings are the best way of interaction if you will
[9:13]  Munich Express: and interaction is very much on top of our priority list
[9:13]  Digitina Dunheved: meaning more interaction outside of events?
[9:13]  Munich Express: yes
[9:13]  Digitina Dunheved: with vehicles?
[9:13]  Munich Express: if we understand sl correctly it has a great deal to do with personal interaction
[9:13]  Munich Express: people come here to meet people - no?
[9:14]  Walter Sheridan: did you get rewarded for this innovative action in the classical medias?
[9:14]  Munich Express: funny you should mention that - we find it to be more and more relevant in the blogosphere and traditional media is picking it up as well
[9:15]  Munich Express: we are of course happy about that, but this is not our main reason for coming to sl
[9:15]  Montgomery Silverstar: do you see this is primarily an excersize in social networking or non-traditional market research or perhaps you have a different label?

Car Culture and Marketing

[9:15]  Munich Express: there was a question about cars earleir on
[9:15]  Munich Express: earlier that is
[9:16]  Walter Sheridan: about the ones who made some already
[9:16]  Walter Sheridan: (bikes)
[9:16]  Digitina Dunheved: when you said you were planning for more interaction, i was wondering if you meant interaction with vehicles, i.e., a showroom type experience
[9:16]  Digitina Dunheved: or do you mean more events to gather more people to spur more interaction here
[9:16]  Munich Express: i don't believe that the software available at this point it time aööows us to create a bmw specific experience
[9:17]  Munich Express: after all our slogan is the ultimate driving machine - that so far is not possible here - we will see what open sourcing will achieve here
[9:17]  Montgomery Silverstar: I was especially interested in your comments last time about focus group research...how do you foresee the logistics of that taking place in SL?
[9:17]  Digitina Dunheved: so how will you get more ongoing interaction and participation on this island
[9:18]  Soluna Sassoon: There seems to be a large interest in BMW Branded merchandise here, will you have a line of BMW apparel and such for people to get official BMW merchandise in world?
[9:18]  Digitina Dunheved: ah -- so you won't want to release a vehicle until technology is able to do a better job of replicating that ultimate driving machine experience. got it.
[9:18]  Munich Express: focus groups - we're analysing on how to do that right now and if i'm not mistaken there's expertise in this group as well :)
[9:18]  Munich Express: we'd like to come back to that at a later stage
[9:19]  You: From Montgomery earlier: Montgomery Silverstar: do you see this is primarily an excersize in social networking or non-traditional market research or perhaps you have a different label?
[9:19]  Munich Express: we at this point in time it is wide open and we wouldn't want to pinpoint before we've investigated the different potential
[9:20]  Munich Express: social networking is obviously one, including possibilities of building up bmw communities
[9:20]  Lukas Chadbourne: Does Bmw have a budget specially assigned to its SL initiative?
[9:20]  Munich Express: and yet to be defined feedback mechanisms
[9:21]  Munich Express: yes i'm happy to say that i do - otherwise it would bequite difficult for me
[9:21]  You: Soluna asked: There seems to be a large interest in BMW Branded merchandise here, will you have a line of BMW apparel and such for people to get official BMW merchandise in world?
[9:22]  Munich Express: we're looking in this area as well, but i still believe that reproducing something 1:1 that's in the rl is not good enough
[9:22]  Montgomery Silverstar: Is there a sense that the possibilities seemingly endless that perhaps the first order of business would be to create an over-arching stategic marketing plan specifically for your SL initiatives?
[9:22]  Munich Express: we have a division in-house that are responsible for merchandise and i will actually meet them next week to explore potentials
[9:23]  Walter Sheridan: are you (in germany) the only one to be involved in SL or some other subsidiaries (EU, USA) also have a look and learn from it???
[9:23]  Munich Express: a marketing plan implies that you have all the facts, which at this point in time we don't
[9:23]  Munich Express: yes primarily hq driven
[9:24]  Walter Sheridan: is that still open to some foreign officer of bmw?
[9:24]  Munich Express: we are convinced that the mechanisms that apply in rl don't apply here
[9:24]  Munich Express: i'm not sure i understood the question - do you mean that a subsidiary would open up a separate place?
[9:25]  Walter Sheridan: no, if the foreign division use it to grow their knowledhge,
[9:25]  Walter Sheridan: if they are aware of it too?
[9:26]  Munich Express: well we share everything we learn here and are obviously open to let's say in-world co-operations

