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Embracing falsity through the metaverse: The case of synthetic customer experiences

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  • Golf-Papez, Maja
  • Heller, Jonas
  • Hilken, Tim
  • Chylinski, Mathew
  • de Ruyter, Ko
  • Keeling, Debbie I.
  • Mahr, Dominik

Abstract

The metaverse has been heralded as a next frontier for fueling strategic business opportunities. At the same time, recent months have witnessed explosive volatility in the market potential of proposed metaverse offerings. As a result, businesses are struggling to set a meaningful strategic course through an uncharted and rapidly changing landscape. We argue that the success of developing and scaling the metaverse as a vibrant new business ecosystem is largely dependent on the understanding that it is a unified and immersive reality where the physical and synthetic customer experiences seamlessly converge. For this to work, businesses and their customers need to be able to suspend their disbelief that synthetic elements are inherently false. We therefore consider the metaverse as a differentiated experience by exploring the promise and perils of falsity. We discuss how businesses can strategically embrace falsity by harnessing its intended—as well as mitigating its unintended—consequences, as they maneuver through major technological challenges in capturing customer value. We offer a diverse set of examples that illustrate how these strategies translate into managerial actions to competitively succeed in this new reality.

Suggested Citation

  • Golf-Papez, Maja & Heller, Jonas & Hilken, Tim & Chylinski, Mathew & de Ruyter, Ko & Keeling, Debbie I. & Mahr, Dominik, 2022. "Embracing falsity through the metaverse: The case of synthetic customer experiences," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 65(6), pages 739-749.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bushor:v:65:y:2022:i:6:p:739-749
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2022.07.007
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Heller, Jonas & Chylinski, Mathew & de Ruyter, Ko & Mahr, Dominik & Keeling, Debbie I., 2019. "Let Me Imagine That for You: Transforming the Retail Frontline Through Augmenting Customer Mental Imagery Ability," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 95(2), pages 94-114.
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    6. Carrozzi, Amelia & Chylinski, Mathew & Heller, Jonas & Hilken, Tim & Keeling, Debbie I. & de Ruyter, Ko, 2019. "What's Mine Is a Hologram? How Shared Augmented Reality Augments Psychological Ownership," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 71-88.
    7. Tim Hilken & Ko de Ruyter & Mathew Chylinski & Dominik Mahr & Debbie I. Keeling, 2017. "Augmenting the eye of the beholder: exploring the strategic potential of augmented reality to enhance online service experiences," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 45(6), pages 884-905, November.
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    2. Ahmed Michail Awad Ahmed & Abdul Kadir Bin Othman, 2024. "The Effect of False Advertising on Consumer Online Purchase Behavior with the Mediating Effect of e-WOM: Consumers in Malaysia," Information Management and Business Review, AMH International, vol. 16(2), pages 115-128.
    3. Mkedder, Nadjim & Das, Manish, 2024. "Metaverse integration challenges: An in-depth ISM and MICMAC analysis," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    4. Dwivedi, Yogesh K. & Balakrishnan, Janarthanan & Mishra, Anubhav & Bock, Koen W. De & Al-Busaidi, Adil S., 2024. "The role of embodiment, experience, and self-image expression in creating continuance intention in the metaverse," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    5. Yogesh K. Dwivedi & Nir Kshetri & Laurie Hughes & Nripendra P. Rana & Abdullah M. Baabdullah & Arpan Kumar Kar & Alex Koohang & Samuel Ribeiro-Navarrete & Nina Belei & Janarthanan Balakrishnan & Sripa, 2023. "Exploring the Darkverse: A Multi-Perspective Analysis of the Negative Societal Impacts of the Metaverse," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 25(5), pages 2071-2114, October.
    6. Brij B. Gupta & Akshat Gaurav & Aiiad A. Albeshri & Dheyaaldin Alsalman, 2023. "New paradigms of sustainable entrepreneurship in metaverse: a micro-level perspective," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 19(3), pages 1449-1465, September.
    7. Yogesh K. Dwivedi & L. Hughes & Y. Wang & A.A. Alalwan & S.J. Ahn & J. Balakrishnan & S. Barta & R. Belk & D. Buhalis & Vincent Dutot & R. Felix & R. Filieri & C. Flavián & A. Gustafsson & C. Hinsch &, 2023. "Metaverse Marketing: How the Metaverse Will Shape the Future of Consumer Research and Practice," Post-Print hal-04292610, HAL.
    8. Mr. Vivek Dubey, 2022. "Metaverse and Banking Industry – 2023 The Year of Metaverse Adoption," Technium, Technium Science, vol. 4(1), pages 62-73.
    9. Giang Barrera, Kevin & Shah, Denish, 2023. "Marketing in the Metaverse: Conceptual understanding, framework, and research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PA).
    10. Mehrotra, Ankit & Agarwal, Reeti & Khalil, Ashraf & Alzeiby, Ebtesam Abdullah & Agarwal, Vaishali, 2024. "Nitty-gritties of customer experience in metaverse retailing," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).

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