“Reality is in the air”: concept of perceived augmentation and exploration of its impact on consumer experience

Augmented reality (AR) technology is becoming increasingly used in marketing as a tool for enhancing consumer experience. Developed and defined in the fields of computer science and human-computer interaction, AR technology simulates an overlay of virtual annotations in the physical environment and interacts with it in real- time (Azuma et al., 2001). Some popular examples of AR include virtual mirrors (Ray Ban, ModiFace) and smartphone applications that simulate products such as furniture (IKEA). Despite its increasing deployment in marketing, related academic research about the significance of AR for consumer experience and its impact on consumer behavior has been scarce. This thesis approaches this gap in the literature by studying media characteristics of AR and examining their impact on consumer affective, cognitive and behavioral responses, following the approach of Theory of Interactive Media Effects by Sundar et al. (2015). Throughout a series of four articles, it aims to define salient media characteristics of AR technology and evaluate how they alter consumer experience. The 1st article examines to which extent AR shares media characteristics of other interactive technologies and how these characteristics – namely interactivity, modality, hypertextuality, connectivity, location-specificity, mobility, virtuality – influence consumer responses. Based on a literature review, a research agenda is proposed that identifies the knowledge gaps related to the impact of AR on various types of consumer responses. For example, it suggests that future research should investigate: how lower levels of hypertextuality in an AR app influence consumer satisfaction and exploratory behavior; how can AR represent a social experience, given that little connectivity is present in the current AR apps; what combinations of modality in terms of text, visuals and audio are most effective for AR; to which extent consumers perceive AR apps to be interactive and how that impacts their experience. Finally, the research agenda also underlines the importance of investigating the AR media characteristic augmentation (Preece et al., 2015), absent in previous interactive technologies. The 2nd article focuses on two salient media characteristics of AR apps – interactivity and augmentation. It shows that the presence of AR does not translate into an app being perceived as more interactive in comparison to a non-AR app in terms of control and responsiveness. On the other hand, the study offers first evidence that perceived augmentation is significantly higher for AR apps than for non-AR apps and that it represents a suitable psychological correlate (Sundar et al., 2015) for measuring the perception of AR characteristics that set it apart from other technologies. Two experimental studies demonstrate that perceived augmentation impacts the level of immersion into flow, which then mediates the impact of perceived augmentation on consumer attitude towards the app and behavioral intentions to use it again and talk about it. Based on the previous study, the 3rd article further develops the measurement items of perceived augmentation and investigates its impact on consumer experience. An in-the-wild study (Rogers, 2012) was conducted in a retail store, where we observed consumers’ interaction with an AR make-up try-on application. The findings show that such an application creates a playful experience and that shoppers would use such tool to narrow their consideration set or, in some cases, to even choose products to purchase. Furthermore, the survey study confirms that perceived augmentation significantly relates with playfulness, perceived convenience and behavioral intentions. Finally, a more complete scale for perceived augmentation is developed and validated in the 4th article. Items are refined through several qualitative studies, based on which we propose that perceived augmentation is comprised of two dimensions – virtual enhancement and virtual- physical congruency. An online study with 213 participants confirms this dimensionality and, furthermore, shows that virtual-physical congruency elicits significant impact on enjoyment and perceived informedness, which further impacts future use and purchase intention, while virtual enhancement does not yield a similar impact. The contribution of this thesis lies in defining perceived augmentation as the psychological correlate of AR’s unique media characteristic, augmentation, and in proposing and validating its measurement items. Furthermore, a series of three larger studies, all situated in different contexts (in a lab, in a retail store, online), explain how perceived augmentation yields a significant impact on consumer affective responses and behavioral intentions, and in some cases also on cognitive responses such as perceived convenience and informedness. It also highlights the importance of AR app integration in a specific context, which can prevent it from being perceived as gimmicky. The results of this work have implications for both practitioners and academics and offer numerous directions for future research

The impact of e-servicescape on the flow and purchase intention of online consumers: Quantitative analysis of B to C e-commerce stores in Morocco

