Human versus Virtual Influencer: The Effect of Humanness and Interactivity on Persuasive CSR Messaging

Yang, Jeongwon; Chuenterawong, Ploypin; Lee, Hee Jae; Yu, Tian; Chock, T. Makana

doi:10.1080/15252019.2023.2189036

Cited by 20 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 89 publications

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“…Although virtual influencers closely resemble humans, their digital nature can undermine the social influence they exert on and the relationships they form with consumers (Lou et al, 2022;Lim and Lee, 2023). This finding resonates with prior research suggesting that consumers question the authenticity of virtual influencers as genuine human entities, let alone as authentic influencers (Yang et al, 2023;Zhou et al, 2024).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

“…The perceived authenticity of influencers affects the effectiveness of endorsements, impacting attitudes toward the post, endorsed product and affiliated brand (Zhang et al, 2023;Zniva et al, 2023) and purchase intentions (Shoenberger and Kim, 2023). Similar findings have been observed with virtual influencers, where their perceived authenticity can impact brand reputation (Yang et al, 2023) and word-of-mouth intentions (Kim and Baek, 2023). Thus, it is hypothesized that virtual influencers might be seen as less authentic than their human counterparts, and such differences will correspondingly affect endorsement effectiveness in terms of brand attitude and purchase intention: H1.…”

Section: Authenticity Of Human and Virtual Influencerssupporting

confidence: 54%

“…Instead, they often appear as only commercial-driven and orchestrated by external stakeholders (El Hedhli et al, 2023;de Brito Silva et al, 2022). Followers can easily see that virtual influencers are staged and fabricated, perceiving them as less authentic and persuasive than their human counterparts (Lou et al, 2022;Yang et al, 2023).…”

Section: Authenticity Of Human and Virtual Influencersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Virtually authentic: examining the match-up hypothesis between human vs virtual influencers and product types

Liu,

Lee

2024

JPBM

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Purpose This study aims to investigate the rising trend of virtual influencers – digitally created characters with human-like attributes. It aims to evaluate and compare their effectiveness with human influencers in terms of brand attitudes and purchase intentions. It uncovers the mechanisms underlying the differences in effectiveness observed between virtual influencers and their human counterparts. Design/methodology/approach The research uses a 2 (influencer type: human vs virtual) × 3 (product type: functional vs symbolic vs experiential) between-subjects design. Through a pilot study (n = 334) and a main study (n = 352), the research examines the interactive effects of influencer and product type on brand attitude and purchase intentions. Hypotheses were developed and tested using moderating mediation models centered on authenticity and product–endorser fit. Findings Virtual influencers are perceived as less authentic than human influencers across all product types, negatively influencing brand attitude and purchase intention. However, the extent to which influencer type affects brand attitudes and purchase intentions, mediated by product–endorser fit, varies based on the product type. Originality/value This research emphasizes two key mechanisms – authenticity and product–endorser fit – influencing the effectiveness of virtual influencers. It suggests that aligning virtual influencers with suitable product types can offset their perceived authenticity deficit, significantly affecting their endorsement effectiveness.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

Section: Authenticity Of Human and Virtual Influencerssupporting

confidence: 54%

Section: Authenticity Of Human and Virtual Influencersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Virtually authentic: examining the match-up hypothesis between human vs virtual influencers and product types

Liu,

Lee

2024

JPBM

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“…However, there is conflicting evidence regarding the impact of humanlikeness on VIs. Specifically, while Arsenyan and Mirowska (2021) and Miao et al (2022) suggest that more humanlike VIs received a less positive response, Yang, Chuenterawong, Lee, Tian, et al (2023) found that VIs with higher humanness predicted greater trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness. Additionally, existing research on VIs has predominantly focused on conventional consumerism and materialism, emphasizing product and service promotion to the broader audience (e.g., Franke et al, 2023;Sands, Campbell, Plangger, & Pitt, 2022;Thomas & Fowler, 2021).…”

mentioning

confidence: 88%

“…Future research could include additional layers of contextual and dispositional characteristics to holistically explore the VI-consumer relationships.Further, the findings reveal that attractiveness emerged as a significant predictor of both authenticity and prosocial behavior in our study. Although attractiveness was initially included as a control variable, our results suggest that it could serve as an alternative factor influencing prosocial behavior, particularly in the context of VIs.Notably, existing literature, such as studies byAhn et al (2022),Yang, Chuenterawong, Lee, Tian, et al (2023), andLv et al (2022), has highlighted the positive impact of attractiveness and cuteness on customer attitudes. Therefore, future research could delve into exploring the combined effects of attractiveness or cuteness alongside humanlike appearance and behavior of VIs.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The power of flattery: Enhancing prosocial behavior through virtual influencers

Quach,

Cheah,

Thaichon

2024

Psychology and Marketing

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While prior work suggests the significant role virtual influencers (VIs) can play in addressing social and welfare issues, it remains unclear how they can increase social media users' engagement in prosocial behaviors. The current study examines the role of influencer flattery in driving the prosocial behavior of social media users. Specifically, the research investigates how flattery and humanlike appearance influence the perceived authenticity of VIs and the subsequent prosocial behavior of social media users (Studies 1 and 2). Furthermore, the research substantiates these effects by exploring how flattery and anthropomorphism via humanlike traits impact perceived authenticity and prosocial behavior when social media users witness the influencer praising others (Study 3). Beyond intention to donate (Study 1), the study also investigated its impact on related prosocial behaviors, such as click‐through behavior (Study 2) and the willingness to pay for fundraising merchandise (Study 3). The findings of this research offer concrete implications for nonprofit organizations by demonstrating the persuasive impact of flattery, perceived authenticity, and anthropomorphism in mobilizing public support, donations, and merchandise purchases for social causes.

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Avatar effect of AI‐enabled virtual streamers on consumer purchase intention in e‐commerce livestreaming

Sun,

Tang

2024

J of Consumer Behaviour

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In recent years, digital avatars employed as virtual streamers are experiencing a surge in popularity in e‐commerce livestreaming. However, the influence of the avatars' anthropomorphic features on their effectiveness as virtual streamers remains unclear. This study investigates the avatar effect of artificial intelligence‐enabled virtual streamers, wherein their form and behavioral realism interactively affect consumer purchase intention. Three lab experiments with 604 participants were conducted to test this effect and its underlying mechanism and boundary conditions. Based on the findings, behavioral realism positively affects consumer purchase intention only when the virtual streamers' form realism is low. Parasocial interactions underpin this avatar effect, which only holds when consumers exhibit a communal relationship norm orientation. When consumers possess an exchange relationship norm orientation, the effect of behavioral realism becomes positive regardless of the level of form realism. Overall, our study proposes an avatar effect in livestreaming, and extends the literature by offering insights on the interactive effect of the anthropomorphic features of human‐like avatars (as virtual streamers) on the effectiveness of e‐commerce livestreaming. By revealing the mechanisms and boundary conditions of this effect, our conclusions offer guidance for companies in developing appropriate combinations of form and behavioral realism for the avatars of virtual streams while considering consumer characteristics.

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Human versus Virtual Influencer: The Effect of Humanness and Interactivity on Persuasive CSR Messaging

Cited by 20 publications

References 89 publications

Virtually authentic: examining the match-up hypothesis between human vs virtual influencers and product types

Virtually authentic: examining the match-up hypothesis between human vs virtual influencers and product types

The power of flattery: Enhancing prosocial behavior through virtual influencers

Avatar effect of AI‐enabled virtual streamers on consumer purchase intention in e‐commerce livestreaming

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