Virtual Reality Experience Marketing (Nissan Sakura Case Study in Vrchat Application)

Marcin Gurtatowski – Poznan University of Economics and Business; Al. Niepodległości 10, 61-875 Poznań, Poland

Doris Antczak – Poznan University of Economics and Business; Al. Niepodległości 10, 61-875 Poznań, Poland

Natalia Gluza – Poznan University of Economics and Business; Al. Niepodległości 10, 61-875 Poznań, Poland

Abstract: The article aims to analyze the possibility of using virtual reality (VR) technology as an experience marketing tool, enabling the building of ties between the brand and the consumer, based on deep emotions, trans­lating into an increased liking for the company and attachment to its com­mercial offer. The analysis was based on a literature study on social com­munication, marketing communication and VR, as well as a case study of the Nissan Sakura electric car brand in the VRChat application, which was launched in May 2022, simultaneously on the Japanese market and in the Metaverse. The analysis of VR technology, carried out on the example of the VR experience „NISSAN SAKURA Driving Island” in the VRChat application shows that VR meets in practice the assumptions of experience marketing and can potentially be an effective tool for shaping attitudes and behaviors influencing the purchasing decisions of consumers on the automotive mar­ket. Nevertheless, due to the innovative nature of the tool, it does not cur­rently provide the possibility of reaching a mass audience with the market­ing message. The application nature of the work is related to the indication of the conditions, benefits and limitations of the use of VR technology in ac­tivities aimed at shaping attitudes and behaviors, influencing the purchas­ing decisions of consumers in the automotive market. Contrary to the liter­ature in the field of social and marketing communication and the automo­tive market, which is very wide, issues related to VR technology are the area of interest of only a small group of researchers. Given the growing popular­ity of VR technology, knowledge of the possibility of using it to shape atti­tudes and behaviors that influence consumer purchasing decisions in the automotive market may turn out to be valuable both for theoreticians and marketing practitioners.

6th International Scientific Conference on Recent Advances in Information Technology, Tourism, Economics, Management and Agriculture – ITEMA 2022 – Selected Papers, Hybrid (University of Maribor, Slovenia), October 27, 2022

ITEMA Selected Papers published by: Association of Economists and Managers of the Balkans – Belgrade, Serbia

ITEMA conference partners: Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Maribor, Slovenia; Faculty of Organization and Informatics, University of Zagreb, Varaždin; Faculty of Geography, University of Belgrade, Serbia; Institute of Marketing, Poznan University of Economics and Business, Poland; Faculty of Agriculture, Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine ”King Michael I of Romania”, Romania

ITEMA Conference 2022 Selected Papers: ISBN 978-86-80194-64-6, ISSN 2683-5991, DOI: https://doi.org/10.31410/ITEMA.S.P.2022

Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission. 

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