SL Culture

[9:26]  Montgomery Silverstar: What are some of the primary questions that you believe need to be answered. What data points are you seeking and how are you gathering that data?
[9:26]  Walter Sheridan: thks!
[9:26]  Munich Express: yes the big ones know what we are up to
[9:26]  Munich Express: i believe one of the fundamental principle is that economies of scale don't apply here
[9:27]  Munich Express: in rl many things we do are based upon this principle however
[9:27]  Munich Express: this we need to sort
[9:27]  Digitina Dunheved: if the US were to create a presence, would they join you here or have a second presence? is this considered global?
[9:27]  Munich Express: anderson - long tail !!
[9:28]  Munich Express: i believe that sl is a global community as can be witnessed also in the meeting that we are having right now
[9:28]  Munich Express: so let me ask you: do you think that it makes sense to set up local entities in such an environment?
[9:28]  Pyrrha Dell: I'd say not IMHO
[9:29]  Allison Selene: I don't think so either
[9:29]  Ludwig Stapleton: language could be a barrier that might be overcome by 'local entities'
[9:29]  Munich Express: isn't it also the global component, the diversity of cultures with the cross-pollination that makes this such a great place?
[9:30]  You: One of the beauties of SL is broadening the worldview.
[9:30]  Allison Selene: I agree with that statement Munich
[9:30]  Munich Express: but you can work your way around the languages with translator can't you?
[9:30]  Soluna Sassoon: indeed yes, you can
[9:30]  Pyrrha Dell: language could be a challenge, but communities with a common one can still chat in the same space as everyone else
[9:31]  Digitina Dunheved: yes on global. but as a marketer, it must be difficult to work with multiple global markets in order to agree on the strategy, direction, differences in positioning across markets, etc.
[9:31]  Pyrrha Dell: I've seen it happening on our sim
[9:31]  Munich Express: strategy is not so difficult actually, neither is positioning. things become complicate once you get to the execution
[9:32]  Munich Express: but again i don't think that this is a big issue in sl.
[9:32]  Munich Express: if i'm not mistaken people join also because of the global component
[9:33]  Munich Express: this is not a place for splendid isolation i believe
[9:33]  Soluna Sassoon: but it could be, if someone so desired.
[9:34]  Swirler Giles: its kind of an "all things to all people" place, atleast within certain limits
[9:34]  Munich Express: but wouldn't he or she sort of isolate him- or herself from the big picture?
[9:34]  Munich Express: let me put it another way - for me one of the biggest benefits is the cross-pollination
[9:35]  Gustav Moyer: Do you want to get a shirt for free ?
[9:35]  Pyrrha Dell: there was a brief mention of human resources earlier - can you share how many people inside BMW are working on SL?
[9:35]  Swirler Giles: yes that makes sense for an international company
[9:35]  Digitina Dunheved: but what if US wants to put flying angel babies second life and Germany thingks it's off brand
[9:35]  Soluna Sassoon: oh i definately agree, I think if you cut yourself off from all that is here to be taken in you are missing the wonders of Second Life

Internal Resources

[9:35]  Munich Express: t-shirt - me?
[9:35]  Gustav Moyer: Yes ! Do you want it ?
[9:36]  Munich Express: hr - inside the company it's mosty me that is driving the process and some colleagues that support.
[9:36]  Munich Express: t-shirt question - yes
[9:36]  Gustav Moyer: Just click on my bag !
[9:36]  Pyrrha Dell: I can relate to the "mostly me"
[9:36]  Gustav Moyer: And sorry for the interruption !
[9:36]  Pyrrha Dell: how do you engage people across the company?
[9:36]  Munich Express: i've heard about that campaign - if i take the t-shirt you get 10 L$ right?
[9:36]  Soluna Sassoon: it is a scripted item Gustav, it will not work here :)
[9:37]  Pyrrha Dell: how do you get their support?
[9:37]  Gustav Moyer: Ok, sorry :-)
[9:37]  Munich Express: in-house you mean?
[9:37]  Pyrrha Dell: yes in-house
[9:37]  Gustav Moyer: But every meeting needs a nice break :-) Bye !
[9:38]  Digitina Dunheved: How many people have visited this sim?
[9:38]  Munich Express: the good thing about our company is that innovation is an important part of our brand identity - that motivates people to join projects like this one
[9:38]  Munich Express: i can't give you an exact figure right now i'm afraid
[9:39]  Munich Express: coming back to hr for a minute, we are also thinking about doing some of that in-world
[9:40]  You: Munich would you like to ask us some questions?
[9:40]  Munich Express: oh i almost forgot - you promised last time that i would be able to do that today :)

