MARKETING MAGAZINE 2021
We eat first with our (digital) eyes The future of dining is virtual.
OLIVIA PETIT Associate Professor Kedge Business School
ANA JAVORNIK Assistant Professor University of Bristol
In the last decade, we have witnessed a rise in the use of digital technologies for modifying or creating new products and services. One noteworthy example is with food and beverages, where our first impression – what our eyes tell us – is highly important. For this reason, visualization technologies are increasingly used by marketers in the food industry. Using 3D and augmented reality (AR) technology, we wanted to find out what type of food (served vs. packaged)
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CARLOS VELASCO Associate Professor Department of Marketing
evokes the best simulation of the eating experience. And perhaps even more interestingly, what technology increases our willingness to buy?
EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES 3D and AR technologies are interesting because they allow for more immersive presentations of products, helping people simulate consumption experiences, which in turn may influence their intention to purchase. 3D visualizations present products against a neutral
background and let consumers rotate them and zoom in/out, for a more careful inspection of the items.
zations for a range of sectors, including food and fashion.
AR gives consumers a range of options, by showing products virtually overlaid into their physical environment. Popular examples of AR include virtual product try-on, AR filters in social media, and apps or in-browser features that visualize products or experiences overlaid onto customer’s own space. For this research we collaborated with a New York based company QReal that develops cutting-edge visuali-
Throughout three studies, we documented when and why different visually enabling technology may be more or less effective in facilitating imagery and purchase intent.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VISUALIZATION MODES
We found that served food presented in AR, as opposed to only in 3D, leads to higher (and better) simulation of the eating process, which increases customers’ intention to buy the product.
