• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.891-906
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• 2023

The essence of fashion brands' marketing with metaverse-based virtual spaces is to capture more potential consumers and boost the sales of companies' virtual and physical products. However, existing research has not fully addressed customer responses and behavioral outcomes regarding fashion virtual brand spaces. This study uses flow theory to address this gap and explores the factors that lead to the flow experience in virtual brand spaces. It also establishes the causal relationships between the flow experience, satisfaction with virtual spaces, the intention to purchase virtual products, and the intention to purchase actual products. We chose "Ralph Lauren World" of Ralph Lauren on Zepeto as the virtual brand space for this study and analyzed 239 valid data sets. We tested the hypotheses using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping for the mediation analyses. The findings indicate that the flow experience in virtual brand spaces positively and indirectly affects the purchase intention of virtual products via satisfaction with virtual brand spaces. In addition, virtual space satisfaction had an indirect, positive effect on actual product purchase intention through virtual product purchase intention. The research emphasizes that the purchase intention of virtual and actual products has a positive causal relationship.

• Asia Marketing Journal
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.45-57
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• 2020

With the development of new technologies, virtual reality (VR) is emerging as a new consumer marketing platform. Yet, only a few studies have investigated VR in the consumption context. The current research explores how experiencing a product through VR influences consumer attitude and purchase intention for the product. Although assessing products in real life is believed to be more diagnostic than that through VR, the present research revealed that experiencing a product through VR could lead to a more positive attitude toward and higher purchase intention for the product. We also demonstrated that "enjoyment" has a mediating effect while evaluating the product through VR. To compare product experience through VR to that in real life, we employed the HTC Vive VR system to implement a VR environment. In the VR condition, participants evaluated plastic building blocks using a VR headset and a motion controller; and in the real life (reality) condition, they evaluted plastic building blocks printed using a 3D printer to make them look exactly the same as the blocks used in the VR condition. Finally, implications and suggestions are discussed.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.101-124
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• 2009

According to Wikipedia, virtual reality (VR) is defined as a technology that allows a user to interact with a computer-simulated environment. Due to a rapid growth in information technology (IT), the cost of virtual reality has been decreasing while the utility of virtual reality advertisements has dramatically increased. Nevertheless, only a few studies have investigated the effects of virtual reality advertisement on consumer behaviors. Therefore, the objective of this study is to empirically examine the effects of virtual reality advertisement. Compared to traditional online advertisements, virtual reality advertisement enables consumers to experience products realistically over the Internet by providing high media richness, interactivity, and telepresence (Suh and Lee, 2005). Advertisements with high media richness facilitate consumers' understanding of advertised products by providing them with a large amount and a high variety of information on the products. Interactivity also provides consumers with a high level of control over the computer-simulated environment in terms of their abilities to adjust the information according to their individual interests and concerns and to be active rather than passive in their engagement with the information (Pimentel and Teixera, 1994). Through high media richness and interactivity, virtual reality advertisements can generate compelling feelings of "telepresence" (Suh and Lee, 2005). Telepresence is a sense of being there in an environment by means of a communication medium (Steuer, 1992). Virtual reality advertisements enable consumers to create a perceptual illusion of being present and highly engaged in a simulated environment, while they are in reality physically present in another place (Biocca, 1997). Based on the characteristics of virtual reality advertisements, a research model has been proposed to explain consumer responses to the virtual reality advertisements. The proposed model includes two dimensions of consumer responses. One dimension is consumers' rational response, which is based on the Information Processing Theory. Based on the Information Processing Theory, product knowledge and perceived risk are selected as antecedents of intention to purchase. The other dimension is emotional response of consumers, which is based on the Attitude-Structure Theory. Based on the Attitude-Structure Theory, arousal, flow, and positive affect are selected as antecedents of intention to purchase. Because it has been criticized to have investigated only one of the two dimensions of consumer response in prior studies, our research model has been built so as to incorporate both dimensions. Based on the Attitude-Structure Theory, we hypothesized the path of consumers' emotional responses to a virtual reality advertisement: (H1) Arousal by the virtual reality advertisement increases flow; (H2) Flow increases positive affect; and (H3) Positive affect increases intension to purchase. In addition, we hypothesized the path of consumers' rational responses to the virtual reality advertisement based on the Information Processing Theory: (H4) Increased product knowledge through the virtual reality advertisement decreases perceived risk; and (H5) Perceived risk decreases intension to purchase. Based on literature of flow, we additionally hypothesized the relationship between flow and product knowledge: (H6) Flow increases product knowledge. To test the hypotheses, we conducted a free simulation experiment [Fromkin and Streufert, 1976] with 300 people. Subjects were asked to use the virtual reality advertisement of a cellular phone on the Internet and then answer questions about the variables. To check whether subjects fully experienced the virtual reality advertisement, they were asked to answer a quiz about the virtual reality advertisement itself. Responses of 26 subjects were dropped because of their incomplete answers. Responses of 274 subjects were used to test the hypotheses. It was found that all of six hypotheses are accepted. In addition, we found that consumers' emotional response has stronger impact on their intention to purchase than their rational response does. This study sheds much light into practical implications for both IS researchers and managers. First of all, while most of previous research has analyzed only one of the customers' rational and emotional responses, we theoretically incorporated and empirically examined both of the two sides. Second, we empirically showed that mediators such as arousal, flow, positive affect, product knowledge, and perceived risk play an important role between virtual reality advertisement and customer's intention to purchase. In addition, the findings of this study can provide a basis of practical strategies for managers. It was found that consumers' emotional response is stronger than their rational response. This result indicates that advertisements using virtual reality should focus on the emotional side, and that virtual reality can be served as an appropriate advertisement tool for fancy products that require their online advertisements to give an impetus to customers' emotion. Finally, even if this study examined the effects of virtual reality advertisement of cellular phone, its findings could be applied to other products that are suited for virtual experience. However, this research has some limitations. We were unable to control different kinds of consumers and different attributes of products on consumers' intention to purchase. It is, therefore, deemed important for future research to control the consumer and product types for more reliable results. In addition to the consumer and product attributes, other variables could affect consumers' intention to purchase. Thus, the future research needs to find ways t control other variables.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2024