Interruptions, Lack of Control and Messaging Challenges in SL

[9:41]  Montgomery Silverstar: I think "gustav" illustrates an interesting problem. How well would the CEO of BMW or IBM or GM cope with a t-shirt vendor during a major presentation in SL? Does the "Wild West" nature of the SL give you concerns?
[9:41]  Munich Express: what is very important for me is to get your evaluation on whether we're on target with our strategy
[9:41]  Walter Sheridan: there are some solutions to privatise an event room!
[9:42]  Munich Express: in real life there are people like him as well - and we know the company he's working for and what the deal is
[9:42]  Munich Express: if at all possible we want to try to keep this wide open - we also believe that this is a fundamental principle of sl
[9:43]  Munich Express: and we don't want to leave that because a minority is trying to negatively influence the approach
[9:43]  Munich Express: how do you see this
[9:44]  Gustav Moyer: You have the possibility to create an area and authorise it ! So only the people of your company can enter it !
[9:44]  Swirler Giles: it's part of the "having more freedom" feel of SL, it also means you have "less control" in some areas
[9:44]  Munich Express: yes and that is what it is all about
[9:44]  Pyrrha Dell: less control can certainly make executives nervous, though
[9:44]  Philippe Fabre: soory
[9:45]  Soluna Sassoon: it is alright
[9:45]  Pebbles Hannya: One thing I've wondered about for ourselves, but also all of the much larger RL companies in SL too is islands versus mainland. I guess I feel that on some level as soon as you go to an island you are isolating yourself, but there are even more potential hassles on the mainland than on an island.
[9:45]  Pyrrha Dell: it is a constant challenge in a large organization when you try to explain SL to them
[9:45]  Walter Sheridan: it's true, it just depensd on the event importance, some product launching or press conference might need to be opened only to calm and collected people, so the debate can evolve!
[9:45]  Munich Express: why would i want to come here and lock myself up - in that case i might as well go to prison :)
[9:45]  You: It is a fundamental problem (no control) for companies. But they have that problem in today's citizen media world as well.
[9:46]  Pyrrha Dell: very true
[9:46]  Gustav Moyer: For me it's just interesting to take part of a BMW area ! :-)
[9:46]  Digitina Dunheved: have you also looked into having a presence on other non-BMW islands - a kiosk, advertising, etc.?
[9:46]  Munich Express: i agree that it takes time to convince the organisation, but with the emerging media, not sl alone, what do you wwant to do?
[9:46]  Walter Sheridan: have you ever had a conference with "sl terrorists" ? it is not doable!!!
[9:46]  Munich Express: no - i haven't met any yet
[9:47]  Munich Express: although i must admit that i would talk to them - try to understand where they are coming from
[9:47]  Montgomery Silverstar: maybe we can organize a focus group with them for you
[9:48]  Walter Sheridan: lol
[9:48]  Quirky McArdle: security is going to be an issue in any open society. so you differentiate -- you have open public events and spaces and you have closed, private company-only ones too. no different from RL.
[9:48]  Munich Express: that sounds like an explosive meeting :)
[9:48]  Swirler Giles: i am part of an organization that deals prrimarily with "SL griefer response" we work on education people on how to defend themselves and how to cope during attack situations
[9:48]  JimmyJet Fossett: Protestors showed up earlier at a World Economic Forum event at Reuters. But they were fairly civil.
[9:49]  Munich Express: protest is a human right - it's a question of how you articulate yourself
[9:49]  You: What questions does BMW internally pose about virtual worlds?
[9:49]  Walter Sheridan: right! just for the conference to be profitable, you need a little calm
[9:50]  Rein Spire: the proble I see is the lack of sanctions, compared to rl
[9:50]  Munich Express: the most important question is that of relevance for our business today
[9:50]  Digitina Dunheved: How do you get someone to come to this sim on a saturday afternoon when there is no event? OR is this merely meant to be a place where people come when you have something going on.
[9:50]  Boliver Oddfellow: yes I agree protest is a human right, but do you really want someone protesting in the middle of your marketing message, its like someone running static over every broadcast of your tv commercials
[9:51]  Munich Express: at the end of the day the company is there to sell cars
[9:51]  JimmyJet Fossett: Good question. Return 'Residents' I wonder about that too.
[9:51]  Munich Express: no obviously i'd like to get my message through, but thenhow many % are we talking about here?
[9:51]  Munich Express: 1? 2? more?
[9:52]  Swirler Giles: there is a difference between protesting and griefing
[9:52]  Boliver Oddfellow: when IVM does an event fo a client, we carefully coordinate promotin and security to make sure our clients message is heard and well recieved
[9:52]  Boliver Oddfellow: its only good business we feel
[9:52]  Munich Express: my experience is that if you ignore them, they will go away sooner or later
[9:52]  Swirler Giles: true Munich
[9:52]  Digitina Dunheved: what do you think of other automotive presences on SL?
[9:53]  Munich Express: if you react buy putting up sanctions it's is partly a victory for them - wouldn't you agree?
[9:54]  You: Griefing at events cvan be handled as Boliver pointed out - with some safeguards.
[9:54]  Quirky McArdle: but no, Munich, I don't think they win if you protect your marketing investment by using the precautions that SL has built into the system, few as they are
[9:54]  You: But the bigger issue about "messaging" is that isn't a broadcast model here.
[9:55]  You: Messaging should be in the environment and the experiences (apart from events too).

