This is another quicky interview I did for the BizWeek Online column I'm working on about avatar fashion, i.e. virtual paper dolls. My editor is interested in the potential revenue companies in this space can earn by selling premium fashion items for their avatars as well as through sponsorships/brand engagement online. If anyone has any knowledge as to how much a brand would pay to be integrated into one of these virtual worlds (ideally ones aimed at teens/tweens vs. adult Second Life) and can share (in numbers) the revenue potential of selling premium items for your avatar, please email me. Also, I'm curious to know who you, Ypulse readers, think is going to emerge as the clear leader in this space and why....

Ypulse: Why do you think "virtual paper dolls" or avatars you can dress up have become so popular with teen girls? Are there boys on your site, too? If so, do they use it differently?

Mattias Miksche: For me it is really simple: kids and girls especially have always played role playing games, pretending to be someone else, a rock star or a celebrity. What we have now is a new generation that has grown up with the internet and are playing the same games as the generations before them - but now on the computer, interacting with others. There are boys on the site, but honestly, they do not get the world of Stardoll. 93% of our members are girls and we're proud of that. There are more than enough places on the web developed for and by boys.

YP: What do girls do on Stardoll after they create their dolls? What's the most popular community feature?

MM: Dressing up the doll and decorating the suite/room are the first things they do - over and over again. On Stardoll, you can be whoever you want to be and change your appearance and looks every day - and a lot of our members do. Writing personal profile text is also very important since it adds to the graphical presentation of yourself as displayed with the MeDoll and the Suite. Most popular is definitely trying to become "Cover Girl" of our online magazine. In order to win, you need several thousand votes per day and there are campaigns and entourages in order to win that coveted spot.

YP: Who are the most popular celebrity Stardolls?

MM: This changes constantly - all we do is to listen to our members. If there's a new album, TV-series or movie out that is generating traction in our target demographic, we'll know about it in days.

YP: Do you plan to expand? If so what's next?

MM: In the last 12 months we have doubled in reach, quadrupled in page views and grown to be one of the stickiest sites in terms of time spent (2-2.5 hs/month/avg user according to Comscore). We certainly are aiming to continue to grow by adding more fun functionality for our users that go under the three 'f's: Fun, Fashion & Friends

YP: Where do you see yourself in the girl/avatar landscape, i.e. GirlSense, Gaia, Meez, etc.

MM: I can only comment on Stardoll - I think that what makes us unique is the reality factor in our MeDolls and clothes; they are not cartoonish, not pixelated but incredibly detailed, beautiful and realistic. We have 10 fashion illustrators that are creating wonderful virtual fashions every day.

P.S. Stardoll just launched a German version of its site.

Posted by anastasia