Relevance & Research Question

Overcoming key purchase barriers and improving consumer experience is an ongoing trend in online shopping. Therefore, this research analyses the influence of vicarious touch in the digital context. It is assumed that the depiction of a hand touching the product can compensate for online shoppers' need for haptic information. Initial studies have already shown that this strategy leads to mental simulation of a product interaction and improved product evaluation (e.g. Luangrath et al., 2022; Liu et al., 2019), although no clear distinction has yet been made between product images and videos. Referring to the underlying theoretical framework of MNS activation (Adler & Gillmeister, 2019), it is assumed that the actual perception of movement is a prerequisite for such an effect, and therefore vicarious touch must always be presented in video format.

Methods & Data

The experimental study uses quantitative data (N = 1000) from an online access panel, nationally representative in terms of age and gender. In a social commerce context, respondents reported their purchase intentions for four different products selected in a pre-study that differed in their haptic importance. The two between-factors touch (vicarious touch vs. no touch) and media format (image vs. video) were realized, resulting in four different product presentation types.

Results

Indeed, only for product videos did the use of vicarious touch significantly increase purchase intent compared to static images (p < .001, d = .3) and rotating product videos (p < .05, d = .2). There was no effect when vicarious touch was presented in static images. Interestingly, the video format itself was a significant driver of purchase intent, highlighting the overall benefit of dynamic product presentation (p < .001, η_p² = .012). Furthermore, results did not differ on different products, suggesting that online shopping generally creates a haptic information gap.

Added Value

Using realistic e-commerce scenarios, this study shows that vicarious touch can significantly increase purchase intent, but only in product videos, not images. The findings highlight the need for dynamic, motion-rich content to compensate for the lack of haptic feedback online, making products more tangible and driving consumer engagement.

Relevance & Research Question

Tenant satisfaction is a key performance indicator in the real estate industry, driving tenant retention, revenue stability, reputation, and operational efficiency. As tenant expectations evolve, it is crucial to efficiently capture feedback, address concerns, and benchmark performance against industry standards. Beyond benchmarking, the true value of tenant satisfaction surveys lies in generating actionable insights for decision-making at both the property and individual tenant levels. This raises the question: How can tenant satisfaction surveys be enhanced to provide detailed benchmarking opportunities and granular analysis for informed decision-making?

Methods & Data

In collaboration with over 20 property owners across residential and commercial segments, we conducted tailored online tenant satisfaction surveys in Switzerland from 2019 to 2024 leading to nearly 75’000 completed surveys. Invitations were sent via email, postal mail, or tenant apps, with responses processed into a unified dashboard. This platform enables clients to benchmark performance against aggregated market results and allows property managers to compare performance across owners. Key challenges, such as identifying stakeholders and improving response rates, were addressed through targeted approaches. Actionable insights were ensured using multi-level evaluation, NLP for analysing open text comments, and structural equation modelling (SEM) to identify key drivers of satisfaction. Annual workshops with clients further refine survey design, dashboards, and workflows.

Results

Our methodology enabled dual-layer evaluations, offering detailed assessments at the tenant level and aggregated insights at property and portfolio levels. Property owners tracked satisfaction trends over time and benchmarked against market standards, while property managers addressed specific tenant concerns, expressed via numeric ratings and open comments, and compared performance across clients. Results are presented in an interactive dashboard with a measure management tool for tracking issues and enabling targeted improvements.

Added Value

By advancing traditional survey methodologies, our approach places tenants at the centre of decision-making. The unified dashboard delivers tailored, comparable insights across residential and commercial segments. NLP and SEM efficiently identify key satisfaction drivers, enabling timely interventions. Annual workshops ensure tools evolve with client needs, fostering tenant loyalty and supporting sustainable portfolio management.