Virtual Reality in Marketing: Current Applications, Consumer Experience, and Future Directions

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a strategic marketing technology that transforms consumer–brand interactions through immersive and interactive experiences. Despite rapid growth in VR marketing research, the literature remains conceptually fragmented, with diverse theoretical perspectives and inconsistent findings across industries. This review synthesizes more than 100 Scopus-indexed studies published primarily between 2019 and 2026 to consolidate current knowledge and identify future directions. This review makes two primary theoretical contributions. First, it proposes a five-phase evolutionary model of VR marketing, illustrating the progression from technology demonstration to intelligent immersive marketing. Second, it develops a VR Consumer Experience Framework that integrates Presence Theory, Flow Theory, Transportation Theory, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S-O-R) framework, and Experiential Marketing Theory to explain how immersive experiences influence consumer engagement, purchase intention, and brand advocacy. The review further synthesizes evidence across major marketing applications and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, digital twins, multisensory interfaces, and the metaverse. It identifies technological, ethical, and regulatory challenges while outlining priorities for future research and managerial practice. Overall, the paper positions VR marketing as an intelligent immersive ecosystem that extends beyond a communication medium to become a strategic platform for creating adaptive, personalized, and consumer-centered marketing experiences.