Demonstrating the growing corporate interest in using virtual worlds like Second Life to extend and hone their brand image, Reuters has opened an “in-world” news bureau in October that is publishing news from the outside world for Second Life members and news of Second Life for real world readers who visit a Reuters news site at: http://secondlife.reuters.com/

Echoing the move by Reuters and expanding on an article in the New York Times on the same subject, paidContent.org reports that in-world branding is becoming big business: “For brands, Second Life is appealing because it’s a place where people ‘immerse themselves in their products’, making it ideal for getting feedback as well as promoting products directly. Sun Microsystems, Adidas, Reebok and American Apparel all have retail spaces and IBM held a global alumni reunion. Starwood Hotels this week opens Aloft, its prototype hotel; Ben Folds will play at the opening and later at Sony BMG’s building on Media Island. The building has dedicated rooms for Sony BMG artists and sells music downloads. MTV has built its own Virtual Laguna Beach as an extension of the TV show Laguna Beach: The Real OC bringing in advertisers as partners.” Story continues here…