Business Intelligence Management Studies

The role of augmented reality technology in the evolution of marketing: a systematic review and bibliometric analysis

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Fahime Mahavarpour 1
feiz davood 2
Morteza Maleki MinBashRazgah 3

1 PhD student, Business Administration, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran

2 Prof, Department of Business Management, Faculty of Economics, Management and Administrative Sciences, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran Corresponding Author: Feiz1353@semnan.ac.ir

3 Associate Professor of Industrial Management ,Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22054/ims.2024.77226.2416
Abstract
Augmented Reality (AR) is an emerging topic for managers across different disciplines While augmented reality technology literature is growing, there is no comprehensive analysis of augmented reality technology in marketing transformation The research aims to bridge the knowledge gap by providing a multifaceted bibliographic overview of augmented reality technology literature in marketing and reveal its trends, areas of focus and intellectual foundations. The study is based on 496 articles published on Web of Science between 1996 and 2023. According to the findings, the concept mainly revolves around seven main areas: human-machine interaction in future of digital marketing and Metaverse, advertising and customer response in online purchases, marketing challenges in industry 4 and new technologies, the effect of virtual technology on customer loyalty in retail, adoption of behavioral technology of Tourism customers, augmented reality technology marketing in the decision-making process of buyers and brands, and finally the richness of social media in e-commerce in Covid 19. While priorities and research topics have evolved over time, key concepts such as buying experience, shopper behavior, buying decision making, technology adoption have been repeated. The three influential schools of augmented reality technology in marketing are associated with integrated theory, planned behavior theory (TPB) and cognitive evaluation theory that have shaped the intellectual foundations of the discipline but we believe that a greater diversity of fields is needed to examine and describe augmented reality technology in marketing transformation.
Introduction
Global data paint a promising future for Augmented Reality (AR) technology in the retail industry. The concept of Augmented Reality (AR) is multifaceted, encompassing a diverse spectrum of disciplines that offer a comprehensive assessment of practical knowledge in AR marketing. Consequently, the knowledge base of (AR) in marketing is discrete, and crafting a comprehensive map of all knowledge forms, spanning various dimensions and relevant aspects, poses a challenge. Current efforts in this regard, focusing on evolving developments, include a systematic study analyzing the directions and marketing aspects of AR technology (Jayaswal, P., & Parida, B. 2023). The objective of systematic reviews is to dissect and evaluate the various approaches and orientations adopted by studies, through extensive analysis, to unearth the evolutionary aspects of the subject (Romaní, F., Huamaní, C., & González-Alcaide, g. 2011). Bibliometrics, a methodological concept used in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, enables the study of scholarly activity (Vosgerau, D. S. A. R., & Romanowski, J. p. 2014). Firstly, this systematic review provides insights into a diverse range of interpretations of scientists, references, journals, organizations, and countries that establish the groundwork for defining the scope, conceptualization, and performance of a specific field. Secondly, bibliometric analysis reveals the structure of knowledge, focal areas, and subtopics, aiding in the scientific mapping of a field. However, recent systematic research in (AR) technology in marketing has overlooked the evolution of (AR) technology. The recent study conducted by researchers Jayaswal, P., and Parida, titled "Past, Present, and Future of Augmented Reality Marketing Research: A bibliometric and thematic analysis approach," sufficiently maps the current marketing process and the evolution of (AR) marketing. Therefore, in this study, the researcher initially delved into systematic marketing analysis of (AR) technology, clustering (AR) technology evolution in marketing through bibliometric analysis. As a result, the research objectives were defined in two sections based on systematic methodology:

Performance Objectives:


Identification of growth or decline trends in AR technology marketing studies.
Identification of the most influential authors in AR technology marketing.
Identification of the most influential countries in AR technology marketing.


Network Objectives:
Identification of the most effective co-citation patterns.


Identification of the most effective co-authorship patterns.
Identification of the most effective co-citation patterns (Moradi & Miralmasi, 2020).

