106 Digitalization and Management Innovation II

R.J. Dwyer (Ed.)

© 2023 The Authors.
This article is published online with Open Access by IOS Press and distributed under the terms
of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License 4.0 (CC BY-NC 4.0).
doi:10.3233/FAIA230722

A Study of the Impact of Metaverse

Marketing Characteristics on Consumers'
Purchase Intention
Jing WANG1, Bochen DU and Xiankai CAO
School of Business, Beijing Wuzi University, Beijing 101149, China

Abstract: This study explores the impact of metaverse marketing characteristics on

purchase intention from a consumer perspective, aiming to reveal the mechanism of
metaverse marketing from the perspective of mediation of flow experience. The
study adopts the S-O-R model (stimulus-organism-response model) and the flow
experience theory as the theoretical basis. By collecting data through a questionnaire
survey among middle-aged and young people, and conducting empirical analysis
using SPSS software, this study explores the impact of metaverse marketing
characteristics on purchase intention and the mediating role of flow experience. A
total of 119 valid questionnaires were collected, with a sample type of young and
middle-aged people aged 18 to 35. Research has found that metaverse marketing has
the characteristics of perception, interactivity, and interest, which positively affect
consumers' purchase intention; The flow experience plays a mediating role between
the marketing characteristics of the metaverse and consumer purchase intention. The
research on metaverse marketing enriches the relevant theories of the metaverse and
provides specific guidance for enterprises to carry out metaverse marketing
activities.

Keywords: Metaverse marketing, purchase intention, flow experience, SPSS

1. Introduction

In 2021, Facebook changed its name to "Meta," the metaverse concept went from the
rise to a hot topic. Relying on artificial intelligence, blockchain, Internet of Things, cloud
computing, and other high technologies, creating a parallel virtual world that runs
independently and continuously, sharing is the core issue of the concept of Meta
Universe. With the development of technology, people's lives have changed dramatically
with the popularity of the Internet, which has also brought disruptive changes to people's
shopping lives. The rapid development of domestic e-commerce platforms such as
Alibaba and Jingdong has made online shopping necessary for daily consumption. While
every industry has its development cycle, so does e-commerce. After rapid development,
the e-commerce industry is becoming increasingly mature and slowing down its growth
rate. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, data show 2021 annual total retail
sales of social consumer goods are 440,823 billion yuan, an increase of 12.5% over the
previous year. Among them, the annual online retail sales of physical goods are 108.42

1
Corresponding author: Jing WANG, School of Business, Beijing Wuzi University, Master's degree;
Email: [email protected]
Fund Projects: R&D Program of Beijing Municipal Education Commission(SM202310037007)
 J. Wang et al. / A Study of the Impact of Metaverse Marketing Characteristics 107

