Digital Marketing and the Metaverse

insights from a tourism perspective

Abstract

The metaverse emerges as a platform that allows its users to live experiences that transcend the physical world's limits and that will be integrated into daily life and applied to various areas (Ning et al., 2023). This platform brings about significant changes in fundamental aspects of consumer interaction and communication (Mystakidis, 2022) and their perception of products and services (Gursoy et al., 2022). In addition, it also provides marketers and brands with new possibilities to interact with their target audience. Given these changes, which can be directly attributed to the platform's three-dimensional environment and the principles and philosophies that govern it, digital marketers must be proactive in understanding and adopting the metaverse (Gursoy et al., 2022).

In an unprecedented phase of rapid development, the metaverse applies technologies such as the 5G network, cloud computing, computer vision, blockchain and artificial intelligence, which constitute its technological base, to several areas (Ning et al., 2023). Described as the next version of the internet, Web 3.0, it presents great opportunities for marketers (Dwivedi et al., 2022). The metaverse can be applied to areas such as health and education to solve difficulties and problems (Dwivedi et al., 2022), and culture, travel, and tourism, allowing infinite and unlimited new experiences (Ning et al., 2023).

The development of digital marketing is inseparable from technological development (Desai, 2019). For this reason, marketers must be proactive in identifying, understanding, and adopting new technologies that can be used as tools for communication and advertising, branding, engagement, and customer service (Gursoy et al., 2022).

Much has been researched regarding the metaverse and its application in the tourism and hospitality industry, centered on enhancing customer engagement, expanding reach, and creating unique experiences (Buhalis et al., 2023b). Thus, this work unveils the major research areas and those that need to be fostered within the tourism and hospitality field.