A French Interlude

[9:55]  Ewan Vestel: quelqu'un parle francais?
[9:55]  Ewan Vestel: je cherche une belle caisse
[9:55]  Munich Express: right, just give me a second oplease
[9:55]  Munich Express: je suis desolèe
[9:55]  You: Those are harder to grief. Events of course are high-profile.
[9:55]  Munich Express: mais je ne pense pas qu'on pux vous aider aujourd'hui
[9:55]  Ewan Vestel: pourquoi?
[9:56]  Munich Express: un autre jour peut_etre
[9:56]  Pyrrha Dell: so we see a live example now of multiple languages in one environment
[9:56]  Munich Express: on a une reunion pour le moment
[9:56]  Digitina Dunheved: si senor!
[9:56]  Allison Selene: oui
[9:56]  Swirler Giles: since there is no scripts here i cant use my translator :(
[9:56]  Walter Sheridan: Munich is The Man :)
[9:56]  Munich Express: on voudrais bien continuer - d'accord
[9:57]  Munich Express: took care of that - just showing of my french for a second :)
[9:57]  Soluna Sassoon: :)
[9:57]  Munich Express: back to business
[9:57]  Pyrrha Dell: bravo!
[9:57]  Walter Sheridan: :)
[9:57]  Walter Sheridan: mazel tov!

Comments on Other SL Presences

[9:57]  Boliver Oddfellow: so yes - what is your opinion of the other automotive projects in SL?
[9:57]  Digitina Dunheved: what do you think of other automotive presences in SL
[9:57]  Munich Express: we were still discussing on how to deal with interruptions right?
[9:58]  Munich Express: off the record i'd have tons of things to say:)
[9:58]  Digitina Dunheved: what is your favorite (besides bmw!) :-)
[9:58]  Boliver Oddfellow: cmon we wont tell anmyone
[9:58]  Munich Express: but seriously - i don't know their strategies, therefore it's a bitt difficult to assess?
[9:59]  Digitina Dunheved: which have you personally enjoyed exploring the most?
[9:59]  Munich Express: cars you mean?
[9:59]  Digitina Dunheved: part if it is just getting people engaged, no?
[9:59]  Digitina Dunheved: maybe the right questions is, what SL presence (automotive or not) is most inspiring right now?
[9:59]  Munich Express: i think what some of the independent designers have developed is very impressive
[10:00]  Munich Express: i obviously don't know all of them
[10:00]  Digitina Dunheved: did you hear starwood aloft is closing their sim b/c of lack of activity -- haven't got details, but heard this.
[10:00]  Munich Express: so i can only say what i've liked per se but not compared with anybody else
[10:01]  Pebbles Hannya: Does the fact that people can TP everywhere make this a less interesting environment for promoting vehicles than it would be if people had to drive? I've rarely ever seen anyone driving on any of the roads.
[10:01]  Pyrrha Dell: really? that will reverberate
[10:01]  Munich Express: it looks like a construction area
[10:01]  Swirler Giles: i've never heard of starwood aloft, I guess that makes sense then
[10:01]  Walter Sheridan: have you seen meteroa? it is technicaly very impressive! (look for NOAA)
[10:01]  Munich Express: but there are so many things around the product car in terms of experience i think
[10:01]  Boliver Oddfellow: they are redoing parts of it, as they have realised that if you build it they will come does not work here, youmust have an interesting immerisve experience
[10:02]  Munich Express: NOAA is impressive - the tsunami simulation etc - definitely
[10:02]  Munich Express: what is also commendable at least for me as a european is the virtual congress
[10:02]  JimmyJet Fossett: Yes, NOAA is pretty good. And the person involved is very into it.
[10:03]  Munich Express: on chosen topics you get the position of the republicans and the democrats - i mean that's open
[10:04]  Walter Sheridan: are there any other german brands (all areas of expertise) involved in SL???
[10:04]  Munich Express: but if you take it all together it's a question of scale again and that is what makes sl so different
[10:04]  Munich Express: well the t-shirt salesmen works for a german company
[10:04]  Swirler Giles: lol
[10:04]  Munich Express: then there is adidas
[10:04]  Walter Sheridan: lol
[10:04]  Boliver Oddfellow: RL calls I need to jett, thank you for sharing with us
[10:05]  Munich Express: there seems to be a presence of mercedes as well - showcasing transporters
[10:05]  Walter Sheridan: hard to find them!
[10:05]  Munich Express: i've also noticed the brazilian subsidiary of volkswagen
[10:05]  Munich Express: yes mercedes is undercover
[10:06]  Munich Express: being a nice person i'll tell you that you can find them under sprinter island :)

