Exploring real-brand meanings and goods in virtual-world social interaction: Enhanced rewards, rarity, and realism

Abstract

In virtual worlds, real-life brands develop co-created meanings in social interaction involving users, platform, and marketers. Whilst research has focused on brands advertised in online venues, marketers are challenged to know how users experience brands socially and interactively in virtual worlds, and potential outcomes of those experiences. This article explores meanings of brands and branded virtual goods through user interviews from one virtual world with brands integrated into social interaction. Findings suggest positive orientations as brands aid sociability, status, and achievement. Interactions connect with avatar identity displays and social roles, enabled by platform and realism from real-brand presence. Manifestations extend beyond the virtual world, and seem understood as marketer tactics. Inserted brands appear to impact user experiences with enhanced rewards, rarity, and realism. ), is an assistant professor of strategic communication at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. She teaches advertising, public relations, and new media courses for the Department of Journalism and the College of Business' Interactive Web Management degree. Her research focuses on strategic communication in interactive media, with emphasis on consumer engagement with marketing campaigns via social media.

Theorising digital personhood: a dramaturgical approach

“…This notion of old and new selves assumes a progressive nature of time, which is challenged by Turner's (1974) analysis of social dynamics. The digital age has been recognised by researchers as requiring new modes of enquiry, new concepts and new ways of understanding how our digital selves are formed, reformed and presented both online and offline (Dholakia & Reyes, 2013;Hansen, 2013). Therefore, we are concerned with the way Digital Personhood (DP; a term used to discuss recognition of a human being as having status as a person in the electronic realm) is being assembled, depicted and mobilised through various social networking sites (SNS) over time.…”

Marketing beyond reality: a systematic literature review on metaverse

“…As Hansen (2013) discusses, brands embedded within virtual environments can elevate social interaction, prestige and achievement, encouraging stronger brand loyalty among users. The relationship between the brand and the user substantially impacts brand perception and attitudes (Hansen, 2013). According to Zhu et al (2023), telepresence in VR experiences increases customer contentment and purchase intent even in non-immersive environments.…”

Does the host match the content? A taxonomical update on online consumption communities

“…On the other hand, activity communities embrace more non-monetary, egalitarian values and may even incorporate anti-commercial belief systems (Cova & White, 2010). Accordingly, promotional messages and the corporate utilisation of community content are implicitly accepted within brand communities (Hansen, 2013), whereas activity communities tend to exhibit a more independent, consumer-to-consumer interaction culture (Bagozzi & Dholakia, 2006a;Campbell & Jovchelovitch, 2000;Chau & Xu, 2007).…”