Anthropomorphism in CSR Endorsement: A Comparative Study on Humanlike vs. Cartoonlike Virtual Influencers’ Climate Change Messaging

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

doi:10.1080/10496491.2022.2163041

Cited by 22 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 94 publications

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“…During this study, participants often mentioned credibility, which refers to how convincing people perceive a source of influence to be (Yang et al , 2023). Our research produced mixed results regarding credibility, which triggered lively discussions among the participants in the focus groups.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtual influencer marketing: a study of millennials and gen Z consumer behaviour

Angmo,

Mahajan

2024

QMR

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Purpose Virtual influencers (VIs), who are fictional characters, have gained popularity in recent years, particularly among Generation Z and millennials. With the hype surrounding VIs, more research is required. Thus, this study aims to examine how Gen Z members and millennials react to VIs used for marketing purposes. Design/methodology/approach This study follows an exploratory approach. The data were collected from 29 participants (14 male and 15 female) through two focus groups and semi-structured interviews. Findings The authors found that opinions about VIs were mixed, and two main themes emerged from the study: (1) challenges and potential and (2) decision-making and psychological aspects. Originality/value This study broadens the paradigm for analysing the efficacy of VIs. This emerging topic is of relevance for the marketing sector as well as for transdisciplinary research and practice.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtual influencer marketing: a study of millennials and gen Z consumer behaviour

Angmo,

Mahajan

2024

QMR

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“…The visual humanlikeness of non-human entities has significantly impacted human-computer and human-robot interactions by facilitating people to form deeper, more meaningful, and positive connections with entities (Yang et al, 2020). Yang et al (2023) also found that people perceive VIs with humanlike appearances as more trustworthy, knowledgeable, and attractive, which positively influences user engagement. Therefore, humanlikeness level of a VI, can be an important factor affecting user engagement.…”

Section: Predictors Of User Engagement With Vis On Social Mediamentioning

confidence: 98%

Fake human but real influencer: the interplay of authenticity and humanlikeness in Virtual Influencer communication?

Ju,

Kim,

2024

Fash Text

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Recently, there has been a lot of interest in industry and academia in virtual influencers (VIs). This study aimed to augment the understanding of VI marketing by exploring the relationship between VI’s characteristics (i.e., their humanlikeness level and operator type), their social media post characteristics (i.e., emotional expression, use of pronouns, use of punctuation marks), and consumer engagement. The analysis of three popular VIs’ Instagram profiles and posts revealed that VIs with less humanlike appearances tend to exhibit stronger positive emotional expressions. Interestingly, the level of humanlikeness in appearance was not associated with VI's other post characteristics, suggesting other intrinsic factors (e.g., the VI’s character and virtual universe) may play a pivotal role. Whether a brand operates the VI or not made a statistically significant difference in the VI’s post characteristics. Assessment of user engagement metrics (i.e., number of likes and comments) showed that users prefer hyper-realistic VIs and VIs operated by non-brand agencies, underscoring the importance of perceived authenticity in the digital realm. The emotions expressed by VIs, along with their use of punctuation, were positively related to user engagement.

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Section: Suprawan and Pojanavatee (2022)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They also found that an influencer's fit with the brand had a weak direct effect on engagement. In an experimental study, Yang et al (2023) compared the persuasive power of VIs with different humanness, using two types of VIs: humans and cartoons. There was no interaction effect between fit and endorser type, while VIs with higher humanities were post‐rated better in terms of credibility, knowledge, and attractiveness.…”

Section: Future Research Agendamentioning

confidence: 99%

Virtual influencers as an emerging marketing theory: A systematic literature review

Łaszkiewicz

Kalińska-Kula

2023

Int J Consumer Studies

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Over the past few years, the popularity of influencers on social media (SM) has increased, and influencer marketing has become an important element in companies' marketing strategies. This has resulted in significant interest from researchers and practitioners; consequently, the number of publications devoted to the topic of influencers and influencer marketing has risen. Simultaneously, computer‐generated avatars and virtual influencers (VIs), including those using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, have begun to emerge and gain popularity in the SM space. Thus far, research on these topics has been limited, with few studies examining the issue from different perspectives. Given the growing potential of VIs' inclusion in the consumer decision‐making process, and this being a developing field, a comprehensive and critical review of existing research on this subject is urgently needed. In response, this study consolidates the current state of research on virtual, AI, and computer‐generated influencers. A systematic review of peer‐reviewed articles was conducted to identify key themes and dominant concepts. An analysis of 35 articles provides an understanding of this phenomenon, shedding light on the mechanisms underlying the appeal of VIs and their role in shaping consumer attitudes and behaviors. Based on the analysis, the main thematic streams from the study are presented. Further, research gaps have been identified, and recommendations made for future research directions.

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Anthropomorphism in CSR Endorsement: A Comparative Study on Humanlike vs. Cartoonlike Virtual Influencers’ Climate Change Messaging

Cited by 22 publications

References 94 publications

Virtual influencer marketing: a study of millennials and gen Z consumer behaviour

Virtual influencer marketing: a study of millennials and gen Z consumer behaviour

Fake human but real influencer: the interplay of authenticity and humanlikeness in Virtual Influencer communication?

Virtual influencers as an emerging marketing theory: A systematic literature review

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