Metaverse marketing and purchase intention: the roles of multisensory, flow, and social experience and perceived value

The metavase combines immersive intergaces, shared virtual spaces, avatars, and real-time interactions, making it an increasingly relevant setting for digital marketing. This study draws on the stimulus–organism–response (S-O-R) model and perceived value theory to examine how multisensory, flow, and social experiences in metaverse shopping relate to perceived value and purchase intention. Survey data from 267 metaverse-aware consumers in China were analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling. In the baseline model, all three experience dimensions were positively associated with perceived value and purchase intention, and perceived value partially mediated the relationships between each experience dimension and purchase intention. Among the experience dimensions, multisensory experience had the largest standardized point estimate for perceived value, whereas flow experience had the largest for purchase intention. The study integrates perceptual, absorptive, and relational experiences into a single value-based purchase model and indicates that firms should integrate sensory richness, sustained engagement, and social interaction while clearly communicating the consumer value of metaverse marketing.