Virtual influencers, who are emerging as new players in digital marketing, impact consumers' purchase intentions. They promote positive perceptions and mimetic consumption of specific brands or products through interactions with followers. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effect of the characteristics of virtual influencers on the purchase intention for fashion products through the consumers' mimetic desire. As characteristics of virtual influencers, five factors were set: reality, attractiveness, professionalism, trustworthiness, and curiosity. Data for analysis were collected through an online questionnaire from the 8th to the 15th of August 2023, and 268 data points in total were analyzed using SPSS and Process Macro 4.3. The results of the study showed that the characteristics of virtual influencers all positively affected mimetic desire and purchase intention for fashion products. Moreover, it was found that mimetic desire has a mediating effect between the five characteristics of virtual influencers and the purchase intention for fashion products. Mimetic desire fully mediates the relationship between reality and the intention to purchase fashion products, and partially mediates the relationship between attractiveness, professionalism, trustworthiness, and curiosity and the purchase intention for fashion products. These findings further enhance the understanding of the relationship between virtual influencers and consumer behavior and identify the relationship between virtual influencers, mimetic desire, and fashion product purchase intentions. Consequently, leveraging virtual influencers strategically in digital marketing, the fashion industry can amplify positive brand perceptions, drive consumer engagement, and ultimately foster increased purchase intent.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.82-93
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• 2024

This study confirms how brand experiences perceived by consumers in the metaverse affect their pleasure and behavioral intentions (intention to use the platform, and purchase the virtual product). The results of this study are as follows. First, consumers have sensory, affective, behavioral, and intellectual experiences while interacting with fashion brands in the virtual space of the metaverse. Second, in the metaverse, consumers experience pleasure when they have various brand experiences including those mentioned above. Third, the pleasure gained through consumers' brand experiences has a positive effect on their behavioral intentions, including their intentions to use the platform and purchase the virtual product in the metaverse. This study is academically meaningful in strengthening brand experience-related research and expanding into the metaverse context through empirically verifying the influence of consumers' brand experiences on pleasure in the metaverse. Also, related fashion companies will be able to use the results of this study to strategically create consumers' sensory, affective, behavioral, and intellectual experiences to elicit pleasant emotions from consumers in the virtual space of the metaverse.

• Journal of Information Technology Services
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.75-87
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• 2020

This study empirically investigates the design factors that could engender positive impacts on consumers' user experiences with respect to trust, attitude, and intent to purchase a product promoted in the virtual reality (VR) e-commerce environment. Guided by previous literature, we specifically test the role of schema congruity due to the design of the space and virtual agent on trust, attitude, and purchase intention in the context of VR e-commerce. To test the effect of the congruency between user's schema and virtual environment design on user intentions, a 2 × 2 mixed ANOVA design experiment was conducted with place creativity (Low vs. High) as a within factor and workplace attire (Casual vs. Formal) as a between factor. The result showed support for the effect of schema congruity on trust, in that interaction of the two factors were found. Significant positive relationship between trust, attitude, and purchase intention was found. Further implications are discussed based on results.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.27-44
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• 2002