Success Measurement

[10:06]  You: To get back to an earlier question, Munich does BMW have a measure of success yet in SL? Is it mostly abou traffic or some other measures?
[10:06]  Walter Sheridan: thks! ;)
[10:07]  Munich Express: so far we have not found relaible ways to measure like we can let#s say in advertisng with cpm's and what have you
[10:07]  Munich Express: reliable that is
[10:08]  Munich Express: we have therefore decided to work with qualitative goals
[10:08]  Munich Express: i'm not sure that those are the right english words though
[10:08]  Walter Sheridan: so you record and analyse everything?
[10:08]  Pyrrha Dell: those only get you so far in a metrics-driven organization :-)
[10:08]  Swirler Giles: you are still paving new roads here, its kind of hard to measure that yet
[10:08]  Munich Express: exactly so we focus on quality
[10:09]  Digitina Dunheved: sorry about that
[10:09]  Munich Express: perception, level of acceptance etc - and our meetings and discussions help tremendously
[10:09]  Walter Sheridan: do you have inSL web cams?
[10:09]  MartinCH Market: np
[10:09]  Munich Express: we don't

Hiring In World Staff

[10:10]  Pyrrha Dell: how often is a BMW representative here?
[10:10]  Munich Express: more and more often. we started with 2 times a week
[10:10]  Pyrrha Dell: any plans for regular set hours to have staff here?
[10:10]  Munich Express: but find that through word-of-mouth people have noticed that we are here - so we are in-world more often
[10:11]  Munich Express: yes - and especially in this area - welcome/m&g - we're investigating the possibility to hire in-world
[10:11]  Soluna Sassoon: .
[10:12]  Quirky McArdle: gotta run, thanks so much!
[10:12]  Pyrrha Dell: hiring in-world for staff for the sim?
[10:12]  Swirler Giles: Munich, did you have any other questions for us?
[10:12]  Munich Express: yes. thx for coming quirky
[10:12]  Resiser Kraft: Can you tell us wich companies assists you in your sl presence?

Strategy Feedback For Munich

[10:12]  Munich Express: well we'd like open feedback on whether you think that we're on target with our strategy?
[10:13]  Digitina Dunheved: did you say before your strategy was to sell cars?
[10:13]  JimmyJet Fossett: Munich, it is great that you want to learn as you go, rather than preconceived notions. Cool!
[10:13]  Digitina Dunheved: ditto
[10:13]  Munich Express: strategy at this point in time is not commercial
[10:14]  Swirler Giles: Well IMO as I said earleir you are paving new roads here, so you are trying what is avaible, and seem open to new ideas, I think that is pretty on target, your goal seems to be (atm atleast) adaptability
[10:14]  Munich Express: that is it
[10:15]  Munich Express: within bmw it's defined as a pilot project
[10:15]  Munich Express: which also means that at this point in time we don't need a business case
[10:15]  Pyrrha Dell: what % of your RL job time is spent on SL?
[10:15]  Swirler Giles: well it makes sense, BMW is a car company, SL is new ground for you, it wouldnt make sense to jump in fuill bore until you know what you are dealing with
[10:16]  Munich Express: if things keep on developing the way they are, my rl job will be identical to my sl job :)
[10:16]  Pyrrha Dell: i'm jealous :-)
[10:17]  You: IMHO, I think the fact that senior staff in SL is simply looking to learn before creating a strategy is exceedingly smart.
[10:17]  Munich Express: really i'm convinced that what we are experiencing here is only the tip of the iceberg
[10:17]  Digitina Dunheved: are there plans to shake up this space with anything big and new?
[10:17]  Munich Express: we have some things in the pipeline that we think will be relevant and interesting for the community
[10:18]  Munich Express: at least we are hoping so
[10:18]  You: There will be far more ROI and something to "measure" then at that point.
[10:18]  Digitina Dunheved: when could we expect to see something. are there any announcements for this meeting?
[10:18]  Resiser Kraft: Can you tell us which companies assist you in your sl presence?
[10:18]  Munich Express: give us 3 -4 weeks
[10:19]  Munich Express: we are working with a munich based agency for building, development.
[10:19]  Munich Express: the rest we do ourselves

