The Impact of 360-Degree Video on Social Media Word of Mouth Intention in Luxury Hospitality: The Roles of Telepresence and Experience

This study examines how 360-degree (vs. traditional) videos influence social media word-of-mouth (WOM) intention in the luxury hospitality sector. Across four studies, results show that 360-degree videos outperform traditional formats, with telepresence and luxury experience explaining this effect through a sequential process. Drawing on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework and Feelings-as-Information Theory, the study provides a clearer theoretical explanation of how 360-degree video formats influence social media WOM intention in the luxury hospitality context through consumers’ psychological responses. Further, it reveals how the presence or absence of haptic instructions, together with hedonic value, shapes social media WOM intention. The findings reveal that hedonic value and haptic instructions strengthen the indirect relationship between 360-degree video and social media WOM intention, via luxury experience only. The findings provide several actionable insights for luxury hotel managers and digital marketers aiming to enhance social media WOM intention through 360-degree content strategies.