User Response to Extended Reality Sponsorship Activations on Social Media: Exploring Impressions of GoPro’s Use of 360° Video in Marketing

Abstract

This research explores user impressions of 360° video as a platform for sponsorship activation, seeking to examine consumers’ responses to 360° virtual environments as a form of extended reality (XR) marketing as well as the structural and experiential antecedents to XR’s potential as a vehicle for brand marketing and sponsorship activation. GoPro was selected as a case study for analysis; 25 brand posts on GoPro’s YouTube channel were identified featuring 360° video integration as sponsorship communications, for which all video metadata and user comments were collected using programming software R to access YouTube’s standard application programming interface (API). Coding of the user commentary data subsequently revealed four primary themes, indicative of users’ impressions of 360° video technology. Notably, the study’s findings suggest that effective 360° integrations—alongside positive user experiences and access to the technology—pose tangible benefits to consumers’ attitudes and experiences, and present sponsors with a viable media through which to activate partnerships.

Keywords:

• Activation
• extended reality
• social media
• sponsorship
• YouTube