Mia Hill Media

By: Mia Hill

As technology becomes more synchronous with consumers’ everyday lives, marketing efforts have focused on those emerging technologies that engage their consumers digitally. A great example of this is the use of augmented reality (AR) technologies, which “is the practice of augmenting a real-time direct or indirect view of the physical world with virtual information” (Carmingniani & Furht, 2011). However, AR is not a one size fits all type of marketing tactic. When using AR, marketers should use the ENTANGLE method to help combat a static marketing campaign (Scholz & Smith, 2016). This method encompasses eight equally essential categories that may be used to increase value for both marketers and consumers (Scholz & Smith, 2016). Marketers should focus their attention on experiences, nourishing engagement, target audiences, aligning AR with the marketing program, neutralizing threats, goals, leveraging brand meanings, and enticing consumers (Scholz & Smith, 2016). 

Using the ENTANGLE method, Scholz and Smith believe that marketers should first understand what best fits the user experience (UX) instead of the AR technology itself (2016). One study which aimed to understand the direct impact that AR has on consumers’ experience, satisfaction, and willingness to buy found that AR can significantly and positively influence UX (Poushneh & Vasquez-Parraga 2017). The study also found that UXs that combined AR technology increased user satisfaction and willingness to buy (Poushneh & Vasquez-Parraga 2017). Although AR positively affects the UX, marketers should consider that UX can be perceived by consumers differently. 

Research has shown that experiential value effectiveness can differ culturally (Shobeiri, Mazaheri & Laroche, 2018). Experiential value is the perceived benefit that consumers receive other than price and quality when shopping (Mathwick, Malhotra & Rigdon, 2001). This experiential value can come in the form of unique and highly emotional shopping experiences for consumers (Pine & Gilmore, 1998, 1999; Caru and Cova 2003). Research has shown that experiential value is more effective in American consumers than in Chinese consumers (Shobeiri, Mazaheri & Laroche, 2018). One implication from this finding is that the individualistic American culture is more accepting of emotions than the Chinese culture, which is more collectivistic. Because individualistic emotions do not suffice the greater good of a collectivistic group, they are not as necessary to Chinese consumers. Experiential elements may be more popular among Americans because it elicits more emotion from the consumer (Shobeiri, Mazaheri & Laroche, 2018). Therefore, marketers should look at consumers’ needs first before committing to a specific AR technology or campaign because it may not align with their consumers’ needs (Scholz & Smith, 2016). 

References

Carmigniani, J., & Furht, B. (2011). Augmented reality: An overview. In B. Furht (Ed.), Handbook of augmented reality (pp. 3—46). New York: Springer. 

Caru, A., and B. Cova. 2003. “Revisiting Consumption Experience: A More Humble But Complete View of the Concept.” Marketing Theory, 3(2), 267–286. doi:10.1177/ 14705931030032004. 

Mathwick, C., N. Malhotra, and E. Rigdon. 2001. “Experiential Value: Conceptualization, Measurement, and Application in the Catalog and Internet Shopping Environment.” Journal of Retailing, 77(1), 39–56. doi:10.1016/S0022-4359(00)00045-2.

Poushneh, A., & Vasquez-Parraga, A. (2017). Discernible impact of augmented reality on retail customer’s experience, satisfaction and willingness to buy. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 34, 229–234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2016.10.005

Pine, B. J., and J. H. Gilmore. 1998. “Welcome to the Experience Economy.” Harvard Business Review 76(4), 97–105. 

Pine, B. J., and J. H. Gilmore. 1999. The Experience Economy. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. 

Scholz, J. & Smith, A. (2016). Augmented reality: Designing immersive experiences that maximize consumer engagement. Business Horizons, 59(2), 149–161.

Shobeiri, S., Mazaheri, E., & Laroche, M. (2018). Creating the right customer experience online: The influence of culture. Journal Of Marketing Communications, 24(3), 270-290.