Virtual influencer marketing: the good, the bad and the unreal

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize virtual influencer marketing, outlining the opportunities and dangers associated with using virtual influencers in social media marketing communications. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the literature addressing influencer marketing and interactions between consumers and technologies, this paper introduces the landscape of virtual influencer marketing. Findings This paper distinguishes virtual influencers from real-life influencers and related digital characters. It further defines four unique elements attributed to virtual influencers: customization, flexibility, ownership and automation. Finally, it introduces a taxonomy for virtual influencers. Research limitations/implications The conceptualization of virtual influencer marketing contributes to advancing the understanding of the (virtual) influencer marketing landscape. Practical implications This paper suggests that brands need to carefully evaluate the different characteristics of virtual influencers, when deciding to leverage them in social media marketing communications. It also provides guidelines for working with virtual influencers in marketing campaigns targeted at consumers. Social implications This paper discusses ethical and social implications for brands and consumers that interact with virtual influencers in the encounter between reality and virtuality. Originality/value This paper makes three contributions. First, it conceptualizes virtual influencer marketing by defining and critically evaluating the key characteristics attributed to virtual influencers. Second, it offers a 2 × 2 taxonomy of virtual influencers, grounded in research on anthropomorphism and reality–virtuality. Third, this paper reflects on the opportunities and dangers associated with virtual influencer marketing, outlining avenues for future research.

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

“…As VIs share narrative content about events in their lives, consumers are likely to treat these messages as though they relay real feelings and experiences. For example, viewers respond to a post about a VI’s breakup with sympathetic and consoling comments because they understand that splitting up is an emotional process for people (Mouritzen et al , 2023). Consumers who emotionally invest in VIs may feel betrayed or disillusioned when they learn that these characters are purely computer-generated and have no real feelings or ideas.…”

“…The hyper-personalised offerings made by these individualised influencers may consider customers’ preferences and even give them an idealised image of themselves. For example, the fashion label Balmain has its own VIs, which are highlighted in communications on the brand’s social accounts and posters displayed in malls and outdoor billboards (Mouritzen et al , 2023). As VIs are digital, they can exist on multiple platforms simultaneously, enabling seamless consumer interaction with recognisable characters and fostering more robust ties to the companies they represent.…”

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

“…Influencers inherently assume a role as a marketing collaborator such as participation in social media campaigns (Moustakas et al, 2020) and sharing social media contents and interacting with consumers (Mouritzen et al, 2023). As VIs are a new and evolving phenomenon, the term, 'virtual influencers' , was only recently coined in academic literature.…”

“…Similarly, humanlikeness of VIs is usually perceived based on humanlikeness of their visual representations (Zhou et al, 2019) or linguistic representations (Wen Wan et al, 2017). The visual humanlikess of VIs exhibit a wide spectrum, ranging from non-human fictional characters to hyper-realistic entities that closely resemble humans (Mouritzen et al, 2023). Based on their similarity to humanlike appearance, VIs can be categorized into three groups: human VIs (HVIs), animated human VIs (AVIs), and non-human VIs (NHVI) (Arsenyan & Mirowska, 2021;Choudhry et al, 2022).…”

Will virtual influencers overcome the uncanny valley? The moderating role of social cues

“…To date, VIs abound on social media platforms (Kim et al, 2023;Sands, Campbell, et al, 2022), ranging from those closely mirroring real-life influencers to creatures that could never transcend the real world (Mouritzen et al, 2023). In particular, the human-like appearance and behavior of VIs pose a challenge to their effectiveness for businesses.…”