This research is organized as follows to address these questions: Section 2 demonstrates the methods used and outlines exclusion criteria for analysis. Section 3 presents findings and discussions related to the questions. In the final section, the evaluation concludes with some suggestions for further work.
Literature Review
Augmented reality technology enhances consumers' online shopping experience and influences consumers' purchasing decisions. Augmented reality (AR) technology is different from other virtual reality (VR) technologies. Augmented reality (AR) technology describes the visual alignment of virtual content with real-world contexts (Wang., Cao., & Ameen. 2023). Loyalty represents customers' commitment to the mall and their intention to revisit it and give positive recommendations. According to (Ambik., Shin., & Jain,. 2023.), the concept of loyalty is based on behavioral loyalty (which focuses on repurchase and patronage behavior) and attitudinal loyalty (which focuses on the customer's evaluation of how close the shopping center is to their expectations) (Ameen,Hosany & Paul, 2022).Advances in technology and the use of interactive technologies, in particular, have completely transformed the consumer shopping experience and consumer interaction landscape. Augmented reality technology is an immersive technology that creates a highly exciting and enjoyable experience. The value of pleasure produced by augmented reality technology significantly affects behavioral intentions (Kumar,.2022).
Methodology
Augmented Reality (AR) technology in marketing is developing and advancing. A large number of articles are published annually in the field of marketing. The growing volume of literature on this subject necessitates an examination of the evolution of this field and the identification of the current state of knowledge in this area. A systematic approach is required for this study to ensure the quality of the systematic review report. Therefore, to ensure the quality of the systematic review, we applied the "PRISM" checklist. This checklist is available at http://prisma-statement.org/PRISMAstatement/checklist.aspx (accessed on September 7, 2021) and consists of four consecutive stages: identification, screening, eligibility, and inclusion, designed to assist authors in conducting better systematic reviews. The researcher preprocessed the researcher and citation data in the form of a PRISM protocol and imported them into the VOSviewer software based on the positivist paradigm, and subjected them to analytical decomposition. VOSviewer software is a widely used tool with a graphical interface designed for creating bibliometric networks of journals, authors, publications, organizations (universities), and countries active in a particular field (Sharifi, 2020). This platform has been significantly utilized in studies and contains over one billion cited reference links and rich bibliometric data collected over the past decades, enabling researchers to perform various analyses in bibliometric software tools like VOSviewer. The researchers of the current study designed an extensive search query to analyze studies related to Augmented Reality (AR) technology in marketing. The keywords in the search command in the Web of Science database include title, abstract, and keywords. The search phrase in the Web of Science database includes marketing and Augmented Reality technology terms, as stated in the search command (Table 1).




Key words in search command




((“augmented‌ reality” AND (marketing* OR purchase‌ decision* OR Advertising* OR Consumer‌ behavior* OR marketplace OR sale* OR Consumer* OR trading* OR promotion OR sell* OR buying* OR retail*OR business OR distribution OR purchasing OR product* OR Price OR packing OR Innovation*)).
The search link from the webofscience database contains
https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/summary/b3f9ea0b-63d7-4bae-ba10-286acc21de22-9b5ee768/relevance/1




Results
Since the publication of the first article in 1996, approximately 496 augmented reality (AR) technology articles in marketing have been published in the Web of Science database until 2023. This figure indicates an irregular publication trend, with an exponential increase in the number of publications since 2015, where about 50% of the journals have been published in the past three years. The study years (2023-1996) are classified into two categories based on the publication rate. The initial period includes the years 1996 to 2020, a time when publication rates were slow and fluctuating. Overall, only 128 articles (25% of the sample) were published during this period. The second period includes the years 2020 to 2023, during which publication rates have increased, with a total of only 496 articles (75% of the sample) published during this period. We will address several factors contributing to the accelerated growth rate of research publications over these periods, especially during the second period from 2020 to 2023
Keywords: Marketing, Augmented Reality Technology, Bibliometrics.
 
 
 
 

Keywords

augmented reality technology
marketing
bibliometric analysis
Subjects
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Business Intelligence Management Studies
Volume 13, Issue 49
Summer 2024
Pages 119-157

  • Receive Date 16 December 2023
  • Revise Date 25 February 2024
  • Accept Date 29 March 2024

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