What drives technology-enhanced storytelling immersion? The role of digital humans

In this research, we investigate consumer responses to technology-enhanced storytelling marketing via augmented digital humans in two different contexts. We test the role of an augmented digital human stimulus as a moderator for storytelling satisfaction in a technology-enhanced retail complex. Building on visual perception theory and information processing theory, the findings from our study reveal sequential links between the four realms of experience economy theory in a mixed reality environment and subsequent effects on storytelling satisfaction, which in turn are boosted by digital human storytelling. Overall, our findings reveal that digital human storytelling is an effective long-term marketing strategy in technology-enhanced environments. •We identified sequential links of experience economy between the four realms.•The sequential experiences lead to positive consumer storytelling satisfaction.•Storytelling via a digital human effectively promotes social media WOM.•Identified AR antecedents influence storytelling satisfaction.