Embarrassed but Hooked: How Gamified Social Coupons Drive Users to Spread PWOM in the Metaverse

While metaverse technology is being increasingly used by brands to boost customer engagement, the mechanisms underlying consumers’ experiences in the metaverse and the consequent benefits for the brands are poorly understood. This study uses a mixed-methods approach to explore how metaverse shopping experiences influence consumers’ emotions (i.e. happiness) and behavioral outcomes (i.e. positive word of mouth (PWOM)). Drawing on experience economy theory, stimulus-organism-response theory, and responses from a qualitative study, this study first develops a conceptual framework linking customers’ metaverse experiences and PWOM with happiness as a mediator and perceived embarrassment and gamified social coupons as moderators. This study then tests this framework using 318 responses collected from the global respondents. The findings suggest that entertaining, escapist, and social experiences positively influence customer happiness in a metaverse shopping environment. Additionally, educational experiences positively influence PWOM, and gamified social coupons and perceived embarrassment are significant moderators. The theoretical approach and findings of this study have important implications for metaverse research and applications.