June 02, 2025

Marketing the Metaverse at Meta

32 minutes

What does the future of immersive tech look like—and what role will brands play in shaping it? Dave Kaufman, Senior Director of Global Marketing for MR, VR, and Metaverse at Meta Reality Labs, leads efforts for Meta Quest, Horizon Worlds, and Oculus Studios. On this week’s On Brand, he shares insights on branding in virtual spaces, lessons from his career at Google and the U.S. Digital Service, and what’s next for the metaverse.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

- How Meta is shaping the future of MR, VR, and the metaverse

- What brands need to consider when building experiences in virtual worlds

- Lessons from Dave’s path through Google, Halo Neuroscience, and the U.S. Digital Service

- The intersection of storytelling, branding, and emerging tech

- Why immersive experiences can make or break consumer trust in new platforms

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Intro

(01:11) Defining VR, MR, and the metaverse

(05:34) Marketing challenges for new technologies

(08:52) Storytelling’s role in brand building

(11:10) How brands can enter the metaverse authentically

(14:17) Horizon Worlds and the future of social

(18:02) Lessons from the U.S. Digital Service under President Obama

(22:27) What’s next: AI, risk-taking, and smart partnerships

(24:26) A brand that recently made Dave smile

(26:23) Where to learn more about Dave

About Dave Kaufman

Dave Kaufman is Senior Director, Global Marketing of MR, VR, and Metaverse at Meta within the Reality Labs division. He leads global marketing efforts for Meta Quest, Horizon Worlds, and Oculus Studios. Before joining Meta, Dave headed up marketing at Halo Neuroscience, led brand strategy at the United States Digital Service (founded by President Barack Obama), and worked in product marketing at Google. He’s earned recognition from Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 list and honors at Cannes Lions, Clio, and The One Show. A graduate from Cornell University, Dave is now based in San Francisco.

What Brand Has Made Dave Smile Recently?

Dave shared how Major League Baseball surprised him with a moment that reminded him of the simple, unexpected joys that brands can spark—even in the digital age.

Resources & Links

- Connect with Dave on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave

- Read his article How to Work in Marketing (and not be full of …) on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-to-work-marketing-not-full-dave

- Learn more about his work at Meta Reality Labs → https://www.metarealitylabs.com

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Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

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By Nick Westergaard

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