Brands and social interaction of avatars: An exploration in a virtual world

This study explores brands in social interaction in a virtual world. As a form of social media and massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs), virtual worlds increasingly appeal to advertisers as a new marketing platform. Players, as avatars, may interact with virtual promotions or branded objects. While the study of advertising in videogames is rising, the context of brands in social play experiences is largely unexplored.;Insights about brands in the social interaction of avatars were pursued in MTV's Virtual Hills/Laguna Beach, using qualitative and quantitative methods. The study sought a contextual dimension of brands in social interaction via ethnography and to explore persuasion and interactive-media theories within this context via surveying. The perspective of symbolic interactionism and theory of self-presentation guided the ethnography for participant observation and interviews with seven players using the long-interview method. These findings were aligned with quantitative surveying of players using measures for persuasion knowledge and telepresence.;Ethnographic findings show important meanings of advertised and non-advertised brands for status and sociability, which could connect with achievement and extend out of game. Brands and objects aided digital identity construction, social roles and settings. Game design for playing and winning impacted meanings, along with creative skills and power for players that perceived advertising as an expected part of the game. Social interaction often blurred out of game.;Multiple regression analyses of survey data considered two attitudes: advertised brands in general in game, and most-liked brands specifically. Persuasion knowledge related negatively to general brand attitudes. Telepresence arrival related positively to attitudes toward most-liked brands, while departure related negatively to both types of attitudes. Play frequency and feelings that advertising made the game more real positively related to both attitudes. Brand consciousness and an exciting game personality aligned positively with general brand attitudes. Combined findings reveal a complex relationship between players, game and advertisers that generally related to neutral to positive brand attitudes.