billion yuan, 12.0% higher than the previous year by comparable caliber, accounting for
24.5% of the total retail sales of social consumer goods. In 2020, the annual online retail
sales of physical goods amounted to 975.9 billion yuan, an increase of 14.8% over the
previous year by comparable caliber, accounting for 24.9% of the total retail sales of
consumer goods, an increase of 4.0 percentage points over the previous year. Two
thousand nineteen annual online retail sales of physical goods amounted to 8,523.9
billion yuan, an increase of 19.5% over the previous year by comparable caliber,
accounting for 20.7% of the total retail sales of consumer goods. Of 20.7%, an increase
of 2.3 percentage points over the previous year.
The e-commerce industry is rising gradually and slowly. For the e-commerce
industry, since the market is close to maturity, there are more effective ways to stimulate
growth by expanding the scale of users. Digging deeper into the value of individual users,
increasing the unit price, or increasing the frequency of customer consumption will
become another growth point, and the source of this growth driver is experiential
consumption. The metaverse marketing feature is that it can bring an immersive
consumer experience to users. Among many potential application areas, some brands
initially constructed metaverse marketing through content production, market layout,
user experience, marketing realizations, and other aspects, applying digital technology,
emphasizing consumer sensory experience, and setting up a personified brand virtual
image. Does metaverse marketing bring emotional and experience value to consumers
regarding communication and interaction? Does it bring value-added, expansion, or
innovation to enterprises by reshaping their marketing model?
The theoretical basis of this paper is the S-O-R theory, and the research is about the
influence of metaverse marketing characteristics on consumers' purchase intention and
how the flow experience plays a role in this influence. From the theoretical point of view,
there still needs to be more research on the metaverse in China. This paper is an in-depth
study of the relationship between metaverse characteristics and consumers' purchase
intentions. It is of some theoretical value as it can add a new theoretical foundation for
future research. From the practical point of view, many industries have explored the
metaverse and combined it with marketing, breaking through the past marketing dilemma
of enterprises, such as the fire of the digital person "Liu Ye Xi," the digital collection "
The Terra Cotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty" topped the MoDot APP after it was
launched. These emerging concepts and interactive methods enhance the stickiness
between the public and the brand and influence consumers' willingness to buy products
from enterprises. In the transaction segment, a cooperation agreement with ICBC is also
signed to carry out a closed trial of digital RMB jointly. The company relies on the
existing advantages of the brand marketing business and keeps exploring new models of
integration of metaverse and marketing, which is worth watching for future development.
However, most companies still cannot fully grasp the metaverse technology yet, resulting
in the inability to apply the metaverse marketing model.
In summary, based on the S-O-R theoretical model, this article attempts to explore
the impact of metaverse marketing characteristics on consumer purchase intention, as
well as the mediating role of flow experience in it, in order to enrich the relevant theories
of metaverse marketing and provide certain theoretical guidance for enterprises to carry
out metaverse marketing activities.
108 J. Wang et al. / A Study of the Impact of Metaverse Marketing Characteristics

2. Theory and hypothesis

2.1. Metaverse marketing related overview

Metaverse, originally from the 1992 science fiction novel Snow Crash, is a virtual space
parallel to and independent from the real world and is essentially an online virtual world
that maps the real world. With the development of technology, the metaverse, as a virtual
digital space, provides brand and marketers with new opportunities and challenges. The
review of domestic and overseas academic literature provides a certain theoretical basis
for a deeper understanding of the field of metaverse marketing and inspiration for future
research directions (The author and survey subjects of this article are both located in
China, so in the following text, domestic refers to China, while overseas refers to other
countries except China). Overseas research on metaverse mostly focuses on the study of
metaverse ontology, which mainly involves the definition of the metaverse concept[1],
model construction[2], and analysis of associated technologies[3]; it also involves the
study of a metaverse in education and learning, which mainly includes teaching
methods[4], educational concepts[5], and multilingual teaching[6]; the application of
metaverse The application areas of metaverse include games, social, business, etc.[7]. In
contrast, domestic metaverse research is later than foreign research, and in 2021, it
became a hot topic in the cultural, industrial, and venture capital circles. Domestic studies
mainly focus on the conceptual connotation[8], philosophical foundation[9], moral
ethics[10], media practice[11], technical construction[12], and application scenarios
involved in metaverse[13].
The application fields involved in foreign metaverse research have been pervasive,
while domestic research is still in the preliminary stage, and there are significant
differences between the research concerns and foreign metaverse research. Both primary
and applied research on the metaverse has been covered at home and abroad. However,
there needs to be more research on embedding metaverse into marketing models. Some
companies have started combining metaverse marketing features revealed by creating
stories, digital avatar endorsements, and digital stand-in oriented and blockchain-based
digital rights with their brand positioning and target group characteristics to develop
long-term promotion strategies.

2.2. Theoretical model

The S-O-R model was discovered by Mehrabian and Russell in 1974 after research and
was mainly used to study how stimuli from environmental factors affect individual
behavior and attitudes. The S-O-R model consists of three main components: stimulus
variables, organism variables, and response variables (Figure 1). The actual content of
the model is that when an individual performs certain activities in the environment in
which he or she lives, he or she will be stimulated by the stimuli in the environment to
produce a stress response and, in the process, will also be influenced by some other
factors, such as his or her mental state while performing the activity[14].