Munich Invites Personal Meetings and To Join BMW New World Group

[10:20]  Munich Express: what i would also like to do is to set up individual follow-up meetings
[10:20]  Resiser Kraft: Do you have plans to have additional or different partner agencies?
[10:20]  Munich Express: obviously only with those of you that are also interested
[10:20]  Munich Express: this way i would hope to learn more
[10:20]  Pyrrha Dell: I'm interested
[10:20]  JimmyJet Fossett: I am, as you seem to 'get it', as to how to enter this space.
[10:21]  Swirler Giles: yes it would be a good way to focus
[10:21]  Soluna Sassoon: indeed
[10:21]  Munich Express: and we can oals cover areas that are of particualr interest in greater detail
[10:21]  Allison Selene: I too would be interested
[10:21]  Walter Sheridan: brilliant!
[10:21]  Munich Express: may i ask you for a favor then?
[10:21]  Soluna Sassoon: I would also be interested in helping
[10:21]  Swirler Giles: its what we do :)
[10:21]  Ludwig Stapleton: so would i
[10:21]  Soluna Sassoon: of course
[10:21]  Munich Express: if all of you that are interested would drop me a short im
[10:22]  Munich Express: i would then get in touch to organise the meet
[10:22]  Munich Express: does that make sense?
[10:22]  Allison Selene: yes
[10:22]  Munich Express: cool
[10:22]  Munich Express: i'm very flexible
[10:23]  Munich Express: so i'm sure that we will find times that are convenient for everybody
[10:23]  Munich Express: i would also like to invite those of you that were not here the last time to our group
[10:23]  Munich Express: this way you stay informed about things that we're up to
[10:24]  trevonio Luke: Thanks!
[10:24]  Munich Express: any body interested in that should send me a short im as well
[10:24]  Munich Express: and i will send you the invite
[10:24]  Munich Express: that takes care of that
[10:24]  Munich Express: any other questions?
[10:25]  Pyrrha Dell: No, thank you for having us here today

Some Goodbyes Before a Tour

[10:25]  Munich Express: if not is anybody interested in a short tour?
[10:25]  Digitina Dunheved: yes, thank you.
[10:25]  Digitina Dunheved: would love a tour.
[10:25]  Soluna Sassoon: yes!
[10:25]  You: Thank you so much Munich!
[10:25]  Walter Sheridan: Thanks for all! have a good WE! Bye everybody!
[10:25]  Munich Express: you are very welcome
[10:25]  Soluna Sassoon: good bye walter :)
[10:25]  Ludwig Stapleton: thank you munich
[10:25]  Munich Express: thanks for coming
[10:25]  Digitina Dunheved: thanks!
[10:25]  Walter Sheridan: bye bye!
[10:26]  Munich Express: and i hope to see you again very soon
[10:26]  Rein Spire: Thanks Munich, good meeting!
[10:26]  Digitina Dunheved: where do we go for the tour?
[10:26]  JimmyJet Fossett: Thank you.
[10:26]  You: I will be posting a transcript.
[10:26]  Digitina Dunheved: great thanks!
[10:26]  Ludwig Stapleton: great
[10:27]  Munich Express: very good, so to all of those that are leaving: have a nice day/evening and a great weekend
[10:27]  trevonio Luke: I would like to ask permission to translate some parts of the meeting to spanish. Referring BCOSL, of course
[10:27]  Ludwig Stapleton: likewise munich
[10:27]  Munich Express: and to all of those that are staying - let's go on tour
[10:27]  You: Of course trevonio, you may!
[10:27]  Ludwig Stapleton: bye all, be well
[10:27]  trevonio Luke: thanks!
[10:27]  Soluna Sassoon: bye ludwig :)
[10:28]  You: Bye to those leaving - thanks for coming!!

