From virtual experience to brand recall: leveraging AR, VR, and product placement in influencer-driven digital marketing strategies for beauty business

The beauty industry has become increasingly competitive, compelling brands to innovate in their marketing strategies. This study examines the extent to which Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and product placement, supported by influencers, affect brand awareness in Noera Beauty’s digital marketing initiatives. AR and VR provide immersive experiences that enable consumers to engage dynamically with products, whilst product placement strategically embeds products within digital content to create favourable consumer perceptions. Influencers serve as intermediaries, communicating brand messages in a more personalised and credible manner. A quantitative approach was adopted through surveys distributed to Noera Beauty’s social media followers. Data were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) to assess both direct and indirect effects of AR, VR and product placement on brand awareness, with influencers considered as a moderating variable. The findings indicate that product placement exerts a significant influence on brand awareness, whereas AR and VR demonstrate limited effects. This outcome reflects consumers’ preference for accessible, contextually relevant strategies over immersive technologies that remain relatively novel within beauty marketing. The moderating role of influencers was not consistently significant, though potential was observed in specific contexts. This study contributes to digital marketing scholarship by applying the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) framework and offers practical recommendations for beauty brands to optimise advanced technologies and influencer collaborations in enhancing consumer engagement and brand recall.