Effective global networking in the real world can get complicated enough without creating and maintaining a presence in a make believe community. In the end, investing time and market strategy to establish your brand in Second Life is not that much different than making claim on cyber real estate with a website, a blog or by becoming the link master on steroids on LinkedIn - it all goes towards increased exposure and catering to your niche audience.

“Denizens” in Second Life, however, insist on taking their avatar-selves seriously, to the point where they actually entertain notions that virtual rapes carry as much calumny and liability as real world rapes.

Apparently enough corporations have established beach heads in Second Life to create an aura of desirability - as the say location, location, location. It perhaps comes as little surprise, then, that Sweden has jumped on the band wagon by opening an embassy in Second Life.

“The embassy was inaugurated, both in the real and virtual world, by Bildt and Olle Waestberg, the director of the Swedish Institute, a foreign ministry agency tasked with spreading information about Sweden.

The building, named Second House of Sweden, is located on an 64 hectare (158 acres) island and was inspired by the real embassy in Washington. It has large French windows, Scandinavian-style wooden trimmings and is furnished with Swedish design furniture.

Exhibitions and cultural events that take place in the country will also be presented in the virtual world as will businesses and famous Swedes.

“We can use Second Life to spread information about Sweden. There are good web sites but it’s another instrument,” Bildt said.”
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