The purposes of this study were 1) to identify predictors of consumers′ apparel purchase on Internet shopping malls and 2) to determine reasons that respondents didn\`t have purchase intention of apparel on Internet shopping malls. The data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire from 204 male and female students who experienced shopping for apparel on Internet shopping malls, living in Cheju and analyzed by factor analysis, multiple regression analysis, t-test and paired t-test. Two predictors were found regarding purchase of apparel on the "big box" Internet shopping malls which sells various product categories; apparel quality and fun of order process. On the speciality Internet shopping malls which sells only fashion goods, diverse apparel assortment and easy handling and fun of information search were identified as predictors of apparel purchase. Reasons that respondents didn′t have purchase intention of apparel on Internet shopping malls were summarized and labeled as: difficulty of decision making due to virtual shopping environment, insufficiency of diverse apparels, users′ unease handling, risk of incredible apparel quality, unfamiliarity of Internet shopping and risks of unsecurity. Difficulty of decision making due to virtual shopping environment was determined as the most important factor of reasons that respondents didn′t have purchase intention of apparels in website.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.193-208
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• 2015

With the rapid growth in the use of digital advertising media among consumers, there is an increasing interest in the utilization of virtual advertising and PPL as an alternative to traditional television advertising. Nonetheless, few studies have compared the effects of these new advertising platforms, still lacking knowledge on their relative effects for maximizing advertising effectiveness. This study, thus, intends to compare virtual advertising and PPL with respect to advertising effectiveness (i.e., consumer evaluations of advertising attributes, brand attitudes, and purchase intentions), controlling for the level of product involvement. An experiment was conducted with a sample of 360 participants and actual ads were used as test stimuli. According to the results, consumers exhibit more favorable evaluations on all the three advertising attributes (i.e., entertainment, informativeness, and irritation) for high-involvement products, whereas, for low-involvement products, virtual advertising is perceived to be more irritating than PPL. In particular, the effect of informational value of virtual advertising on brand attitudes was found to be most significant. In addition, for high-involvement products, virtual advertised products. Advertising practitioners may have to consider these results and fully utilize the advantages of virtual advertising and PPL in order to achieve maximum advertising effectiveness.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.390-397
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• 2011

This study investigates the influences of shopping enjoyment and risk reduction on customers' attitude and the behavioral intention in the Internet shopping mall using a moving virtual model. For this study, we produced a moving virtual model to present a fashion product. The virtual model walks for about one minute on the stage. After respondents viewed it, they completed a questionnaire. The questionnaire consists of online shopping enjoyment, risk reduction, customers' attitude and behavioral intention. Respondents are limited to females aged in their 20s and 30s, who have experienced Internet shopping and are highly interested in fashion products. 411 samples were used for the final analysis. Cronbach's alpha, factor analysis, and multiple regression analysis were conducted. The results are as follows. Online shopping enjoyment and risk reduction influenced the behavioral intention directly as well as through the attitude. However, the size of the influence indicated that online shopping enjoyment is larger than risk reduction. Therefore, Internet malls should utilize the moving virtual model to provide customers with enjoyment and risk reduction, which will increase customers' favorable attitudes and the behavioral intention such as purchase intention and word of mouth.

• The Journal of Information Systems
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.23-51
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• 2023

Purpose: Live commerce is a new type of electronic commerce in combination with live streaming services. It is expected to increase virtual presence in the context of online shopping by overcoming a lack of social interactions between sellers and buyers which have been raised as a limitation in electronic commerce. Drawing on the studies of communication media, this study examines how live commerce contributes to the increase of virtual presence which consists of telepresence and social presence. Telepresence refers to a buyer's perception that he or she is present at the physical shopping mall during live shopping streaming whereas social presence refers to a buyer's perception of social interaction with a seller which is human warm, social, sensitive, and personal. In this study, we verify key determinants of virtual presence and its consequences. More specifically, this study proposes virtual presence contributes to the increase of buyers' trust in products and further purchase intentions. Furthermore, we verify influential factors of virtual presence from the technical and influencer perspectives of live commerce. Design/methodology/approach: To test the proposed hypotheses, the partial least squares (PLS) analysis is conducted with a total of 250 data collected on users with experience in the TaoBao live streaming shopping platform. Findings: The results show that first, telepresence and social presence are increased by visibility, media richness and attractiveness in the context of live shopping streaming. Second, buyers' trust in product trust and purchase intentions are positively influenced by telepresence and social presence. Finally, buyers' trust in product has a direct, positve effect on their purchase intentions. Overall, the findings offer new insights into the studies of electronic commerce by introducting the concepts of virtual presence and media richness from the literature of communication media in the field of live commerce.