Figure 1. The S-O-R model.

 J. Wang et al. / A Study of the Impact of Metaverse Marketing Characteristics 109

2.3. Flow experience

Csikszentmihalyi initially proposed the flow, who believed that individuals focused on a
sport or task experience an exhilarating emotion and named it flow. Consumers in a state
of flow are characterized by concentration, complete engagement, and a strong sense of
pleasure, accompanied by a loss of time, and the loss of time and the pleasurable
experience can lead online consumers to purchase behavior[15]. In summary, this paper
argues that the flow experience is a comprehensive subjective state in which consumers
gain pleasure, focus, and perceptual control during the communication process they
engage in when shopping online.

2.4. Consumer purchase intention

Consumer purchase intention is a dynamic decision-making process that includes

activities such as forming demand motivation and pre-consumption decisions and is
influenced by multiple factors[16]. Existing studies have shown that consumers on
factors such as reputation and gender and other factors, such as socio-cultural and
customer involvement, affect consumer purchase intention[17]. In this paper, consumer
purchase intention refers to the probability that a consumer will likely purchase an item
during online shopping after experiencing metaverse marketing.

2.5. Research hypotheses

The article explores the impact of metaverse marketing characteristics on consumers'

purchase intentions from a consumer perspective based on the following research model
(Figure 2)[18]. Compared to traditional online marketing, metaverse marketing provides
a more immersive and interactive consumer experience. In the metaverse, users can
create personalized digital avatars and interact in real-time with other users[19]. The
three characteristics of metaverse marketing, namely perception, interactivity, and
interest, can better attract consumers' attention and interest, thereby increasing their
purchasing intention[20]. Based on the above content, and by comparing the impact of
metaverse marketing and traditional online marketing on consumer purchase intent, a
preliminary research design is conducted and hypotheses are proposed.

Figure 2. The theoretical model of this study.

110 J. Wang et al. / A Study of the Impact of Metaverse Marketing Characteristics

2.5.1. Metaverse marketing features have a positive impact on consumers' willingness

to purchase

Some studies have shown that the corresponding characteristics perceived by users after
being influenced by marketing activities will affect their purchase attitudes, etc.
Compared to the flat traditional marketing methods, metaverse marketing applies VR
and other technologies to enable consumers to enter the digital twin world, which is
expressed as a high-sensory, high-reality virtual environment built under Web 3.0, and
the series of characteristics presented by marketing activities in this environment will
leave consumers with different impressions on consumers. Suppose users perceive the
concept presentation and product experience well after experiencing metaverse
marketing. In that case, their willingness to purchase will also increase, which will
influence consumers' purchasing behavior. Based on the above analysis hypothesis:
H1: Metaverse marketing features have a positive impact on consumers' willingness
to purchase

2.5.2. The influence of perception on purchase intention

Perception is the vivid and rich environmental information presented to the human senses.
Data show that the information people can receive in their environment mainly comes
from the five senses, so perception is particularly important. Based on the above analysis
hypothesis:
H2: Perception has a positive effect on consumers' willingness to purchase

2.5.3. The influence of interactivity on purchase intention

Domestic scholars such as Yan Zongguang believe that interactivity is a direct factor that
stimulates consumers' willingness to purchase, and the higher the interactivity, the more
robust the favorability and trust of users towards the merchant or business platform, and
thus the higher their willingness to purchase. Based on the above analysis hypothesis:
H3: Interactivity has a positive effect on consumers' purchase intention

2.5.4. The impact of interest on purchase intention

Interest refers to the perceived fun the relevant platform will provide the user when the
consumer experiences metaverse marketing to make it enjoyable. Chen and Suzuki
(2013) argue that the amusement consumers generate when making online purchases will
significantly and positively affect their purchase intention. Based on the above analysis
hypothesis:
H4: Interest has a positive effect on consumers' purchase intention

