The influence of immersive technologies on the museum experience

The importance of technology for museums is highlighted by the number of studies that have dealt with the topic from various perspectives (Collin-Lachaud & Passebois, 2008; Jarrier & Bourgeon-Renault, 2012; Dumitrescu et al., 2014). Considering the degree of development and diffusion of digital culture, researchers in the field of information and computing have highlighted the importance for museums in dealing with the digital revolution in order to maintain their influence in modern society (Giannini, 2019): challenging the traditional approaches and paradigms, rethinking exhibitions merging physical and digital culture (Giannini & Bowen, 2019). This challenge had an important impact on the management of the relationship with visitors. Visitors, if provided with technological devices together with their increasing digital competences, may play an increasingly active role in the creation of their own experience (Budge & Burness, 2018).

Among the various studies, some have analyzed the transformation of digital devices throughout the customer journey, highlighting how visitors can manifest different reactions toward technological devices: resonance (complete adhesion to the devices), submersion (becoming emotionally steeped in the experience, with no distancing), critical distancing, banali-zation, and rejection. Only with resonance does the visitor become wholly involved in appropriating the experience, which is facilitated by interactive mediation (Jarrier & Bourgeon-Renault, 2012).

Visitors contribute to the museum environment thanks to technological devices; for example, the everyday use of smartphones with high-quality built-in cameras has led to an increase in museum visitors’ use of these devices to document and share their museum experiences (Weilenmann, Hillman & Jungselius, 2013). Other mediation devices, such as digital screens, are also useful in history museums since they can provide the contextual elements needed to experience the past (Pallud & Monod, 2010). Museum websites function as a virtual stage that can integrate the experience. These are also similar to “internet presence” sites (Hoffman, Novak & Chatterjee, 1995) designed to promote the institution and attract visitors to the physical museum.

An exploratory study on the use of immersive technologies in museums showed a positive impact of such technologies on the customer experience in general (Collin-Lachaud 8c Passebois, 2008). This study identifies six sources of value that are affected by immersive technologies (i.e., function, cognition, affectivity and sensoriality, play, escapism, and social). The two primary sources of value are cognitive and emotional. Two values with different objectives, cognitive more concerned with the learning outcome, and emotional more concerned with the hedonic element of the experience. These results show that the use of digital technologies in a cultural context can enhance the learning outcome while stimulating emotions and the senses. The study identifies a negative impact of immersive technologies on the social aspect, which is in contrast with the more traditional characteristic of the cultural experience, identified as an enabler of social connections and interactions (Debenedetti, 2001; Pulh, 2002).

Immersive technologies are also identified as a tool to speed up the escape from reality. Traditional art and culture activities seem to take more time to allow the visitor to feel immersed in the experience, and technology is considered a facilitator of this process. When considering the functional value of immersive technologies, the results are contradictory: on the one hand, such technologies support the operation and efficiency of processes in terms of visitor flows and level of comfort; on the other hand, at same time, they can limit the experience in terms of freedom of movement and accessibility. These aspects reduce the value of the experience. Immersive technologies support a high level of cognitive value for consumers, facilitating the transfer of information and enhancing the educational purpose of the experience (more information and easier to grasp).

Lastly, immersive technologies provide emotional and play value. The use of technology allows visitors to stimulate their senses (hearing and sight) and emotions as well as the sensorial experience. At the same time, such experiences provide a strong value of play that increases the level of the experience.

In an effort to provide consumers with valuable experiences, arts and culture institutions have introduced a new approach to cultural consumption mediated by technology; the digital exhibitions that aim to represent and present physical heritage artifacts in a digital way, facilitating their access (Dumitrescu et al., 2014) thanks to the use of images, music, projections, and emotional and sensorial stimuli. Considering that in these new concepts of exhibitions there is an important increase of the digital component against the physical one, it appears interesting to investigate how consumer immersion develops in such contexts and how this has an impact on the customer experience.