Webinars
When AR Backfires: Consumer Trust After the Purchase
Augmented reality (AR) is transforming online shopping, helping brands drive engagement and purchase confidence. But what happens when the product disappoints after the sale?
This webinar explores new research showing that consumers who use AR before purchase are more likely to feel manipulated by brands when post-purchase outcomes are negative, reducing future patronage and trust. Drawing on findings from seven studies, the session highlights the hidden risks of immersive retail technologies and identifies practical strategies firms can use to mitigate backlash, including disclosure design, interface choices, and consumer guidance.
Attendees will gain actionable insights into how to design AR experiences that build customer confidence without undermining long-term brand relationships.
speaker
John Costello is the John W. Berry Sr. Associate Professor of Marketing at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. Dr. Costello's research focuses on consumer behavior. Within this domain, his work explores (1) the inferences consumers make about companies and marketing tactics, and how these inferences affect their consumption behaviors, and (2) issues central to consumer and societal well-being (e.g., prosocial behavior, health decisions). Dr. Costello's research has appeared in leading journals, including the Journal of Consumer Research, the Journal of Marketing Research, and the Journal of Marketing. His research has also been featured in the Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fast Company, Adweek, and Stanford Social Innovation Review, among others. Dr. Costello serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Marketing and the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, and as a member of the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Marketing Research. His research has been recognized as a winner or finalist of several awards, including the Journal of Marketing’s Shelby D. Hunt/Harold H. Maynard Award (2020), the Mendoza Mission Research Award (2023), the Dincolo Outstanding Research Award (2024), and the Journal of Marketing Research's Paul E. Green/Vithala R. Rao Award (2025). He was selected as a 2025 Marketing Science Institute (MSI) Young Scholar.