Telepresence in live-stream shopping: An experimental study comparing Instagram and the metaverse

Abstract

Advances in digital platforms allow influencers to use live shows to showcase products, which has given rise to live-stream shopping. Moreover, new communication forms have emerged, such as the metaverse. The social interactions that occur in these immersive environments foster influencer-follower interactions. This research compares the impact of live-stream shopping on followers’ experiences and behaviors on two communication channels (live shows on Instagram and in the metaverse) and analyses the moderating role of content involvement in telepresence. Data were collected in a between-subjects quasi-field experiment. Two scenarios that differed in degree of telepresence were created, a live show on Instagram and a live show in the metaverse. The results showed that telepresence is an important part of the user experience and in the success of live shows. Telepresence was seen to have a major influence on experiential value, but not on instrumental value. Both values provided followers with satisfaction with the experience. This satisfaction generated stickiness intention and intention to recommend the influencers’ live shows. The effect of telepresence on experiential value was greater for followers less involved with the influencer’s content. This research is pioneering in comparing an established platform, Instagram, with the metaverse. Despite the greater experiential value provided by the metaverse, to increase its instrumental value metaverse spaces needs to be further developed.

Value creation in the metaverse age: a thematic analysis of press releases

“…Engagement-related characteristics initially align with virtual world interactions defining the metaverse. Previous research has established a connection between these factors and value creation, advocating a multidimensional perspective of value (Holbrook, 1986) and establishing experiential and instrumental value in the metaverse (Barta et al ., 2023). Our findings indicate that metaverse technologies, such as VR, enhance social interactions and are linked to value generation dynamics.…”

“…Our findings indicate that metaverse technologies, such as VR, enhance social interactions and are linked to value generation dynamics. Barta et al . (2023) elaborate on this by proposing that individual enjoyment and the ability to interact with like-minded individuals in the metaverse contribute value to users.…”

Perceptions and drivers of the metaverse adoption: A mixed‐methods study

“…Metaverse has the potential to drastically alter the user experience and empower consumers (Wongkitrungrueng & Suprawan, 2023). Factors such as vividness, telepresence, interactivity, informativeness and flow enhance the user experience in the metaverse (Barta et al, 2023; Haikel‐Elsabeh, 2023; Kim, 2021; Park et al, 2023; Patil & Pramod, 2023). The feeling of presence and realism are also widely agreed‐upon attributes of the metaverse (Kim et al, 2023; Oh et al, 2023; Zhang et al, 2022).…”

Impulsive Buying in Live Tiktok Shop: Exploring The Role of Telepresence, Enjoyment and Trust Among Generation Z

“…The concept of telepresence evolved from experiences in virtual settings, whether these were actual or simulated environments, in which the observer immersed themselves in alterna-tive realities (Barta et al, 2023). Lim & Ayyagari (2018) describe telepresence as the perception of a simulated direct product experience through a medium.…”