Symposia & Conferences

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The Impact of VR Technology in Enhancing the Customer Experience of the Paint and Coating Industry in Sri Lanka
(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2025) Jayathilaka, S. A. M. R. S.; Patabendige, S. S. J.; Thundeniya, L. G. D. T. B.
This study looks at how virtual reality (VR) technology is revolutionizing the paint and coatings sector in Sri Lanka by enhancing the consumer experience. The study tackles the ongoing difficulties consumers encounter when choosing paint colors and finishes, including discontent with results and little interest in conventional selection techniques. This study examines how VR features—immersion, imagination, and multi-sensory interaction—can change customer decision-making and improve satisfaction, trust, and loyalty. It is situated within the larger body of literature on VR applications. The results help close the knowledge gap about how VR technology may meet the requirements of Sri Lankan customers and companies operating in this sector. A structured quantitative research approach was used to accomplish these goals. A poll including 384 respondents who were all at least 18 years old and represented a wide range of demographics was used to gather data. The associations between VR technological features and important consumer experience KPIs were examined using statistical methods. Customers with different degrees of VR technology awareness and engagement were included in the study environment, offering a comprehensive picture of its possible effects. The results show that by offering real-time paint application visuals, virtual reality technology greatly improves consumer decision-making. Customers can experiment with color schemes and finish in simulated settings through immersive virtual reality experiences, which increases consumer happiness and lowers uncertainty. In contrast to other research, this study emphasizes the infrastructure and cultural obstacles to VR integration in Sri Lanka. Limitations including high implementation costs and low consumer awareness continue to prevent widespread adoption despite its transformative potential. The study certain limitation of the study includes the geographically limited nature of the sample, which could only be generated from the western province of Sri Lanka and so would not cut across the diverse groups of consumer tastes in the entire country. Furthermore, the findings generalizability is constrained by the very small sample size and the possible biases introduced by the dependence on self-reported data. These elements emphasize the necessity of more study to confirm the results in larger contexts and environments. The study's theoretical ramifications highlight how crucial it is to include VR technology into customer experience frameworks to improve customer pleasure and loyalty. From a practical standpoint, the results highlight how VR may help paint and coating companies stand out in a crowded market. Future studies should examine how cultural and regional differences impact VR adoption as well as the scalability of VR applications in related industries.
The Impact of Customer Experience on E-Word of Mouth in the Local Cafe Industry in Sri Lanka
(Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka., 2025) Dilshan, U. G. H.; Udara, S. W. I.
This research examines the impact of customer experiences on electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) within the thriving cafe industry of Sri Lanka. In the scope of digital marketing, understanding and leveraging e-WOM is crucial for enhancing customer engagement and securing a competitive edge. However, with its growing importance, there is a notable lack of empirical study on how various aspects of the customer experience namely, the physical environment, aesthetic appeal, and service quality, affect e-WOM, particularly in Sri Lanka. A thorough review of existing literature highlights this shortage, indicating a significant opportunity for focused research to uncover the dynamics between customer experience facets and e-WOM. Grounded in a positivist research philosophy, the study embraces a deductive approach to test hypotheses derived from established theories. Utilising a cross-sectional survey design, the research captures data from 391 participants through a carefully constructed questionnaire, based on prior academic work. This questionnaire investigates various dimensions of customer experience that potentially influence e-WOM, ranging from environmental aesthetics to service responsiveness. The sampling strategy employed was convenience sampling, aimed at efficiently collecting data from respondents who frequent cafes, ensuring that the sample was representative of typical cafe consumers. Data collection was executed through online platforms and direct interactions to widen the research's scope and enhance the reliability of the findings. For data analysis, the study employed SPSS software, utilising regression analysis techniques to explore the strength and significance of the relationship between the studied variables. The results of the analysis reveal a strong positive correlation between the quality of customer experience and the likelihood of customers engaging in e-WOM. Each individual dimension of customer experience (environment, aesthetic experience, and service quality) independently demonstrated a significant positive impact on e-WOM. These findings underscore the critical importance of holistic customer experience management in cafes, suggesting that enhancing these aspects can significantly encourage positive e-WOM. Managerially, the findings of this study are invaluable, offering clear strategies for cafe owners and marketers to enhance customer experience and effectively promote e-WOM. The empirical results of this study contribute significantly to the limited scholarly resources on e-WOM within Sri Lanka's café industry. By providing these insights, the study lays a solid foundation for future research and offers practical approaches that can be employed immediately. These strategies are particularly crucial in the digital age, where online word-of-mouth can significantly influence public perception and consumer behaviour. Implementing the recommended changes could improve customer satisfaction, increase loyalty, and ultimately, bring greater business success to the competitive cafe market. However, the research recognises limitations in its design, primarily the study's cross-sectional nature, which may not capture evolving trends over time. To address these issues, future studies are encouraged to adopt a longitudinal approach. Such an approach would allow researchers to track the progressive impact of customer experience improvements on e-WOM over extended periods. This continuous study may give more precise insights, allowing café owners and marketers to successfully refine digital marketing efforts. Longitudinal data enables businesses to better understand the long-term effects of their customer experience strategies, respond to changes in consumer behaviour, and improve overall business success in the dynamic café industry.

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