Metaverse marketing: How the metaverse will shape the future of consumer research and practice

TLDR

The metaverse’s initial hype has evolved into discussions of its impact on users, organizations, society, culture, and marketing challenges and opportunities. The study examines the marketing implications of widespread metaverse adoption, drawing on expert insights and outlining a future research agenda. The authors present a checklist clarifying how the metaverse can benefit digital marketing, advertising, branding, services, value creation, and consumer wellbeing. They identify new research directions and propose a framework that offers contributions for academia, practice, and policymakers.

Abstract

Abstract The initial hype and fanfare from the Meta Platforms view of how the metaverse could be brought to life has evolved into an ongoing discussion of not only the metaverse's impact on users and organizations but also the societal and cultural implications of widespread usage. The potential of consumer interaction with brands within the metaverse has engendered significant debate within the marketing‐focused discourse on the key challenges and transformative opportunities for marketers. Drawing on insights from expert contributors, this study examines the marketing implications of the hypothetical widespread adoption of the metaverse. We identify new research directions and propose a new framework offering valuable contributions for academia, practice, and policy makers. Our future research agenda culminates in a checklist for researchers which clarifies how the metaverse can be beneficial to digital marketing and advertising, branding, services, value creation, and consumer wellbeing.