• International journal of advanced smart convergence
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.214-226
• /
• 2024

This study examines the impact of fashion brand collaborations in sandbox games on consumer purchase intentions, focusing on brand coolness and self-avatar identification. Through online surveys of U.S. consumers aged 20-40, it finds that aesthetics, scarcity, and familiarity contribute to brand coolness, with only aesthetics directly impacting purchase intentions. Emotional engagement, self-expression, and perceived enjoyment enhance brand coolness, with emotional engagement being the most influential, and all except perceived enjoyment positively affect purchase intentions. Brand coolness from collaborations positively impacts purchase intentions, indicating that positive consumer attitudes drive behavior. Self-avatar identification moderates the relationships between familiarity and brand coolness, self-expression, and purchase intentions, and moderates the mediating effect of brand coolness. The study underscores the importance of self-avatar identification in shaping consumer behavior and calls for further research in diverse industries and new marketing forms.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.406-418
• /
• 2024

In line with the rapid spread of Metaverse in various marketing areas, fashion companies have also begun to devise various activities using the Metaverse. Fashion experiences within the Metaverse platform must be conducted considering the characteristics of the Metaverse itself. However, there has yet to be any research on Metaverse fashion based on the characteristics of the Metaverse platform itself. Accordingly, this study sought to empirically analyze the impact of various characteristics of the Metaverse platform on consumers' virtual fashion experience within the platform. In particular, this study focused on the relationships among the Metaverse platform characteristics, perceived avatar identity, and the purchase intention of actual fashion products. In order to test the hypotheses, a survey was conducted on 300 Korean male and female consumers with an average age of 39.3 who had experience with virtual fashion through the Metaverse platform. In response to the recent increase in domestic and foreign brands' attempts to experience fashion using ZEPETO, the questionnaire provided an experience scenario that included detailed captured images of the use of avatars in the ZEPETO world. Data was subjected to statistical analysis using the SPSS 28.0 program. The results confirmed that the characteristic factors of the Metaverse platform (i.e., presence, social interactivity, anonymity) had a significant impact on the user's perceived avatar identification. Additionally, perceived avatar identity significantly affected users' purchase intention. Theoretical and managerial implications and study limitations are discussed.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
• /
• v.8 no.4
• /
• pp.387-395
• /
• 2022

This study empirically studied the effect of the characteristics of consumer experience in a virtual store in the metaverse of a fashion brand on consumers' perceived utility and self-congruence for the medium. As a result of the analysis, all three factors (reality, ubiquity, anonymity) of the fashion brand metaverse virtual reality store experience had a significant positive effect on the perceived avatar consistency. On the other hand, realism and ubiquity had a significant positive effect on perceived fun, but the effect of anonymity on perceived fun was not significant. On the other hand, perceived avatar identity was found to have a significant positive effect on perceived consumer-brand self-congruence. Finally, it was found that the perceived fun in the metaverse fashion brand virtual reality store had a statistically significant positive effect on perceived consumer-brand self-congruence.

• Journal of Fashion Business
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.1-14
• /
• 2024

Within the metaverse platform, users engage in communication with others through 'avatars' reflecting their own identities. Users experience various virtual fashion items through avatars, and the fashion industry anticipates avatars wearing virtual fashion items as an emerging business opportunity. Many fashion brands are currently releasing virtual fashion items specifically designed for avatars. In this study, we examined the impact of user identification with their avatar on their perception of the attributes of virtual fashion items (investment attractiveness, scarcity, playfulness, and aesthetics) and its influence on behavioral intentions. The research involved a survey of 250 females with prior knowledge of the metaverse. Structural equation modeling analysis was conducted to examine research hypotheses and validate the model. The results confirmed that as users within the metaverse perceive greater identification with their avatar, they also perceive the attributes of virtual fashion items more favorably. This finding affirms the self-reference effect, where users positively evaluate objects associated with themselves. Additionally, perceiving the attributes of virtual fashion items was found to be positively linked to purchase intentions for virtual products and actual interest in the brand. Lastly, a higher intention to purchase virtual fashion items was associated with forming a more favorable attitude toward the respective brand. Consequently, this study provides academic and practical implications for marketing strategies within the metaverse, emphasizing the active utilization of avatars and elements that facilitate user-avatar identification for effective engagement.