IMVU recently ran a deal offering half off in-game currency (200,000 credits for $99), generating $112,000 from 1,126 users. A more recent Crewpon for the virtual world (40,000 credits for $25) saw 2,671 users participate and generate $67,000.
“It shows us that the group dynamic really helps with merchandising,” said Lee Clancy, senior vice president of product management and general manager of direct revenue at IMVU. “The same format that works in the real world is doing great in the virtual world. The most engaged users are participating first, but we think a broader group of users is also interested.”
“IMVU lets users create their own avatar and users can pick up six million different customization options, a total reached because of user-generated content. The virtual world has 50 million registered users, over 10 million unique visitors a month and revenue of more than $40 million a year.”
“We are playing back a broad cultural phenomenon with Groupon,” Clancy said, commenting on the Crewpon name. “We are in the early days of it, but we will definitely continue.”
Source: VentureBeat
