Augmented Reality and Blockchain: Emerging Technologies Transforming Digital Marketing and Consumer Behavior

Abstract

This review explores the convergence of two transformative technologies — Augmented Reality (AR) and Blockchain — within the domains of digital marketing strategy and consumer behaviour analytics. Together, these technologies represent a paradigm shift in how organisations engage consumers, generate behavioural insights, and maintain data integrity. Augmented Reality (AR) enhances consumer experience by enabling immersive, interactive, and personalised engagement across virtual environments, thereby enriching behavioural data capture and facilitating real-time analytics. In contrast, blockchain technology offers a decentralised framework that ensures data integrity, transparency, authenticity, and trust, while also enabling new forms of value exchange and tokenisation in digital ecosystems. This review systematically synthesises existing literature on the applications, benefits, limitations, and synergies of AR and blockchain technologies in marketing and consumer research. Studies highlight that AR improves consumer engagement, brand recall, and purchase intention through sensory immersion, while blockchain ensures secure data provenance, verifiable transactions, and transparent supply chains. The integration of these technologies has given rise to innovative concepts such as phygital marketing, tokenised loyalty programmes, AR-enabled NFTs, and metaverse-based brand experiences, all of which redefine consumer-brand interactions.

Methodologically, we analyse emerging research that combines AI-driven analytics, AR-based behavioural tracking, and blockchain-led data governance, emphasising their implications for marketing ethics, consumer trust, and sustainable business models. Despite their potential, challenges persist in interoperability, scalability, cost-efficiency, and regulatory compliance, which limit mainstream adoption. Furthermore, the psychological and behavioural effects of immersive, blockchain-backed marketing systems remain underexplored, requiring deeper empirical and theoretical inquiry.