Forming Real-World Purchase Intention in the Metaverse - A Quantitative Study in a Sports Context

Stoffers, Benedikt; Eggeling, Benedict, Westmattelmann, Daniel; Schewe, Gerhard

Abstract

As technological harbingers of the future metaverse, metaverse applications like Zwift and MyWhoosh potentially revolutionise traditional product advertising. Thus, this study aims to understand metaverse application users' real-world purchase intention formation based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response framework. Analysis of survey data with 179 Zwift users and corresponding usage data reveals that metaverse application stimuli enhance users' sense of telepresence, positively affecting their attitudes toward the metaverse application brand and integrated product brands. Furthermore, we illuminate a positive spillover effect between metaverse application and product brand attitudes as well as competitive direct and indirect relationships between brand attitudes and purchase intention of integrated products. Our results contribute to IS research by enhancing the understanding of users' real-world purchase intention formation in highly developed virtual environments, especially with haptic and audio-visual product interaction. Moreover, we offer guidance for metaverse application providers, advertisers, and users to enhance future metaverse design and virtual product experiences.