A Brief Tour

[10:28]  Munich Express: shall we start then
[10:28]  Soluna Sassoon: sounds good :)
[10:28]  Munich Express: we start, if you follow me please
[10:29]  Munich Express: the small screens that you see in front of you have a link which will take you directly to our clean energy site
[10:29]  Munich Express: there you find al lthe information about this concept
[10:30]  Munich Express: actually we didn't talk about that today
[10:30]  Munich Express: and i propose to get some bmw experts - engineers etc. - to come in-world for a presentation incl. q&a
[10:31]  Andy Evans: May I make a suggestion?
[10:31]  Munich Express: go ahead
[10:31]  Andy Evans: To have the resident come and read this is not using SL
[10:31]  JimmyJet Fossett: Yes, maybe you can do some in-world video presentations too
[10:31]  Andy Evans: To come in here is to experience, not just do something you can do on a website
[10:31]  Munich Express: ok - may i propose that you look at the big screen - there's a video on there
[10:32]  Munich Express: but thx for the advice
[10:32]  Andy Evans: Right, but you can see a video on a website too
[10:32]  Munich Express: we are in the process of trying to find a way to communicate this better
[10:32]  Munich Express: the problem is that it is so complex
[10:32]  Swirler Giles: andy i think this is merely a stepping stone for BMW not the end goal
[10:32]  Andy Evans: Well, for exampel, let them see the polution is less from your car here
[10:33]  Swirler Giles: they have this up to get started and will add more as they are ready for it
[10:33]  Munich Express: what you will see in 3-4 weeks is a next step
[10:33]  Munich Express: and i'm looking forward to your feedback on that
[10:33]  Andy Evans: OK
[10:33]  Munich Express: big screen and small screens are taken care of then
[10:33]  Swirler Giles: np
[10:34]  Munich Express: next to the big screen are our showcars
[10:34]  Munich Express: and there we reached the limits of software available today
[10:34]  Munich Express: the car you see is composed of approx. 250 parts
[10:35]  Walter Sheridan: thks again! its very important for me and i lost everything while typing (apple + a)
[10:35]  Swirler Giles: 220 more than the current physical movement script allows :)
[10:35]  Kultasi Young: hello munich how are you
[10:35]  Munich Express: the cras that you can drive around with in sl have on average 30 +/- parts
[10:35]  Munich Express: exactly, hey kultasi
[10:36]  Munich Express: but it shows you our first priority when establishing our presence
[10:36]  Kultasi Young: did you know about the book about SL?
[10:36]  Munich Express: focus on design and get that right
[10:36]  Munich Express: and not necessarily some 'gimmick' that wouldn't do justice to our brand
[10:36]  Pyrrha Dell is Offline
[10:37]  Munich Express: antonio - ich kontakte sie später nochmal ok - bin gerade im meeting
[10:37]  Munich Express: just to proove that i speak german as well :)
[10:37]  Walter Sheridan: Thank you SO Much! Swirler, you are my savyor! :)
[10:37]  Andy Evans: sehr gut
[10:37]  Soluna Sassoon: lol
[10:38]  Soluna Sassoon: we did not have any doubt
[10:38]  Kultasi Young: hey munich las dat je uit adam komt, heb je gehoord over boek over SL
[10:38]  Munich Express: thx
[10:38]  Munich Express: i'm afraid i can't do dutch
[10:38]  Munich Express: but if i read you correctly you're asking for the book on sl?
[10:39]  Kultasi Young: we are publishing a book about SL in coop with Linden Lab
[10:39]  Digitina Dunheved: did someone invite all of us to teleport uto sprinter island?
[10:39]  Munich Express: oh cool
[10:39]  Digitina Dunheved: i take it that's not part of the tour?
[10:39]  Munich Express: when is it coming out
[10:39]  Munich Express: definitely not
[10:39]  You: No Digitina
[10:39]  Kultasi Young: in april in dutch langauage
[10:40]  Munich Express: in all due modesty - if you visit i would expect you to come back here afterwards :)
[10:40]  Walter Sheridan: Thk you everybody! excellent WE for all of you! bye!
[10:40]  Kultasi Young: there is a german translation in the make also
[10:40]  Munich Express: oh cool - keep me posted
[10:41]  Munich Express: then i'll like to show you one other screen
[10:41]  Munich Express: if you follow me please
[10:41]  Munich Express: bye walter
[10:41]  JimmyJet Fossett: Okay.
[10:42]  Munich Express: even though you mentioned earlier on that this is not the optimal way of communicating - i agree with that by the way
[10:43]  Munich Express: i would like you to take a look at this-
[10:43]  Munich Express: it is the club of pioneers
[10:43]  Swirler Giles: you have to use what is available
[10:43]  Munich Express: and it's all about sustainable lifestyle
[10:43]  Digitina Dunheved: znetlady -- are you sending a transcript to all later, or do i need to request
[10:43]  Munich Express: there are quotes from very interesting people - no name dropping :)
[10:43]  Munich Express: and you can voice your own opinion as well and join
[10:44]  Munich Express: it environment is an issue - it makes sense to check it out
[10:44]  Munich Express: if i mean
[10:44]  Munich Express: besides that we have the normal stuff - meeting room etc.
[10:45]  Munich Express: by the way - if you're ever planning to hold a small meeting - give me a shout
[10:45]  You: Bey reveonio
[10:45]  Munich Express: it's available for other events as well - holds 14 pax
[10:45]  Munich Express: no recording systems installed i promise
[10:45]  Soluna Sassoon: :)
[10:46]  Munich Express: so that's about it from my side

