“Immersive Technologies and Sensory Service Experiences: Redefining the Customer Journey and Value Creation in the Age of AI”

Call for Papers – Special Issue: “Immersive Technologies and Sensory Service Experiences: Redefining the Customer Journey and Value Creation in the Age of AI”

Journal: Journal of Service Theory and Practice
Publisher: Emerald Publishing
Submission deadline (Full Papers): 15 December 2026

Overview

This special issue—published by Emerald Publishing—explores the intersection of immersive technologies (VR, AR, MR) and sensory marketing within service systems. It seeks to redefine the customer journey by moving beyond visual-auditory design toward integrated, multisensory service environments. With the integration of Generative AI, this issue explores how organizations can dynamically adapt, personalize, and orchestrate sensory stimuli to create deeper value and more meaningful customer engagement.

Key Research Themes

• Multisensory Service Design: Moving beyond visual-only immersive environments to include haptic, olfactory, and gustatory cues that influence perception and behavior.

• Customer Journey Touchpoints: Examining how immersive technologies function as strategic touchpoints that collectively shape value perception and co-creation over time.

• AI-Enabled Orchestration: Investigating how AI systems can translate, augment, or reconfigure sensory stimuli to create more inclusive and contextually adaptive service experiences.

• Cross-Modal Interaction: Analyzing how congruence and interaction between different sensory modalities affect customer emotions, intentions, and real-world behaviors.

• Theoretical Innovation: Critically reviewing traditional service research methods to integrate perspectives from sensory marketing, cognitive psychology, and technology management.

Submission Details

• Phase 1 (Abstracts): Prospective authors must submit an abstract by 01 April 2026 via email to Carlos Flavián at cflavian@unizar.es.

• Phase 2 (Full Papers): Authors of selected abstracts will be invited to submit full manuscripts via ScholarOne between 01 September 2026 and 15 December 2026.

• Special Instructions: During the full submission process, ensure you select the special issue title from the "Please select the issue you are submitting to" drop-down menu.

Guest Editors

• Carlos Flavián, University of Zaragoza (cflavian@unizar.es)

• Carlos Velasco, BI Norwegian Business School (carlos.velasco@bi.no)

• Sergio Ibáñez-Sánchez, University of Zaragoza (sergiois@unizar.es)

• Olivia Petit, KEDGE Business School (olivia.petit@kedgebs.com)

Why This Issue Matters

While immersive technologies are widely adopted, their potential for multisensory service innovation remains largely under-theorized. This special issue—published by Emerald Publishing—provides a critical academic platform to synthesize knowledge on how sensory-enabled digital environments can reorganize customer interactions and influence long-term value creation in the service industry.

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