Metaverse-Based Promotion and the Digital Selfhood of Next-Generation Brands

Abstract

Purpose. The article aims to substantiate a conceptual approach to metaverse-based promotion as a managerial space for constructing a consistent, recognizable and controllable digital selfhood of companies operating under algorithmic communication, generative content production and the growing importance of immersive consumer interaction. Methods. The research combines systems analysis, structural and functional generalization, comparative interpretation of contemporary communication management approaches, conceptual modelling and analytical grouping of risks associated with the transfer of brand presence into three-dimensional, avatar-based and interactive environments. Results. The study shows that the metaverse should not be interpreted merely as an additional promotional channel or as an advanced form of social media. Its marketing specificity lies in the transition from message display to experience organization, from linear advertising to co-presence scenarios, and from visual style to the behavioral architecture of a brand. The article argues that the digital selfhood of a new-generation company is formed at the intersection of four interrelated layers: the semantic core, the spatial-sensory interface, the avatar-agent interaction layer and the community-based trust contour. An original matrix for integrating these layers into metaverse promotion practices is proposed, together with an integrated digital selfhood coefficient that may be used as a diagnostic guideline for assessing the readiness of a company to enter virtual environments. The proposed approach also emphasizes that VR, AR, avatars and AI assistants do not create strategic value by themselves; their value appears only when they are connected with a clear value promise, transparent rules of interaction, community governance and measurable continuity between virtual experience and real consumer behavior. Conclusions. The effectiveness of metaverse-based promotion depends not on the number of technological tools used but on the coherence of the value position, interaction scenarios, ethical application of artificial intelligence, transparency of data practices and the ability to maintain consumer trust across multiple digital touchpoints. The proposed approach makes it possible to consider metaverse marketing as a strategic system of brand behavior rather than as a set of isolated creative experiments.