Sometimes it can be tricky for a company to figure out exactly how to enter Second Life. A few have tried and struggled with setting up a storefront that mimics their real life presence, only to find that users in Second Life had a completely different set of needs and expectations. For international electronic appliance company Electrolux, the challenge was even more unique. Electrolux is a company that sells items like washing machines and vacuum cleaners. Useful in real life, but not so in a virtual one.

So the minds at Millions of Us and the marketing firm Gronstedt Group teamed up with Electrolux to come up with a unique and creative solution to this challenge. Electrolux spent months researching and talking with Second Life users to identify their needs and problems. Instead of simply setting up shop and waiting for the community to come to them, they went to the community to understand what made it tick.

Ultimately they realized that Second Life was a thriving virtual world full of people who were as innovative and creative as their own researchers. What emerged from this process was a virtual building dubbed the “Innovision Hub.” A place to recognize the achievements of real life innovators as well as the budding ones inside Second Life.

To demonstrate their appreciation and recognition of the emerging in-world innovators, Electrolux opened their building with a special ceremony to recognize and celebrate the most creative and exciting inventors in Second Life. The Innovision Awards were held at the top of the light bulb shaped building in a quirky and fun pavilion. The biggest and brightest names from around the community came out to participate. In addition to the awards given out to the 10 innovators, Electrolux also held a discussion panel with everyone gathered to talk about the unique challenges and issues Second Life inventors deal with.

Afterwards the party moved downstairs where Electrolux hosts showed off an interactive wall that lets users invent a whole new word and share it with other visitors. The grand prize for best invented word is $100,000 Lindens to be given out in 2 weeks on October 18th at the Innovision Hub. Soon after the gathering turned into an avatar costume contest where some of the users showed off their most crazy and unique avatar creations.

More Flickr photos of the event here.

Here is the official list of Second Life Innovators who won the Electrolux Innovision Award:
http://millionsofus.com/blog/archives/343