2.5.5. The influence of flow experience on consumers' purchase intention

According to the factors influencing the flow experience, the environment in which
consumers shop is necessary for forming their flow experience. A review of domestic
and international literature shows that many scholars have confirmed that psychological
experience positively impacts consumers' willingness to purchase in the shopping
process. For example, the higher the degree of flow consumers, feel when shopping, the
 J. Wang et al. / A Study of the Impact of Metaverse Marketing Characteristics 111

more active they will participate in the aggregation of shopping activities and enhance
their willingness to purchase. Based on the above analysis hypothesis:
H5: The flow experience has a positive impact on consumers' willingness to
purchase

2.5.6. The mediating role of flow experience

When consumers experience metaverse marketing, the perception, interactivity, and

interest features will make consumers experience the shopping environment more
realistically, engage in it and generate a sense of pleasure so that it is easier for them to
enter the state of flow experience. The stronger the flow experience, the more frequently
consumers interact with other users, merchants, and products. Based on the above
analysis, it is assumed that
H6: Flow experience will play a mediating role between metaverse marketing and
consumers' purchase intention

3. Research method

3.1. Research tool

Based on a large amount of relevant literature, this paper combined the mature scale used
by previous authors with the actual situation to make certain adjustments to each question
item, making the questionnaire more in line with the content of this study. The variables
studied in this paper were measured using a five-point Likert scale, with each question
item having five dimensions from 1-5, indicating strongly disagree to agree strongly, and
the respondents completed the assessment by watching the video to select the
corresponding number. The questionnaire involves five variables, namely perception,
interactivity, interest, flow experience, consumer purchase intention, control variables,
and screening options, with 28 questions. The following briefly describes the
measurement scale for these five variables.
The characteristics of metaverse marketing mainly including three dimensions:
perception, interactivity, and interest. Among them, the perception measurement
questions mainly refer to the study of Steuer (1992); interactivity mainly refers to the
studies of Preece (2001) and Steuer (1992); and interestingness mainly refers to the study
of Agarwal & Karahanna (2000). Consumers' flow experience during online shopping is
an organism variable, and its measurement questions mainly refer to the studies of
Skadberg & Kimme (2004) and Chen & Jie (2009). Consumer purchase intention as a
response variable and its measurement questions mainly refer to the studies of Zeithaml
(1988), Pavlou & Fygonson (2006), and Fan (2007), etc. The design of the items for
these 5 variables in the survey questionnaire is mainly based on a comparison of
traditional marketing methods. The survey subjects answer based on their understanding
of metaverse marketing and their experience, feelings, or expectations of purchasing
products under traditional marketing methods.
112 J. Wang et al. / A Study of the Impact of Metaverse Marketing Characteristics

3.2. Data collection

The data collection phase of this study was from March 18, 2023, to March 25, 2023.
The questionnaire was posted to Questionnaire Star and disseminated through social
means such as WeChat, and the data were collected after the respondents filled in the
questionnaire. A total of 124 questionnaires were collected during the questionnaire run.
For cases where the length of the questionnaire was less than 60 seconds, and the same
score was chosen for all questions in the process of filling out the questionnaire, i.e., the
length of time spent was too short and the attitude of filling out the questionnaire was
not serious, the questionnaires were judged as invalid and eliminated. After screening
the length and quality of answers, five invalid questionnaires were screened out, and the
number of valid questionnaires was 119, with a recovery efficiency of 96%.

