Observed Signal · Feb 18, 2026 · Commentary · Source: CMSWire · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Marketers Get Metaverse CX Guidance from Upland Co-Founder
In this CMSWire podcast episode, hosts Rich Hein and Dom Nicastro interview Dirk Lueth, co-founder of Uplandme, Inc. (Upland), a Web3 metaverse platform. Lueth discusses the current hype and practical applications of the metaverse for marketing and customer experience. He outlines how brands can use virtual worlds for gamified, contextual, and geo-located experiences, citing a partnership with the NFL Players Association. He advises marketers to experiment now, hire talent with gaming, design, and community management skills, and shift from data-driven to activity-driven targeting. Lueth also highlights the importance of true ownership via blockchain and user control over data. The episode includes Forrester statistics showing strong marketer interest in the metaverse.
Provides strategic guidance on metaverse marketing and customer experience, relevant for brands and agencies exploring Web3 opportunities, but not breaking news.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Forrester reported 77% of B2C marketing executives are eager to explore the metaverse, and 76% plan to invest in related activities in 2022.
- Uplandme, Inc. launched its metaverse in 2020 and now has over 200,000 land owners.
- Upland has a partnership with the NFL Players Association to create gamified, contextual, and geo-located virtual experiences.
- Dirk Lueth co-founded Upland in 2018 with Mani Honigstein and Idan Zuckerman.
- Lueth co-authored a book on the metaverse with Kathy Hackl and Tommaso Di Bartolo, released on May 3.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mapped“Today we have with us Dirk Lueth, he's co founder of Uplandme, Inc., which provides a metaverse where, in his own words, people will not onl...”
“You have big companies, like the now called Meta, right, it's Facebook, we don't know how they gonna deal with data....”
“Forrester reported that 77% of B2C marketing executives are eager for their brands to explore what's possible within the metaverse, and 76% ...”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
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