In the context of e-commerce, one of the first effective points of contact with the customer is the website. E-commerce is growing at an exponential rate and the corresponding web pages, called e-servicescape, now have a significant presence in driving loyalty and attracting new customers online. Nevertheless, the understanding of the attributes of e-servicescape remains unclear, due to the limited empirical evidence that has been obtained and reviewed. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate a conceptual model of the e-servicescape, flow, and purchase intentions. Using the S-O-R (Stimulus-Organism-Response) model, Bitner's model, flow theory, and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as theoretical foundations. This study stems from the successful operationalization of a comprehensive multi-item (48 items in total), multi-scale (five scales), multi-dimensional (three) measure of e-servicescape, namely aesthetic appeal, layout/functionality and financial security, through a survey administered to 498 respondents residing in Morocco. The results of this study reveal the history of consumers' online flows and their purchase intentions. Similarly, the study shows that consumers' interpretations of the e-servicescape dimensions have a significant impact on the flow. As a result, we found that the e-servicescape positively influences the flow, which in turn influences consumers' behavioral intentions. This paper aims to give new impetus to the clarification of the concept of the e-servicescape of Moroccan e-commerce sites and to uncover the fundamental issue inherent in the relationship between the e-servicescape and consumer behavior. Finally, the results provide valuable insights into the factors on which theorists and practitioners should focus their efforts to better adapt their approaches.In the context of e-commerce, one of the first effective points of contact with the customer is the website. E-commerce is growing at an exponential rate and the corresponding web pages, called e-servicescape, now have a significant presence in driving loyalty and attracting new customers online. Nevertheless, the understanding of the attributes of e-servicescape remains unclear, due to the limited empirical evidence that has been obtained and reviewed. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate a conceptual model of the e-servicescape, flow, and purchase intentions. Using the S-O-R (Stimulus-Organism-Response) model, Bitner's model, flow theory, and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as theoretical foundations. This study stems from the successful operationalization of a comprehensive multi-item (48 items in total), multi-scale (five scales), multi-dimensional (three) measure of e-servicescape, namely aesthetic appeal, layout/functionality and financial security, through a survey administered to 498 respondents residing in Morocco. The results of this study reveal the history of consumers' online flows and their purchase intentions. Similarly, the study shows that consumers' interpretations of the e-servicescape dimensions have a significant impact on the flow. As a result, we found that the e-servicescape positively influences the flow, which in turn influences consumers' behavioral intentions. This paper aims to give new impetus to the clarification of the concept of the e-servicescape of Moroccan e-commerce sites and to uncover the fundamental issue inherent in the relationship between the e-servicescape and consumer behavior. Finally, the results provide valuable insights into the factors on which theorists and practitioners should focus their efforts to better adapt their approaches

Carrying forward Uses and Grat 2.0: A study of new gratifications for F2P games based on APEX Legends

This study employed a Uses and Gratifications (U&G) theoretical framework (MAIN model) to investigate the effects of virtual items in free-to-play (F2P) games on players\u27 satisfaction. Additionally, this study tried to investigate extra satisfaction that players get in the process of consuming virtual items. A mixed-method survey in China with a sample size of 265 participants was utilized to test the research questions. The findings of the study revealed significant variations in satisfaction related to personalization and sociality level between free players and paying players, and the degree was positively correlated with the in-game spending level. In addition, one satisfaction not included in prior research on video games—superiority—was found through qualitative data analysis. Keywords: Virtual items, free-to-play, purchase, Uses and gratifications (U&G

Developing a theoretical framework of consumer logistics from a comprehensive literature review

