Can Advertisers Overcome Consumer Qualms With Virtual Reality? Increasing Operational Transparency Through Self-Guided 360-Degree Tours

Perceived lack of authenticity and inferences of manipulative intent by an advertiser can impede an advertisement's intended effect. This research posits that 360-degree virtual tours offer realistic content, thereby helping consumers to overcome such reservations. Using an operational-transparency framework, three studies show that 360-degree panoramic tours increase telepresence, improve authenticity, lower inferred manipulative intent, and stimulate approach intentions. Accounting for control variables-device, locus of control, mood, and processing style-adds evidence for the robustness of these effects across a number of individual and situational contexts. The findings offer initial insight on how advertisers can employ computer-mediated experiences to attract customers.