Description of my Virtual Worlds & Virtual Reality Module in the course Contemporary Research Issues in Marketing at the Stockholm School of Economics in November 2014.

1. Contemporary Research Issues in Marketing
Virtual Worlds & Virtual Reality Module
Dr. Robin Teigland
Department of Marketing & Strategy
Stockholm School of Economics
@robinteigland
robin.teigland@hhs.se
Virtual worlds and immersive environments, such as Second Life, Stardoll, World of
Warcraft, and those based on OpenSimulator open source software, have been around for
quite some years now. After the initial hype that virtual worlds would unleash new unlimited
commercial success, the focus is now on more pragmatic and serious applications of virtual
environments in areas such as marketing and PR, virtual markets/shopping, consumer
research, and innovation. Furthermore with the recent developments in virtual reality, such as
the acquisition of Oculus Rift by Facebook for USD 2 bln, new applications of virtual reality
in healthcare, science education, and other areas are emerging, and many foresee the potential
of virtual reality for marketing as well. The purpose of this session is to introduce participants
to virtual worlds and virtual reality and what they mean for the future of marketing.
Group Assignment: Prepare a report (max 2 pages) discussing the below questions and
submit to robin.teigland@hhs.se no later than Tuesday, November 11, 12.00 pm. Write the
name and student number of all group members who participated in the assignment on the
report. The report will be scored on a scale ranging from 0 to 2. Be prepared to discuss the
results in this module seminar on November 12.
1. Learn about virtual worlds and virtual reality through the below sources. How do you
think virtual worlds and virtual reality will change the nature of marketing in the next
5-10 years? Which industries are most likely to leverage virtual worlds and virtual
reality in their marketing activities and why? How do you think organizations will
incorporate virtual worlds and virtual reality in their marketing activities?
2. Select an existing brand that is currently not using virtual worlds or virtual reality in
its marketing activities. Develop suggestions for how this brand could leverage virtual
worlds and/or virtual reality in these activities. Pay attention to the segments that this
brand is targeting and discuss how your suggestions align with the brand and its
marketing strategy. Connect your suggestions to the readings.
Stockholm School of Economics . Sveavägen 65 . Box 6501. 113 83 Stockholm . Tel 08 736 90 00 . www.hhs.se

2. 3. What challenges do you foresee for organizations using virtual worlds and virtual
reality in their marketing activities in the future? How do you think these can be
overcome?
Readings & Videos
 Helms, R., E. Giovacchini, & R. Teigland. 2010. A design research approach to
developing user innovation workshops in Second Life. Journal For Virtual Worlds
Research, 3,1. Available at
https://journals.tdl.org/jvwr/index.php/jvwr/article/view/819.
 Hoffman, D. L., & T. P. Novak. 2009. Flow online: Lessons learned and future
prospects. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 23,1, 23-34.
 Teigland, R. 2009. Born Virtuals and Avapreneurship: A case study of achieving
successful outcomes in Peace Train–a Second Life organization. Journal For Virtual
Worlds Research, 2,4. Available at
https://journals.tdl.org/jvwr/index.php/jvwr/article/viewArticle/866.
 Nah, F.F-H., B. Eschenbrenner, & D. DeWester. 2011. Enhancing brand equity
through flow and telepresence: A comparison of 2D and 3D virtual worlds. MIS
Quarterly, 35, 3, 731-747.
 Wasko, M., R., Teigland, S. Jarvenpaa, & D. Leidner. 2011. Stepping into the internet:
New ventures in virtual worlds. MIS Quarterly, 35, 3, 645-652. Available at
www.misq.org/misq/downloads/download/editorial/546/.
 Yetis, Z., R. Teigland, & P. M. Di Gangi. 2013. Exploring Stakeholders of Open-
Source Virtual Worlds through a Multimethod Approach. In L. Phillips & U. Plesner,
eds. Researching Virtual Worlds: Methodologies for Studying Emergent Practices.
Routledge, 14, 145.
 Virtual Worlds for User Innovation: Co-creation Workshop:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kMNWBU1Yb8.
 3D Teaming in a Virtual World: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Quh2OiPHkm8.
 Experiencing is believing: what virtual reality could mean for ads and brands:
http://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/
2014/aug/28/marketing- virtual-reality-facebook-oculus-rift.
 Virtual Reality For Marketers: 5 Ways To Succeed With Oculus Rift:
http://www.fastcocreate.com/3037109/virtual-reality-for-marketers-5-ways-to-succeed-
with-oculus-rift.
Additional Information (Optional)
 Teigland, R., & D. Power, eds. 2013. The Immersive Internet: Reflections on the
Entangling of the Virtual with Society, Politics and the Economy. Palgrave Macmillan.
 Hooker, R. E. 2010. Going with the Flow: Linking Flow, Brand Attitudes, and
Purchase Intent in Virtual Worlds. PhD Dissertation. Available at
http://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/etd/3790/.
Stockholm School of Economics . Sveavägen 65 . Box 6501. 113 83 Stockholm . Tel 08 736 90 00 . www.hhs.se