Challenging Experiential Marketing with Augmented Reality Innovation

บทคัดย่อ

In recent years, Augmented Reality (AR) has been an extremely popular field in experiential marketing and marketing analytics, as it can create new interactive experiences for consumers with additionally helpful information in purchasing products. In this paper, our main contribution is to explore the novel characteristics of AR for experiential marketing using qualitative research. The data collection is performed using in-depth interview with two groups of samples selected by using purposive sampling method, which are the representatives of organizations with experience in using AR in marketing communications and the innovators of such organizations. After that, the characteristics of innovation that lead to consumer adoption of innovation are utilized in conjunction with experiential marketing to create a new model for applying AR in experiential marketing promotion for all organizations looking to develop innovation in their business. The results showed that organizations can apply AR by developing characteristics of innovation consisting of relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability in accordance with each aspect of experiential marketing which is composed of sense, feel, think, act, and relate marketing. The analysis revealed the relationship of characteristics of innovation and experiential marketing in each aspect as follows: 1) Relative advantage consists of innovative marketing promotion which enhances Act marketing, the innovative presentation which enhances Sense marketing, and inner feeling and playfulness which enhances Feel marketing; 2) Compatibility consists of a response to consumer interests which enhances Think marketing and response to technology use behavior which enhances Act marketing and Relate marketing; 3) Complexity consists of the use of platforms with no application download required, service provision via corporate communication devices, and user-friendly application development which enhance Act marketing; 4) Trialability consists of awareness-raising communication which enhances Think marketing and downloading applications on user’s communication device which enhances Act marketing; and 5) Observability consists of making consumers feel like seeing actual products or stories which enhances Sense marketing, providing consumers with better-detailed understanding which enhances Think marketing, and providing consumers with a new marketing experience that enhances Act marketing and Relate marketing.