Minor flaws are better: The positive effect of aesthetic imperfection about avatar endorsers on brand authenticity

Lv, Linxiang; Huang, Minxue; Guan, Dawei; Yang, Kairui

doi:10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114125

Cited by 11 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…The robustness of Hypotheses 1 and 2 is further tested and the generalization of this effect across brand endorsement marketing campaigns is expanded. With the support of digital technology, virtual image endorsers are popular in advertising because of their unique advantages (Lv et al, 2023). In Study 3, five existing virtual influencers were selected as endorsers to verify whether the effects generated on real-person endorsers can extend to virtual endorsers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

One independent or many independent? The relationship among self-construal, number of brand endorsers, and brand attitudes

Liang,

Cai,

Zhang

et al. 2024

Front. Psychol.

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IntroductionIt was common for brands to use different numbers of endorsers in marketing practice. Nevertheless, research on brand endorsers’ quantity has not yielded a uniform consensus. The previous research about brand endorsers mainly focuses on the appeal of endorsement, brand category, and endorser characteristics, paying less attention to the impact of cultural factors, particularly self-construal. This study delves into selecting brand endorsers across diverse cultural regions for the same brand.MethodsDrawing on the principles of self-consistency theory and self-construal theory, our research, conducted through three distinct experiments, reveals that consumers tend to hold more favorable opinions about brands endorsed by a single individual. Furthermore, self-consistency emerges as a crucial mediating factor in this phenomenon. Additionally, self-construal is an essential factor among consumers from various cultural backgrounds.ResultsConsumers with an independent self-construal exhibit more favorable brand perceptions when it comes to single-endorser brands compared to their counterparts with an interdependent self-construal. Conversely, individuals with an interdependent self-construal demonstrate a more positive disposition towards brands with multiple endorsers than those with an independent self-construal.DiscussionThis research not only enriches and extends our theoretical understanding of the impact of the number of brand endorsers on consumer brand attitudes but also provides valuable practical insights for optimizing the selection of brand endorsers for companies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

One independent or many independent? The relationship among self-construal, number of brand endorsers, and brand attitudes

Liang,

Cai,

Zhang

et al. 2024

Front. Psychol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…For instance, Elsharnouby et al (2022) compared brand avatar with other written information and found that brand avatar would produce more positive effects. Lv et al (2023) found that compared with brand avatar without aesthetic defects, brand avatar that do not meet aesthetic standards, such as small facial defects, are more realistic to consumers. Bleier et al (2019) showed that brand image could achieve communication beyond transactions, enabling brands to provide more added value to consumers.…”

Section: Brand Avatarmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The research on brand avatar focuses on the impact of brand avatar on consumers (Elsharnouby et al, 2022), the different characteristics of brand avatar (Lv et al, 2023;Bleier et al, 2019;Foster et al, 2022), and the comparison of brand avatar with other interactive methods (Allal-Ch erif et al, 2024). For instance, Elsharnouby et al (2022) compared brand avatar with other written information and found that brand avatar would produce more positive effects.…”

Section: Brand Avatarmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hence, brands often create brand avatar to demonstrate brand affinity and enhance the emotional bond and good experience between brands and consumers, thus obtaining greater consumer forgiveness (Gammoh et al, 2018). Brand avatar is a general graphical representation of a merchant personified in a virtual environment by computer (Lv et al, 2023).…”

Section: Brand Avatar and Customer Forgivenessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The research on brand avatar focuses on the impact of brand avatar on consumers (Elsharnouby et al. , 2022), the different characteristics of brand avatar (Lv et al. , 2023; Bleier et al.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Brand avatar present or absent? Investigate brand avatar and consumer forgiveness in public apology

Wang,

Zhang

2024

JSTP

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PurposeThe rising occurrence of digitally driven public consumer complaints has made it necessary for enterprises to obtain consumer forgiveness. However, existing research has provided little understanding regarding how to obtain consumer forgiveness effectively. Thus, the present study examined how brand avatars can improve consumer forgiveness in the context of public apology.Design/methodology/approachThis study tested the mechanism of a brand avatar on consumer forgiveness using three studies. Specifically, we explored the direct and mediating effect of empathy toward a brand (Study 1); we identified the moderating mediating effect of humorous responses (Study 2) and product type (Study 3). Data for these studies were collected on Credamo. We analyzed the data using SPSS (26.0) for the primary analysis and PROCESS (3.5) for the mediating and moderating mediating analysis.FindingsThe results indicate that brand avatars enhance consumer forgiveness. Moreover, empathy toward a brand plays a mediating role in the effect of brand avatars on consumer forgiveness. Additionally, when a humorous response is present, a brand avatar can enhance customer forgiveness through empathy toward that brand. Compared to utilitarian products, hedonic products can also increase the impact of a brand avatar on empathy toward the brand, thus enhancing consumers' forgiveness.Originality/valueFrom the perspective of emotion, this study explored the impact of brand avatars on consumer forgiveness via empathy toward a brand. It augments the research on brand avatars and consumer forgiveness. The study also verified the moderating mediating effect of humor response and product type while expanding the brand avatar research boundary.

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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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Minor flaws are better: The positive effect of aesthetic imperfection about avatar endorsers on brand authenticity

Cited by 11 publications

References 71 publications

One independent or many independent? The relationship among self-construal, number of brand endorsers, and brand attitudes

One independent or many independent? The relationship among self-construal, number of brand endorsers, and brand attitudes

Brand avatar present or absent? Investigate brand avatar and consumer forgiveness in public apology

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

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