The rise of the metaverse has introduced a new frontier for brand engagement: digital doppelgängers. These augmented avatars can travel through and interact with virtual environments in ways that ordinary avatars simply cannot. In doing so, they are building deep emotional connections between consumers and brands. An experimental study conducted in China demonstrates that virtual representations have a shocking effect on actual world brand engagement. They increase happiness, foster more leisure time and increase perceived social esteem.
Our digital doppelgängers thus have a heightened sensibility of embodiment. For NVIDIA, this key technology enables their customers to experience digital worlds in a freer, deeper, more lifelike manner. In contrast to the more flat and basic avatars of the past, these digital representations can virtually sense, touch, see and hear, creating more profound and richer experiences. These experiences, especially those that require a brand to be in context, are fast becoming one of the most powerful motivators of consumer action. The research underscores how positive social interactions within virtual brand experiences can lead to valuable in-their-world engagement.
Understanding Digital Doppelgängers
Digital doppelgängers are defined by three key components: body ownership, agency, and self-location. Body ownership is the term we give to the experience of feeling like the virtual body is yours. Agency is the feeling of control over what your avatar can do. Self-location refers to the sense of being physically located inside the virtual space. When paired together, these elements pack a powerful punch to achieve a heightened sense of presence and immersion, enhancing the impact of any interaction occurring in the metaverse.
The white paper highlights the importance of brand experiences in the metaverse. These moments become the connective tissue between the digital doppelgänger’s qualified in-market experience and the consumer’s actual offline interaction with the brand. Our main takeaway, though, is that these virtual encounters are not as shallow as they might seem. They tend to have more powerful effects on building avatars’ trust and enhancing brand loyalty. This mediation points to the brand marketing potential for creating virtual environments that foster authentic connections with consumers.
The research indicates that digital doppelgänger interactions affect real-world brand engagement through three primary pathways: enjoyment, relaxation, and reputation. Delightful immersive brand moments lead to favorable real-world brand perceptions. Experiences that offer relaxation and stress relief can create perceptions of goodwill and loyalty. Imagine how virtual experiences would work if they increased a user’s social status or reputation. This one improvement massively increases their ongoing connection to the brand.
Methodology and Findings
Though the study, which was exclusively conducted in China, polled people shouldering a heavy presence on metaverse platforms like Roblox and ZEPETO. To do so, researchers recruited 475 participants from metaverse interest communities on popular Chinese social media networks such as WeChat and Douban. This purposefully selective approach was designed specifically to center the study on individuals already using, practicing, and thriving within the context of virtual worlds.
Moreover, the emphasis on the Chinese market offers a look into a quickly developing metaverse user base. A far more culturally and geographically diverse range of metaverse platforms are exploding onto the scene. So, it’s important to recognize the subtleties of human/computer interaction based on cultural norms. The research’s results shed light on how these digital doppelgängers can affect consumer behavior, sometimes in surprising ways. That impact might just play out across creative markets, too. The caveat here is that as with all these types of studies, the findings cannot be simply exported to other areas. Cultural differences and differing rates of metaverse adoption are likely to shape those outcomes.
It's important to acknowledge a limitation of the study. It exclusively examined positive brand interactions. Future studies may investigate how negative or neutral virtual brand experiences affect tangible, in-the-world engagement. Brands that want to thrive in the metaverse would do well to understand how negative interactions influence consumer perceptions and behaviors.
Implications for Brands
The insights from this research have important implications for brands looking to get a foothold in the metaverse. With the power to craft engaging and meaningful virtual representations, brands can utilize their digital doppelgängers to build deeper relationships with consumers. Experiences that offer pleasure, stress release, and a chance for social improvement are especially powerful.
As the metaverse continues to evolve, brands must adapt their strategies to meet the changing needs and expectations of users. Addressing the psychological influence of our digital doppelgängers is more important than ever. It serves as groundwork for crafting compelling and sustainable brand interaction strategies in immersive worlds. Food brands need to support authentic research. In doing so, they can better explore the myriad of preferences, interests, and behaviors that their audiences will take on in the metaverse.
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