Jinsu Park is a Ph.D. Apparel Studies student. He double-majored in Management and Fashion Marketing in South Korea and earned a master's degree in Retail Merchandising. His research focuses on studying consumer behavior with the emergence of new technologies. As part of this, he has conducted research on consumer behavior on social media. Furthermore, he has primarily researched consumer behavior in the metaverse, considered the next phase of social media, and studied the impact of the relationship between users and avatars in digital environments like the metaverse on consumer behavior. Additionally, he has an interest in AI and big data, having conducted related research and holds various data analysis certifications provided by IBM.

Keywords: Social media, Consumer behavior, Metaverse, Psychology, AI, Big Data Analysis.

Luxury haul video creators’ nonverbal communication and viewer intention to subscribe on YouTube

In this study we used luxury haul videos (LHVs) on YouTube to explore how creators’ nonverbal communication cues encourage viewers to subscribe to certain channels and to purchase the luxury goods introduced in the videos. Participants were 337 Korean women who completed a survey in which they rated the nonverbal communication of the creators. The results demonstrate that kinesics and paralanguage were important nonverbal communication factors affecting viewers’ perception of content attributes. Creators’ physical appearance was found to be relatively less important. We also found that perceived entertainment quality and perceived credibility of the content were important factors related to viewers’ intention to subscribe and purchase. Our results reveal the nonverbal communication characteristics that LHV creators need to develop to be successful, and what viewers expect from the LHVs.

Keywords: YouTube; luxury haul video; nonverbal communication; subscribing intention; purchase intention; social media influencer

Published: Social Behavior and Personality, Volume 49, Issue 6, e10119 (2021)

Paper

This was a collaborative research led by Assistant Professor Dr. NAEUN (LAUREN) KIM. This study aimed to examine the role of “avatar” in the metaverse, specifically, by exploring how appearance similarity with an avatar affects virtual product purchase intention, which is mediated by self-congruence and flow. Further, this study also attempted to find how human behavior in the virtual world could affect behavior in the real world. An online survey was administered to a total of 164 users of a popular South Korean metaverse platform ZEPETO. The findings indicated that the appearance similarity with the avatar influenced virtual product purchase intention, and this relationship was fully mediated by avatar-self congruence and flow. This study also found that virtual product purchase intention could influence real product purchase intention. Based on these findings, it is suggested high-quality avatar customization is critical for users, and retail brands can utilize metaverse as a new marketing tool and as a testbed for new products.

Keywords: Metaverse, Avatar, Self-congruence, Flow, Purchase Intention

Published: Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, 15(1), 23-38. (2024)

Paper

Examining self-congruence between user and avatar in purchasing behavior from the metaverse to the real world

Can data save small businesses? Benefits and challenges of data analytics adoption among small-sized retailers

This was a collaborative research led by Assistant Professor Dr. NAEUN (LAUREN) KIM. This study examines how small-sized retailers have adopted and utilized data analytics, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic's significant impact on small businesses. By conducting in-depth interviews with small business owners in the U.S. retail sector, the research sheds light on the current state of data analytics implementation. It identifies technological benefits like improved customer understanding, strategic decision-making, marketing optimization, and accurate forecasting. However, challenges include difficulties in comprehending data and analytics tools. Organizational factors such as company size and management support play a crucial role in adopting data analytics, while obstacles like limited time, training, and human resources persist. Environmentally, factors like the pandemic and market dynamics have pushed small businesses towards data analytics. Leveraging the technology-organization-environment framework, this study contributes to SME research and suggests a foundation for developing new frameworks.

Keywords: YouTube; luxury haul video; nonverbal communication; subscribing intention;

purchase intention; social media influencer

Published: Applied Marketing Analytics, 9(3), 236-248. (2024)

Paper

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Minji Yu is a Ph.D. Apparel Studies student with a bachelor's and master’s in Clothing and Textile from the Ewha Womans University.

She worked as a research scientist intern at Meta Reality Labs, where she researched the fit and wearability of VR wearable products. Minji’s research focuses on advanced wearable product development with the integration of technologies such as 3D body scanning, virtual simulation, and 3D CAD.

Keywords: VR/AR wearables, medical and protective wearable product development, smart clothing, anthropometry, 3D body scanning, 3D apparel visualization, fit, wearability

Terry Haekyung Kim is a Ph.D. Apparel Studies student with a bachelor of science and master's degree in Textiles, Merchandising, and Fashion Design from Seoul National University, Korea.

Terry’s research interests are retail merchandising and consumer behavior, specifically sustainable consumption and digital retailing. Her work has been published in international refereed journals such as the Journal of Consumer Behaviour and Fashion and Textiles.

Keywords: COVID-19, pandemic, resale market, secondhand fashion consumption, consumer

motivations.

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