Paper delivered at the 21st Logistics Research Network annual conference 2016, 7th-9th September 2016, Hull. Abstract Purpose: Logistics as a business discipline entered academic consciousness in the mid-1960s when work by marketing academics discussed the integration between marketing and logistics. However, the link with consumers in the point-of-origin to point-of-consumption typology was not explored until Granzin and Bahn’s conceptualisation and model of consumer logistics (CL) in 1989. Since then few contributions have followed and neglecting this aspect of logistics research is difficult to understand. Firstly, the consumer represents a productive resource as an important downstream supply chain member carrying out logistics activities and tasks. Secondly, logistics activities directed towards the consumer also act along a marketing axis, i.e. satisfaction and loyalty for an overall shopping experience both from transaction-specific and cumulative levels are influenced by product quality elements and service-related dimensions. This paper presents a theoretical framework for deeper research into the topic of CL. Research approach: A literature review was conducted first following philosophical or field conceptualization principles as a first step towards theory building. Data bases of major logistics and SCM journals were searched however the publication timeframe was not limited as the concept of CL is relatively new. Selection criteria and Boolean searches were conducted and keywords used within article abstracts and title fields of search. Due to a relative scarcity of contributions obtained by that approach and in-line with the principle of methodological triangulation, additional search strategies were applied using Google/ Google Scholar searches. The majority of the cited contributions were also cross-referenced and included in the analysis if appropriate. Findings and originality: The literature search yielded a mother population of 46 documents of which 24 have been considered relevant for further consideration. The document harvest was analysed using Granzin and Bahn’s original CL issues and additional features in order to explore, structure, articulate, orient, hierarchize and delimit the field of CL in the 21st century. Research impact: This paper updates Granzin and Bahn’s work to outline new and distinctive features of CL given the obvious changes in the retail landscape since their work 27 years ago, such as the Internet and omni-channel retailing. More broadly, conceptualizing CL in a holistic manner enhances SCM theory building by questioning traditional notions of time and space ranges, isolated marketing-merchandizing/logistics considerations, traditional understandings of sites /locations, and equipment (e.g. shopping cart or basket)/ infrastructure/ layout and buying stages that are in-line with external evolutions on organizational, technological and societal levels. Practical impact: Understanding and improving CL contributes to supply chain competitiveness via increased consumer satisfaction and loyalty, better order fulfilment via cost reductions and efficiency increases, and enhanced differentiation targeting consumers receptive for sustainability/ ethics/ mobility/ lifestyle/ life quality issues. A dedicated approach to CL also enhances management of repercussions and interactions with upstream/ B2B logistics, visible through retail stores being both a destination and a source for inventory, the rise of drop-ship vendor relationships and new fulfilment options and related infrastructure

Why Another Customer Channel? Consumers’ Perceived Benefits and Costs of Voice Commerce

Owing to rapidly increasing adoption rates of voice assistants (VAs), integrating voice commerce as a new customer channel is among the top objectives of businesses’ current voice initiatives. However, customers are reluctant to use their VAs for shopping; a tendency not explained by extant literature. Therefore, this research aims to understand consumers’ perceived benefits and costs when using voice commerce, based on a theoretical framework derived from prior literature and the theory of reasoned action. We evaluated and extended this framework by analyzing 30 semi-structured interviews with smart speaker users. According to our results voice commerce consumers perceive benefits in terms of efficiency, convenience, and enjoyment, and criticize the perceived costs of limited transparency, lack of trust, lack of control, and low technical maturity. The resulting model sheds light on the promoters and inhibitors of voice commerce and provides guidelines that enable practitioners to design and improve voice commerce applications

Customer Empowerment and Engagement Behaviours Influencing Value for FinTech Customers: An Empirical Study from India

The article aims to study the impact of consumer empowerment on customer engagement behaviours (CEBs) and their effect on customer value in the FinTech industry of India. A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out to collect data from 380 Indian FinTech app users using a survey questionnaire. The Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) method was applied to test the conceptual model. This is one of the first research studies during the COVID-19 pandemic to show that customer-empowered behaviours predict positive CEBs such as reviews and testimonials, which then contribute to customer value. The indirect effects indicate that CEB mediates the relationship between customer empowerment and value. This study also operationalizes and validates customer engagement behaviour as a formative higher-order construct formed by four dimensions such as customers’ social media influence, form/modality, the scope and channel of engagement. To create customer value, FinTech practitioners and e-marketers should foster online communities and identify and manage customers’ need for control and empowerment for a particular service or product under study thus guiding them in designing customized marketing strategies. The study directs academicians and researchers to build engagement models that can enforce positive CEBs namely e-word of mouth, customer reviews and testimonials

Assessing the Credibility of Cyber Adversaries

Online communications are ever increasing, and we are constantly faced with the challenge of whether online information is credible or not. Being able to assess the credibility of others was once the work solely of intelligence agencies. In the current times of disinformation and misinformation, understanding what we are reading and to who we are paying attention to is essential for us to make considered, informed, and accurate decisions, and it has become everyone’s business. This paper employs a literature review to examine the empirical evidence across online credibility, trust, deception, and fraud detection in an effort to consolidate this information to understand adversary online credibility – how do we know with whom we are conversing is who they say they are? Based on this review, we propose a model that includes examining information as well as user and interaction characteristics to best inform an assessment of online credibility. Limitations and future opportunities are highlighted

Towards an explication of the presence effects on information processing and persuasion: A construal level framework

