This study acts as an intersection set of four different disciplines: psychology, virtual reality, communications, marketing, to develop innovative proposals for the prospective utilization of virtual reality medium in marketing communications. The thesis initially aims to detect the psychological effects of VR on three crucial phenomena concerning the qualities of a satisfactory immersive experience in VR: emotions, sense of presence, and perception, with the help of thematic analysis, by compiling various scientific studies within its scope. Further, it aspires to benefit from psychological elements detected to come up with more efficient VR experiences in favor of brand communication endeavors.
Virtual Reality, both as a phenomenon and technology, has covered an immense distance, particularly over the recent two decades. In the current climate, the adventure that started with launching new-generation VR devices sparked by the Oculus brand exceeded the boundaries of being merely a gaming device. It has already become adopted by different disciplines for a variety of purposes. Moreover, since VR technology comes forth with unique features that cannot be matched with either of the technological devices existing, it is currently widely used in a range of sectors, including communications and marketing.
However, some recent studies have revealed that Virtual Reality technology, thanks to its overly immersive nature, can have some psychological effects on its users. Apart from the discussions regarding the pearls and pitfalls of such effects, these impacts can also be used to create better virtual experiences in VR medium if they are analyzed well. Furthermore, in case that Virtual Reality will be used as the next communication medium, the experiences equipped with suchlike effects might also serve a variety of advertising efforts in near future.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
1.1 STATE OF THE ART
1.2 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
1.3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND QUESTIONS
1.4 PROBLEM STATEMENTS
1.5 THE SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
1.6 RESEARCH & TECHNICAL MATERIALS
1.7 METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY
2.0 CHAPTER ONE: EFFECTS OF VR ON USER PSYCHOLOGY
2.1 BACKGROUND
2.2 EFFECTS OF VR ON EMOTIONS
2.2.1 EVOKING EMOTIONS IN VR
2.3 THE MATTER OF THE SENSE OF PRESENCE
2.3.1 INDUCTION THROUGH THE TECHNOLOGICAL QUALITY
2.3.2 EMOTIONS & SENSE OF PRESENCE
2.3.3 EMOTIONAL IMMERSION VS. SPATIAL IMMERSION
2.3.4 AUDITORY IN INDUCING SENSE OF PRESENCE
2.4 EFFECTS OF VR ON PERCEPTION
2.4.1 PERCEPTION & CONSCIOUSSNESS IN VR
2.4.2 PARTICULAR MISPERCEPTIONS IN VR
2.5 DISCUSSION
2.6 CONCLUSION
2.7 CONCLUDING REMARKS: FINDINGS
3.0 CHAPTER TWO: UNDERSTANDING BRAND COMMUNICATION
3.1 UNDERSTANDING BRAND COMMUNICATION
3.2 BRAND EQUITY, BRAND IMAGE, BRAND AWARENESS
3.3 BRAND COMMUNICATION PRINCIPLES
3.4 OVERALL COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
3.5 BRAND MESSAGE DESIGN & BRAND STORYTELLING
3.6 CONCLUSION
4.0 CHAPTER THREE: THE FUTURE OF COMMUNICATION
4.1 VR AS A COMMUNICATION MEDIUM
4.2 VR IN ADVERTISING
4.3 VR CAMPAIGNS FROM THE SECTOR
4.4 CONCLUSION
5.0 CHAPTER FOUR: BRANDS & STRATEGY
5.1 CASE STUDY I: RED BULL THE BRAND
5.1.1 BRAND & MARKET RESEARCH
5.1.2 TARGET PERSONA IDENTIFICATION
5.1.3 COMMUNICATION STRATEGY PROCESS
5.1.4 CREATIVE PROCESS
5.2 CASE STUDY 2: IKEA THE BRAND
5.2.1 BRAND & MARKET RESEARCH
5.2.2 TARGET PERSONA IDENTIFICATION
5.2.3 COMMUNICATION STRATEGY PROCESS
5.2.4 CREATIVE PROCESS
6.0 CHAPTER FIVE: EXECUTIONS OF THE CAMPAIGNS
6.1 GENERAL OVERVIEW
6.2 RED BULL 360VR VIRTUAL CYCLING JOURNEY
6.3 IKEA 360VR ROOMREADY VIRTUAL ROOM SHOWROOM
6.4: INTERACTIVE VR: ACTION GAME PROTOTYPE
7.0 CHAPTER SIX: ASSESSMENT SURVEY
7.1 BACKGROUND OF THE ANALYSIS
7.2 SURVEY ASSESSMENT
7.2.1 RED BULL 360VR VIRTUAL CYCLING JOURNEY
7.2.2 INTERACTIVE VR: IKEA BRANDED ACTION GAME PROTOTYPE
7.2.3 IKEA ROOMREADY VIRTUAL ROOM SHOWROOM
7.3 GENERAL INTERPRETATION
8.0 CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis examines the potential of Virtual Reality (VR) as an innovative communication medium by analyzing its psychological impact on users—specifically concerning emotions, the sense of presence, and perception—and applying these findings to develop effective brand communication strategies for companies like Red Bull and IKEA.