3.3. Data analysis

3.3.1. Sample characteristics statistics

After the distribution, filling out, and data collection of the survey questionnaire, the
basic characteristics of the sample data of the basic information items in the survey
questionnaire were analyzed, including gender, age, education level, and income. Due to
the fact that young and middle-aged people are the main force of social consumption and
have more exposure to metaverse information in their daily lives compared to other
populations, they have become the focus of this survey. The data shows the sex ratio of
men and women among the respondents. The proportion of men is 51.83%, and the
proportion of women is 48.17%. Among them, the proportion of respondents aged 18-
25 is about 60.5%, and the proportion of 26-35 is about 21%. That is, the respondents
are mainly young people aged 18-35, accounting for 81.5% of the total sample; About
52.1% of survey respondents have a bachelor's degree, while 24.37% of survey
respondents have a master's degree; 57.14% of the group's monthly income is below
3000 yuan. Overall, the sample conforms to the target group of youthfulness in metaverse
marketing and the current reality of social education popularization, and the sample data
has good representativeness.

3.3.2. Descriptive statistics

According to the previous analysis of the essential characteristics of gender and age of
the sample, it is clear that the data recovered from the questionnaire are credible, which
lays a good foundation for further analysis of the data to follow, followed by descriptive
statistics of the recovered data.
Table 1. Mean and standard deviation of X, M, Y.
Perception Question Mean Standard
value deviation
X1.1 Traditional marketing is achieved through images, text, or 3.91 0.930
audio, lacking more sensory experiences.
X1.2 Compared to traditional marketing, metaverse marketing 4.01 0.961
with virtual and augmented reality technologies can increase
various sensory experiences such as tactile and visual aspects
of shopping environments, products, etc.
 J. Wang et al. / A Study of the Impact of Metaverse Marketing Characteristics 113

X1.3 Through metaverse marketing with virtual and augmented 3.98 1.033
reality technologies, products present a three-dimensional
effect, greatly enriching visual and sensory experiences.
X1.4 Through metaverse marketing with virtual and augmented 3.76 1.025
reality technologies, I seem to see and feel real products.
Interactivity Question Mean Standard
value deviation
X2.1 In traditional marketing methods, consumers mainly receive, 3.89 1.015
select, and evaluate product information in a one-way
manner, lacking good interaction with the product.
X2.2 Through metaverse marketing with virtual and augmented 3.93 1.006
reality technologies, I can not only observe products but also
personally experience them.
X2.3 Through metaverse marketing with virtual and augmented 3.79 1.088
reality technologies, I can directly communicate with virtual
assistants, like physical store guides, which are fast and
natural.
X2.4 Under traditional marketing methods, it takes some time for 3.82 1.000
me to have two-way communication with other consumers,
but under metaverse marketing, I can directly share shopping
information with more consumers in a timely manner.
X2.5 Through metaverse marketing with virtual and augmented 3.85 1.047
reality technologies, I can easily access more parameter
indicators of products at any time.
Interest Question Mean Standard
value deviation
X3.1 Traditional marketing methods mainly rely on images, text, 3.79 0.938
and audio to achieve greater visual pleasure and
entertainment value.
X3.2 This metaverse marketing approach with virtual and 3.80 1.117
augmented reality technology makes me find it very
interesting.
X3.3 This metaverse marketing method with virtual and 3.86 1.019
augmented reality technology can bring me a sense of
pleasure.
X3.4 This metaverse marketing method with virtual and 3.83 1.044
augmented reality technology makes me feel very novel and
exciting.
Flow Question Mean Standard
experience value deviation
M1 The virtual experience brought by metaverse marketing will 3.85 1.005
make me feel very happy.
M2 When I focus on the virtual experience of metaverse 3.77 1.168
marketing, I tend to overlook what’s happening around me.
M3 When I focus on this new metaverse marketing virtual 3.82 1.081
experience, I should feel that time flies quickly.
M4 I think I can very well manipulate the process of marketing 3.75 1.091
virtual experiences in the metaverse.
114 J. Wang et al. / A Study of the Impact of Metaverse Marketing Characteristics

