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Abstract

This chapter addresses the potential of virtual reality (VR) as a storytelling medium for experiential marketing and the accessibility of cultural heritage sites through a case study of a cinematic VR storytelling aimed to enhance the visitor experience at the Archeological Park of Cuma (Italy). The immersive storytelling was used both as a persuasive tool in the pre-visit stage and as a core element of the on-site visit experience for improved accessibility. The VR storytelling was created through a user-centred design process involving users and in collaboration with heritage curators. The case study illustrates how the cinematic immersive narrative is used to engage viewers, developing a connection between two VR experiences that experiment different narratives in relation to their functions in the visitor experience. Theoretical, methodological, and managerial implications are discussed for the design of visitor-centric experiences and the development of experiential marketing strategies.

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Most cited references 61

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Place illusion and plausibility can lead to realistic behaviour in immersive virtual environments.

Mel Slater (2009)

In this paper, I address the question as to why participants tend to respond realistically to situations and events portrayed within an immersive virtual reality system. The idea is put forward, based on the experience of a large number of experimental studies, that there are two orthogonal components that contribute to this realistic response. The first is 'being there', often called 'presence', the qualia of having a sensation of being in a real place. We call this place illusion (PI). Second, plausibility illusion (Psi) refers to the illusion that the scenario being depicted is actually occurring. In the case of both PI and Psi the participant knows for sure that they are not 'there' and that the events are not occurring. PI is constrained by the sensorimotor contingencies afforded by the virtual reality system. Psi is determined by the extent to which the system can produce events that directly relate to the participant, the overall credibility of the scenario being depicted in comparison with expectations. We argue that when both PI and Psi occur, participants will respond realistically to the virtual reality.