Consumer Learning and 3-D Ecommerce: The Effects of Sequential Exposure of a Virtual Experience Relative toIndirect and Direct Product Experience on Product Knowledge, Brand Attitude and Purchase Intention

The Internet has the ability to serve as a more powerful medium because consumers are able to interact with products in 3-D multimedia environments thus simulating a new form of experience – a virtual experience. However, very little research has explored the impact of this new type of experience especially in combination with indirect (advertising) and direct (product trial) experience. Therefore, in a laboratory experiment (n=166) this study empirically tested the sequential impact of consumer exposure to indirect, direct, and virtual experiences on brand attitude, product knowledge, and purchase intention when evaluating a digital video camcorder. The findings indicate that exposure to a virtual experience preceding both indirect and direct product experience is more effective at influencing brand attitudes. However, direct experience preceding exposure to a virtual experience was found to have the greatest impact on product knowledge. Consumers exposed to an indirect experience preceding both virtual and direct product experience indicated they were significantly less likely to purchase the test product. Overall, the results suggest that an interactive virtual product experience has the strongest impact on consumer behavior as a first order effect prior to exposure from advertising or product trial. Implications for business-to-consumer ecommerce and Internet marketing are discussed.

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