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Virtual reality marketing and customer advocacy: Transforming experiences from story-telling to story-doing

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  • de Regt, Anouk
  • Plangger, Kirk
  • Barnes, Stuart J.

Abstract

Marketing managers strive to build branded experiences that both excite and engage their customers in novel ways in order to enhance attitudes and encourage positive behaviors towards their brands. As it offers immersive and interactive encounters, Virtual Reality (VR) technology is a promising tool for managers to create these experiences, evidenced by increasing and successful VR marketing applications. Yet, the literature offers little guidance on how VR experiences can be strategically designed to create favorable customer perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors. Based on five semi-structured focus groups of 27 VR consumers, this article constructs a framework that deconstructs VR branded experiences into both narrative and social interactions to optimize strategic customer outcomes. An experimental study validates the findings after which practical recommendations to maximize the success of VR branding campaigns and a future research agenda for VR marketing is provided.

Suggested Citation

  • de Regt, Anouk & Plangger, Kirk & Barnes, Stuart J., 2021. "Virtual reality marketing and customer advocacy: Transforming experiences from story-telling to story-doing," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 513-522.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:136:y:2021:i:c:p:513-522
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.08.004
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Marc Lim, Weng, 2023. "Transformative marketing in the new normal: A novel practice-scholarly integrative review of business-to-business marketing mix challenges, opportunities, and solutions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    6. Bin Kim, Woo & Jung Choo, Ho, 2023. "How virtual reality shopping experience enhances consumer creativity: The mediating role of perceptual curiosity," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    7. Shulin Wang & Shanhua Wu, 2023. "Optimizing the Location of Virtual-Shopping-Experience Stores Based on the Minimum Impact on Urban Traffic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-25, June.
    8. Dessart, Laurence & Standaert, Willem, 2023. "Strategic storytelling in the age of sustainability," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 66(3), pages 371-385.

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