Dissatisfied with the existing theoretical account of the effects of presence on the mode of information processing (i.e., heuristic vs. systematic processing) and how this leads to persuasion in the context of mediated communication, the current study suggests an alternative framework that could provide an efficient and reasonable way of understanding the underlying psychological mechanism of the presence effects on persuasion. Drawing on presence theory, construal level theory, and the dual process model of persuasion, this study proposes a conceptual model that posits construal level as a key variable that mediates the effects of presence on the mode of information processing. Specifically, on the basis of the conceptual overlap between psychological distance and presence, which are respectively represented as key constructs in construal level theory and presence theory, this study proposes that a sense of presence has the potential to replace the role of psychological distance in the construal level theory and consequently prime a certain level of construal (i.e., the extent to which people’s thinking is abstract or concrete). Additionally, the conceptual similarity between the construal level in the construal level theory and the dual process model is supposed to lead people to apply the primed level of construal in processing information. In this framework, construal level is posited as a key factor that could mediate the relationship between the degree to which people experience a sense of presence and the mode of information processing. This study also attempts to provide a theoretical understanding of how this framework will serially influence the formation of trust and persuasion (i.e., behavioral intention). Guided by the empirical evidence from earlier studies, heuristic and systematic processing are predicted to respectively increase the degree to which people form affective trust towards brand and cognitive trust towards advertising product information. Consequently, persuasion is predicted to occur through both cognitive trust towards advertising product information and affective trust towards brand, as affect and cognition are intertwined. In order to validate this conceptual model, a two (ad presentation mode: video vs. text) x two (ad type: location-based advertising vs. traditional advertising) between-subjects experiment (N = 180) was conducted in a recent advertising context―i.e., location-based advertising. Consistent with the predictions based on this framework, the results showed that construal level plays a significant role in mediating the effects of presence and social presence on the mode of information processing. In addition, the amount of heuristic and systematic processing, determined by the construal level primed by a sense of presence and social presence, was positively associated with the degree to which people form affective trust towards brand and cognitive trust towards advertising product information. Consequently, both affective trust towards brand and cognitive trust towards advertising product information, formed through heuristic and systematic processing, positively influenced participants’ behavioral (purchase) intention. Through partial least squares structural equation modeling, this framework was statistically validated. Further theoretical implications of this framework are discussed

Managing Uncertainty: An Exploratory Study of Information Seeking Strategies of Online Consumers

Uncertainty has been widely recognized as a primary barrier in online C2C transaction processes. This research explores the effectiveness of strategies typically employed to reduce uncertainty in C2C electronic commerce based upon the uncertainty reduction theory and Kelley’s attribution theory. We inspect the effects of the information from four information seeking strategies on online consumers’ perception of uncertainty when initially transacting with an unknown seller in an online marketplace in China; we also integrate the two most prominent contextual factors, information consistency and seller reputation, to explore their direct effects, as well as their interactive effects with information from the four strategies on uncertainty. An online survey is used to collect data from the three most prestigious online store marketplaces in China. The results specify the exact effects of these factors on uncertainty in different contextual conditions. Finally, the theoretical and practical implications of this research are discussed

Trusting in Machines: How Mode of Interaction Affects Willingness to Share Personal Information with Machines

Every day, people make decisions about whether to trust machines with their personal information, such as letting a phone track one’s location. How do people decide whether to trust a machine? In a field experiment, we tested how two modes of interaction-”expression modality, whether the person is talking or typing to a machine, and response modality, whether the machine is talking or typing back-”influence the willingness to trust a machine. Based on research that expressing oneself verbally reduces self-control compared to nonverbal expression, we predicted that talking to a machine might make people more willing to share their personal information. Based on research on the link between anthropomorphism and trust, we further predicted that machines who talked (versus texted) would seem more human-like and be trusted more. Using a popular chatterbot phone application, we randomly assigned over 300 community members to either talk or type to the phone, which either talked or typed in return. We then measured how much participants anthropomorphized the machine and their willingness to share their personal information (e.g., their location, credit card information) with it. Results revealed that talking made people more willing to share their personal information than texting, and this was robust to participants’ self-reported comfort with technology, age, gender, and conversation characteristics. But listening to the application’s voice did not affect anthropomorphism or trust compared to reading its text. We conclude by considering the theoretical and practical implications of this experiment for understanding how people trust machines