SL in the Media

[10:46]  Munich Express: just a second - i have to check my email - be right back
[10:47]  Munich Express: i'm back
[10:47]  Soluna Sassoon: welcome back
[10:48]  Munich Express: by the way an interesting piece of information
[10:48]  Munich Express: today checking google news alert for bmw
[10:48]  Munich Express: a bmw story/blog by one of our sl bc was in number 1 position
[10:49]  Kultasi Young: harvard
[10:49]  Munich Express: that speaks for second life, your group, the power of blogs (and us as well)
[10:49]  Swirler Giles: that's encouraging
[10:49]  Munich Express: the word is spreading fast
[10:49]  Soluna Sassoon: indeed
[10:50]  JimmyJet Fossett: Yes, this medium is engaging, and has far to go I think.
[10:50]  Munich Express: definitly - it's opened up a door that nobody will be able to close again i believe
[10:51]  Robbie Kiama: :)
[10:51]  Munich Express: incidentally i also noticed that second life is on the cover of the february edition of inc.
[10:51]  JimmyJet Fossett: Right, for example the World Economic Forum is taking place in Davos, and they are doing guest spots via Reuters. Really amazing!
[10:51]  Munich Express: can't stop it
[10:52]  Munich Express: i will make sure we do both
[10:52]  Soluna Sassoon: there is also an article in US News (I believe) about Second Life this week
[10:52]  Munich Express: very cool
[10:52]  You: I was quoted in that article. :-)
[10:52]  Munich Express: kudos
[10:52]  You: US News
[10:52]  Soluna Sassoon: Very nice znet!
[10:52]  JimmyJet Fossett: Okay, post it on the Bus. Com. site LOL!
[10:52]  You: Very fun.
[10:53]  Munich Express: is anybody aware of this second life conference co-hosted i believe by wired
[10:53]  Munich Express: happening soetime in may i think
[10:53]  Soluna Sassoon: Is this SLCC?
[10:53]  Soluna Sassoon: In San Francisco?
[10:53]  Munich Express: sometime i meant
[10:53]  Soluna Sassoon: I find that very interesting.
[10:53]  Munich Express: no i think it's something in boston? but i am not sure
[10:54]  Soluna Sassoon: oh interesting
[10:54]  Soluna Sassoon: i will have to look into that this afternoon :)
[10:54]  Munich Express: well we'll wait for further news then
[10:54]  Soluna Sassoon: when i find out more I will IM it to you for next time you are online :)
[10:54]  Munich Express: great stuff
[10:55]  Munich Express: i'm more online then offline these days
[10:55]  Munich Express: thank god for the flatrate
[10:55]  Swirler Giles: heh

The Wrap Up

[10:55]  You: I must pursue rl activities now. Thank you Munich for your generosity in meeting with SLBC. I will post the transcript, as usual.
[10:55]  Munich Express: you are very welcome
[10:55]  Munich Express: thx for making it possible
[10:55]  Andy Evans: Thank you
[10:55]  You: This was extremely interesting - and I hope a little helpful to you too.
[10:55]  Robbie Kiama: thanks Znetlady ....
[10:55]  JimmyJet Fossett: Yes, thanks Znet for lining this up, and Munich for his generosity.
[10:55]  Soluna Sassoon: thank you Znetlady :)
[10:56]  Swirler Giles: thank you Znetlady
[10:56]  You: Thanks Everybody for coming and your interest in these events.
[10:56]  Andy Evans: How do we contact you for a private follow up?
[10:56]  You: More to come - and some classes too.
[10:56]  Munich Express: send me an im?
[10:56]  Andy Evans: Thx
[10:56]  You: I will speak with you soon Munich. Bye everyone!
[10:56]  Munich Express: we have a great classroom:)
[10:56]  JimmyJet Fossett: Bye, Znet, have a nice weekend.
[10:56]  You: We'd be honored to use it. :-)
[10:56]  Munich Express: will do bye bye znetlady
[10:57]  Munich Express: perfect
[10:57]  Munich Express: that wraps it up i guess
[10:56]  Munich Express: will do bye bye znetlady
[10:57]  Munich Express: perfect
[10:57]  Munich Express: that wraps it up i guess
[10:57]  Munich Express: thank you all for coming
[10:57]  Digitina Dunheved: by
[10:57]  Munich Express: i really look forward to the next meetings
[10:57]  JimmyJet Fossett: Yes, thanks again, and your enthusiasm regarding virtual worlds is contagious!
[10:57]  Swirler Giles: thank you for having us, Munich
[10:57]  Munich Express: have a great day and a great weekend
[10:57]  Soluna Sassoon: thank you again for hosting the event and opening up communication with us.
[10:58]  Soluna Sassoon: you do the same. :)
[10:58]  Munich Express: my pleasure

January 26,2007