Virtual World Experiential Promotion
Anjala Selena Krishen, Andrew M. Hardin, Michael S. LaTour · Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising · 2013
Given that virtual worlds as a promotional vehicle may dramatically alter the existing customer experience, we seek to understand the impact of the virtual environment through interdisciplinary research. We present a conceptual framework, beginning with a qualitative study, and finishing with a quantitative study that includes hypothesis testing. Our findings indicate that virtual world experiential promotion (VWEP) provides better hedonic attributes, such as atmospherics, social experience, and personal/adaptive selling, when compared to “e-tail” environments. Results for the the provision of utilitarian attributes were more mixed, revealing that time savings and convenience were perceived as being less advantageous in VWEP environments than in retail environments, while ease of switching was perceived as being not significantly different across the two channels. As hypothesized, avoiding salesperson pressure was seen as an advantage of VWEP environments over retail environments. In summary, we conceptually introduce the virtual world promotional vehicle, show the importance of the consumer experience within such via two studies, and provide a framework for future research in the virtual world promotion context.