Does the locomotion technique matter in an immersive virtual store environment? – Comparing motion-tracked walking and instant teleportation

Immersive virtual reality shopping environments may use a variety of locomotion techniques. Currently the most prominent are instant teleportation and motion-tracked walking. Motion-tracked walking more closely mimics natural shopping behaviour as it allows a shopper to physically walk through the virtual store; however, it requires a larger space and has design and cost implications. Instant teleportation is likely to be cheaper and to enable larger store formats; yet it is unknown whether the choice of instant teleportation results in different in-store behaviour by shoppers. Our research examines whether instant teleportation provides a feasible design alternative to motion-tracked walking by determining whether it does result in altered shopper behaviour. Using a split sample experiment in a purpose-built immersive VR convenience store, we compare shoppers’ emotional states (engagement, excitement and stress, measured through electroencephalography), purchase behaviour metrics, and store coverage (represented by heat maps) between motion-tracked walking and instant teleportation locomotion techniques. Results demonstrate that the absence of physical walking had no impact on emotional states or the investigated shopping outcomes. While instant teleportation led to some skipped shelf sections, there was no impact observed on the number of unplanned purchases. To the extent that the naturalism of immersive VR relies on proprioceptive engagement or embodied cognition, this appears to be adequately supported by upper body movements that do not require physical walking. These findings provide fresh insights for the design of Virtual Reality shopping environments for market research or future online-retailing platforms.     

How virtual brand community traces may increase fan engagement in brand pages

Brand pages in social media are a great way to foster consumer gathering around a brand, but it can be challenging to keep fans engaged and coming back to see updated content. Brands with millions of fans on Facebook have seen organic reach fall below 2% of their base. In this article, we describe how the creation of virtual brand communities can help brand managers increase fan engagement. We suggest the steps, conditions, advantages, and limitations involved in nurturing a brand page as an online social gathering that assumes some of the characteristics of a virtual brand community. The results of our study show that a brand page can have some of the characteristics of a virtual brand community—topical information exchange, identity communication, and establishment and internalization of cultural norms. We also show the importance of having celebrities among fans in order to foster social interactions and legitimate social practices on brand pages.     

货币传导异质性与实体经济流动性配置的“马太效应”

货币政策支持实体经济高质量发展的关键在于疏通货币政策传导机制,引导流动性进入重点领域和薄弱环节,因此货币资金的配置效率至关重要。本文基于交互效应面板分位数回归,测度货币政策对实体企业流动性的异质性效应。研究发现:在样本期内,实体经济流动性配置陷入了资金越充裕的企业越易于获得融资,越易于获得融资的企业资金越充裕的窘境。这种流动性配置的“马太效应”具体表现为,货币政策对尾部企业的支持力度不及头部企业的一半;虚拟经济对尾部企业的“分流效应”高达头部企业的3倍,从而强化了流动性配置的失衡。因此,当前密集出台的一系列普惠政策有助于提升流动性配置效率,进一步完善调控模式的关键在于健全现代化金融体系,增强货币政策的靶向性和针对性。     

Understanding consumption in social virtual worlds: A sensemaking perspective on the consumption of virtual goods

Virtual consumption involves consuming virtual goods in cyberspace. Virtual consumption activities are evolving into an essential activity in social virtual worlds. Despite the growing importance of this activity, little research examines this phenomenon. The current study investigates the fundamental question of how users understand the consumption of virtual goods. Using the theory of social representations and core-periphery analysis, this study elicits and analyzes the social representation of virtual consumption. Study participants are 154 Second Life users. Results identify 32 concepts and relationships representing the collective perceptions of virtual consumption in this social virtual world. Social representation map interpretations point to several key themes that provide a foundation for future investigations of virtual economy consumption behavior.     

Strategies for the successful implementation of augmented reality

The potential benefits of augmented reality (AR) to consumers include high levels of interactivity, exposure to an extensive virtual inventory tailored to their needs, high-quality customer support, and better integration between web- and store-based shopping experiences. The anticipated benefits of a successful AR strategy to a brand or retailer include higher inventory turnover, increased average sales, reduced sales costs, lower customer returns, higher levels of related-item selling, and better customer support outcomes. Despite these revenue- and loyalty-enhancing benefits, few companies use AR, develop a highly integrated AR plan, or incorporate AR into their marketing programs. This article focuses on the successful planning and implementation of AR through a six-step process: (1) Determine how AR can help achieve marketing objectives; (2) choose appropriate products, channels, and target markets for AR; (3) select among AR application types; (4) design AR apps; (5) evaluate alternative AR organizational formats; and (6) measure the success of AR programs.     

Virtual interlining within the European airport network: An airfare analysis

Virtual interlining, which covers the actively marketed or ‘non-hidden’ segment of all potential self-connecting flight itineraries, is often assumed to be a money-saving travel strategy. In this paper we assess the price difference between virtual interlined and ‘traditional’ flight itineraries within the intra-European airport network. We query Kiwi.com's recently developed Tequila platform, one of the few specialised online travel agencies (OTAs) offering both ‘traditional’ and virtual interlined flight itineraries, to obtain information on all available flights in the first week of August, October and December 2019. Using a series of sign tests, we investigate whether a statistically significant fare difference exists between the cheapest available (direct and/or indirect) ‘traditional’ and virtual interlined flight itineraries. Our results indicate a statistically significant fare difference between the cheapest indirect ‘traditional’ and the virtual interlined flight itineraries in favour of the latter. However, with regard to direct traditional flight itineraries the results are mixed. We explore the size and the scope of these patterns in more detail, and outline possible avenues for further research.     

Enhancing the customer experience with virtual and augmented reality: The impact of content and device type

Virtual and augmented reality are changing how companies interact with customers. However, previous research has paid little attention to compare their effectiveness. This study focuses on the perceptions of presence elicited by different types of contents (real or digital) and embodied devices (head-mounted display or smartphone), and their impact on user’s pre-experiences with hotels. Results from a lab experiment show that contents with high levels of factual realism (360-degree videos) have a positive influence on perceptions of presence, ease of imagination, and visual appeal, and on booking intentions. These effects are stronger when high embodied devices (head-mounted displays) are applied. Additionally, presence positively influences ease of imagination and visual appeal, which mediate the impact of content on booking intentions. These findings stress the importance of inducing presence as a key driver for behavioral intentions in hospitality. The comparative influence of conventional VR and AR experiences is also discussed.     

虚拟组织持续创新:内涵、本质与机理

互联网技术革命及消费者需求的不断更新推动了虚拟组织的诞生与发展,作为新型的价值创造系统,虚拟组织以核心能力为结点,能够集成整合价值链上的优势资源,紧抓市场机遇,持续为客户创造价值。首先,厘清了虚拟组织持续创新的内涵与本质。在此基础上,分别论述了虚拟组织持续创新的4大构件即创新动力、创新过程、学习能力与界面管理,及其之间的交互作用,提出了虚拟组织持续创新的运行机理,旨在深化对虚拟组织持续创新的研究和认识。     

An experimental study to investigate the impact of image interactivity on the perception of luxury in an online shopping context

The current study investigates whether image interactivity can positively influence luxury perceptions in a virtual shopping environment, by offering shoppers a feeling of telepresence. 185 respondents were referred to either an image interactive or non-interactive virtual luxury store and completed an online questionnaire afterwards to measure their luxury perception. The results of this study show that image interactivity leads to higher perceptions of exclusivity, quality, hedonism and extended self due to a higher perceived telepresence. This study offers some guidelines for luxury brands to retain their luxury perception high in a virtual shopping environment.