M5 Through the metaverse marketing virtual experience, I should 3.70 1.094

be able to easily find the products I need.
M6 I think this new type of metaverse marketing approach is very 3.76 1.112
beneficial.
Purchase Question Mean Standard
intention value deviation
Y1 In the future, I will be willing to prioritize products launched 3.75 1.002
through metaverse marketing methods.
Y2 Selling products through metaverse marketing will make my 3.61 1.034
shopping frequency more frequent than before.
Y3 The new metaverse marketing method has been very helpful 3.68 1.041
to me, and I will often choose to purchase products launched
through this method in the future.
Y4 I am willing to recommend this metaverse marketing product 3.71 1.136
to my friends.
As can be seen from Table 1, the means and standard deviations of each variable
indicate that the distribution of the sample is relatively sound, the differences in the
respondents' responses to each question item are within the controllable range, and the
quality of the questionnaire recall is good.

3.3.3. Reliability analysis

Cronbach's alpha coefficient is the main index to measure the reliability of the collected
data, and the reliability analysis results of each factor are shown in Table 2.
From the analysis for the reliability of the variables, it is found that the alpha
coefficient of each variable is more significant than 0.6, which indicates that the question
items set for each variable in the questionnaire have good credibility.
Table 2. Variable reliability analysis table.
Variable Cronbach's α coefficient Number of items
Perception 0.880 4
Interactivity 0.903 5
Interest 0.885 4
Flow experience 0.919 6
Purchase intention 0.867 4

3.3.4. Validity analysis

According to the results of the KMO value and Bartlett's test on the overall data, it was
found that the KMO value was equal to 0.882 and the Sig value was 0.000, as shown in
Table 3, the data significance was good, and the overall results showed good validity of
the questionnaire.
 J. Wang et al. / A Study of the Impact of Metaverse Marketing Characteristics 115

Table 3. KMO and Bartlett's test.

KMO sampling suitability .882
quantity
Bartlett sphericity test Approximate 2168.187
Freedom 378
Significance .000

4. Empirical Analysis

In the research model of metaverse marketing features on consumer purchase intention,

metaverse marketing features are divided into perception, interactivity, and interest.
According to the standardization of the paper format, the independent variable in this
article is represented by X, and X1, X2, and X3, respectively, represent these three
scenario features. The flow experience is the intermediary variable, so M. represents it.
At the same time, consumer purchase intention is the dependent variable, so Y. represents
it. This will be more convenient in the subsequent data processing.

4.1. Correlation analysis

Before regressing the recovered data, they should be tested for correlation and
multicollinearity, and the results are shown in Tables 4 and 5.
Table 4. Variable correlation coefficient matrix.
X1 X2 X3 M Y
X1 1
X2 .464** 1
X3 .467** .523** 1
M .505** .636** .482** 1
Y .421** .625** .477** .679** 1

Note: **p<0.01, *p<0.05

Table 5. Independent variable VIF coefficient matrix.
Sig. VIF
X1 .000 1.000
X2 .000 1.000
X3 .000 1.000

Note: Y is the dependent variable

As seen from Table 4, the correlation coefficients between the three dimensions of
the independent variables range from 0.421 to 0.679, indicating a specific correlation
between the three characteristics of metaverse marketing. Since they all measure the
same variable from different perspectives, it is acceptable to have a specific correlation.
As seen from Table 5, the VIFs between the independent variables are all less than 10,
indicating no multicollinearity between the variables.
116 J. Wang et al. / A Study of the Impact of Metaverse Marketing Characteristics