- Analysis of psychological phenomena (emotions, presence, perception) in VR environments.
- Evaluation of VR's potential to function as a primary communication channel for brands.
- Development of innovative, psychology-informed VR brand communication prototypes.
- Practical application and assessment of VR campaigns through case studies and survey analysis.
- Exploration of the relationship between technical immersion and user engagement.
Excerpt from the book
1.1 STATE OF THE ART
The human mind can be easily affected by different stimulative external factors. Especially as of 21st century, as human beings, our environment has been becoming surrounded by stimulative sets of information which have increased their numbers every passing day. In such an atmosphere, the human brain has been stranded in the middle of a war of interpreting those stimulants which cover the mind in every incident and each point of life. Our brains continuously try to find meanings to the information collected by our senses, yet, sometimes, this interpretation process can be misguided, and our perception process regarding the outer world can shift away to other unintended directions. With McLuhan’s words, as the world becomes more of "a global village," the information stimulants that individuals need to interpret have proliferated synchronously. On the other hand, newly emerging communication channels have always had one of the most prominent roles in creating that above-mentioned outer atmosphere full of interchanging information during the last century. This impact of communication channels has been used both for virtuous and unethical purposes at the same time.
The perceptional alterations and misinterpretations regarding the outer environment are humanitarian facts that individuals frequently encounter in everyday life. Such situations should be regarded particularly ordinary in this century, the century of digitalization and common internet usage. According to a scientific study which had been conducted during one year based on remarkable data sets, the human brain is bombarded with equally 34 GB of information daily, enough quantity that would overburden a laptop that has a decent hard disk inside a week (Bilton, 2009). However, the current evolutionary state of the primitive human brain naturally stays short in meeting the criteria of such an amount of information processing that human beings are often exposed to. Most likely, the human brain has not ever been bombarded with such an amount of information all along with the history of humankind. On top of it, the number of stimulative information we encounter in the outer world keeps increasing every passing day.
Summary of Chapters
INTRODUCTION: Outlines the research scope, objectives, and problem statements regarding the psychological impacts of VR and its role in modern brand communication.
2.0 CHAPTER ONE: EFFECTS OF VR ON USER PSYCHOLOGY: Analyzes how VR influences human emotions, sense of presence, and perception through an extensive literature review and thematic analysis.
3.0 CHAPTER TWO: UNDERSTANDING BRAND COMMUNICATION: Defines the fundamental concepts of brand communication, equity, and messaging strategy to establish a theoretical basis for VR applications.
4.0 CHAPTER THREE: THE FUTURE OF COMMUNICATION: Explores VR's viability as a communication medium and discusses existing industry implementations and marketing potential.
5.0 CHAPTER FOUR: BRANDS & STRATEGY: Details the strategy process for Red Bull and IKEA, including market research, target persona identification, and creative concept development for VR campaigns.
6.0 CHAPTER FIVE: EXECUTIONS OF THE CAMPAIGNS: Explains the technical production processes and background of the three developed VR campaign prototypes.
7.0 CHAPTER SIX: ASSESSMENT SURVEY: Presents the methodology and results of the survey evaluating the efficiency of the psychological elements used in the prototypes.
8.0 CONCLUSION: Synthesizes the findings and discusses the implications of VR for future brand communication, acknowledging study limitations and areas for further research.
Keywords
Virtual Reality, Brand Communication, Advertising, Psychology, Marketing, Communication, VR Advertising, Psychological Effects, VR Communication, 360VR, Interactive VR, Descriptive Statistics, Sense of Presence, User Psychology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The thesis investigates how Virtual Reality technology affects user psychology—specifically emotions, sense of presence, and perception—and how this understanding can be leveraged to create effective brand communication campaigns.
What are the primary fields of research involved?
The research integrates four core disciplines: Psychology, Virtual Reality technology, Communications, and Marketing.
What is the primary objective of this study?
The study aims to provide a scientific foundation for utilizing VR as a communication channel and to demonstrate this potential through the development and assessment of innovative brand campaign prototypes.
What research methodology is applied?
The study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative thematic analysis of scientific literature with quantitative descriptive statistics derived from a survey of VR users.
What does the practical section cover?
The practical part involves detailed case studies for Red Bull and IKEA, leading to the production of three specific VR prototypes (360VR videos and an interactive game) and their subsequent evaluation.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include Virtual Reality, Brand Communication, Advertising, Psychology, User Experience, Immersive Technology, and Descriptive Statistics.
How does VR impact the human sense of presence?
The thesis concludes that VR is a powerful inducer of the "sense of presence," which is strongly correlated with emotional responses and can be enhanced through spatialized audio and high-quality technological immersion.
What challenges were encountered during prototype development?
The author highlights limitations such as technical constraints (high resolution demands vs. hardware limitations), the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical research accessibility, and the difficulties of distributing and testing VR content among a remote sample group.
- Citar trabajo
- Kaan Saracoglu (Autor), 2021, Impacts of Virtual Reality on the Psychology of Users and its Implementation in Brand Communication. VR as the Future of Advertising?, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1159651