4.2. Regression analyses

4.2.1. Impact of three characteristics of metaverse marketing on consumers' purchase

intention

In this subsection of the regression treatment of the data, the perception, interactivity,
and interest of metaverse marketing are the independent variables. Consumer purchase
intention is the dependent variable for the regression analysis, and the results of the data
treatment are shown in Table 6.
Table 6. Regression analysis of the three characteristics of metaverse marketing on consumers' purchase
intention.
Argument Standard Standard t-values Sig. value
coefficient deviation
X1 0.421 0.088 5.019 0.000
X2 0.625 0.074 8.652 0.000
X3 0.477 0.081 5.876 0.000
By looking at Table 6, it can be seen that the data results for the three situational
characteristics and consumer purchase intention are: the standard coefficient of X1 and
Y is 0.421, which is positive, and Sig=0.000, the data passed the significance test,
indicating that the data are plausible, further indicating that the perceptual characteristics
experienced by consumers through the metaverse marketing activities will have a
significant The standard coefficient of X2 and Y is 0.625, which is positive, and
Sig=0.000, the data passed the significance test, indicating that the data is credible,
further indicating that the interactive features experienced by consumers through
metaverse marketing will have a significant contribution to consumer's willingness to
purchase, H2 is confirmed; the standard coefficient of X3 and Y is 0.477, which is
positive, and Sig=0.000. X3 and Y have a positive coefficient of 0.477 and Sig=0.000,
which means that the data passed the significance test, indicating reliability.
By comparing the regression coefficients of different features and consumers'
willingness to purchase, different metaverse marketing features affect consumers'
willingness to purchase. The coefficient of interactivity and willingness to purchase is
0.625, which is the largest in the regression coefficient, indicating that interactivity has
the most significant effect on consumers' willingness to purchase; the coefficient of
perception and consumers' willingness to purchase is 0.421, which is the smallest in the
regression coefficient. The coefficient of perception is 0.421, which is the smallest
among the regression coefficients.

4.2.2. Effect of metaverse marketing characteristics on consumers' purchase intention

In this subsection of the regression treatment of the data, metaverse marketing

characteristics are the independent variables, and metaverse marketing characteristics are
ഥ, ࢄ
ࢄ ഥ =(X1+X2+X3)/3, which means perception, interestingness, and interactivity.
Consumer purchase intention Y is the dependent variable that was regressed for analysis.
The results of data processing are shown in Table 7.
By observing Table 7, it can be seen that the regression results of metaverse
marketing characteristics and consumer purchase intention, the standard coefficient of
`X and Y is 0.6720, which is positive, and Sig=0.000, the data passed the significance
test, which indicates that the data is credible, further indicating that metaverse marketing
 J. Wang et al. / A Study of the Impact of Metaverse Marketing Characteristics 117

characteristics have a significant contribution to consumer purchase intention, and

hypothesis H1 is valid.
Table 7. Regression analysis of metaverse marketing characteristics and consumer purchase intention.
Standard Standard t-values Sig. value
coefficient deviation
ഥ
ࢄ 0.6720 0.0910 8.7100 0.0000
૛
ࡾ 0.3930
Dependent variable: Consumer purchase intention

4.2.3. The effect of flow experience on consumers' purchase intention

In this subsection of the regression treatment of the data, the flow experience as M is the
independent variable, and the consumer purchase intention as Y is the dependent variable
was regressed for analysis. The results of data processing are shown in Table 8.
By observing Table 8, it can be seen that the regression results of flow experience
and consumers' purchase intention, the standard coefficient of M and Y is 0.6790, which
is positive, and Sig=0.000, the data passed the significance test, indicating that the data
is credible, further indicating that the generated flow experience will have a significant
contribution to their purchase intention, and hypothesis H5 is valid.
Table 8. Regression analysis of flow experience and consumer purchase intention.
Standard Standard t-values Sig. value
coefficient deviation
M 0.6790 0.0656 9.9960 0.0000
ࡾ૛ 0.4610
Dependent variable: Consumer purchase intention

4.2.4. Mediating effect of flow experience on metaverse marketing characteristics and

consumer purchase intention

In this subsection of the regression treatment of the data, metaverse marketing

characteristics as `X is the independent variable, consumer purchase intention as Y is the
dependent variable, and flow experience is the mediating variable for the regression
analysis. The results of the data processing are shown in Table 9.
The indirect effect is 0.1999-0.6272 without passing through 0 at a 95% confidence
interval, which proves the existence of mediating effect; the direct effect is 0.1796-0.614
without passing through 0 at a 95% confidence interval, which indicates a partial
mediating effect. It shows that the flow experience partially mediates the metaverse
marketing characteristics and consumer purchase intention, and hypothesis H6 holds.
Table 9. Regression analysis of metaverse marketing characteristics and consumer purchase intention.
Effect se t p LLCI ULCI
Total effect 0.7923 0.091 8.7105 0 0.6122 0.9725
Direct effect 0.3968 0.1097 3.6181 0.0004 0.1796 0.614
Indirect effect 0.3955 0.1076 / / 0.1999 0.6272
118 J. Wang et al. / A Study of the Impact of Metaverse Marketing Characteristics

5. Conclusion and Prospect

5.1. Conclusion

5.1.1. Analysis of metaverse marketing features on consumers' purchase intention

With the arrival of Web 3.0, users no longer deliberately distinguish between real
physical presence and digital virtual presence. More importantly, users will want all their
friends, personal belongings, and experiences to be connected virtually. The metaverse
uses machine learning and decentralization to deliver a more immersive, connected, and
open web experience that will disrupt the disruptive traditional consumer experience of
shopping for goods only through pictures and text. Whether you create marketing
scenarios online or co-create experience scenarios with users, you can play a more
decisive role. At the same time, metaverse combines the convenience of online and
offline experiences to meet consumer shopping needs better. Therefore, based on the
previous research, this paper has researched a large amount of literature and identified
three dimensions of consumer acceptance of metaverse marketing scenarios: perception,
interactivity, and interest. The results of the data analysis show that the three metaverse
marketing characteristics have a very significant positive impact on consumers' purchase
intentions. The correlation coefficient between interactivity and purchase intention is
0.625, which means that it has the most significant influence on purchase intention, while
the correlation coefficients of perception and interest features are 0.421 and 0.477,
respectively, which means that their influence on purchase intention is relatively tiny.

5.1.2. Analysis of the mediating effect of flow experience

The results of data analysis show that the flow experience plays a part in mediating the
relationship between metaverse marketing characteristics and consumers' purchase
intention, indicating that the characteristics of the environment in which consumers shop
after accepting the metaverse marketing scenario can directly or indirectly influence their
purchase intention, and the indirect influence process is produced through the flow
experience. The specific mediating effect is 0.7923 for the total effect, 0.3968 for the
direct effect, and 0.3955 for the indirect effect.

5.2. Prospect

Internet traffic has peaked, and metaverse marketing provides a new channel to reach
consumers. Based on the social, immersive, interactive, and user-creative features of the
metaverse, metaverse marketing offers great imagination for consumer reach, interactive
experience construction, and marketing co-creation in the future.
First of all, in terms of communication reach, the metaverse, as a decentralized
digital space, can solve the physical, spatial, and temporal restrictions and is expected to
bring inestimable traffic exposure value for the "brand exposure" of enterprises. The
advertisement is no longer the graphics and video on a mobile phone/PC screen, but the
virtual technology enriches the creativity and advertising expressions, and the users'
perception of advertisement is more vivid and involved. Secondly, regarding interactive
experience, metaverse marketing will redefine the relationship between enterprises and
consumers. Metaverse's immersive live interactive mode brings an immersive experience
for users, and consumers become part of the corporate marketing environment and
 J. Wang et al. / A Study of the Impact of Metaverse Marketing Characteristics 119

advertising, showing high participation and flexibility characteristics. The user

experience is more vivid in the new creative form. Virtual technology provides
enterprises with a new form of creativity and expression, communicating with consumers
through more awesome interest and enhancing user advertising experience. Finally,
digital space under metaverse marketing empowers users' social relationships and
establishes stronger emotional connections, and users and brands will achieve marketing
co-creation. In the digital space, the relationship between corporate marketing and
consumers revolves around products and establishes solid emotional connections
through users' creative, social, and other activities in the digital space. Users become
active participants and co-creators of product content and experience and jointly
empower companies to build brands, expand channels and create value.

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