The Journal of Economics, Marketing and Management (융합경영연구)

International Convergence Management Association (국제융합경영학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

The Impact of Virtual Influencer's Characteristics on Brand Attitude : The Mediating Effect of Parasocial Interaction

  • Min-ho SHIN (Business Department, Cheongju University) ;
  • Won-jun LEE (Business Department, Cheongju University)
  • Received : 2024.09.03
  • Accepted : 2024.10.30
  • Published : 2024.10.30
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Purpose: This study explores the distinctive characteristics of virtual influencers compared to human influencers and examines how parasocial relationships with human consumers affect brand attitude. The hypothesis suggests that virtual influencers can overcome social distance barriers, emphasizing their role in fostering engagement. Research design, data and methodology: A structural model based on the source credibility model and unique traits of virtual influencers analyzes these dynamics. An online survey conducted in April 2024 garnered responses from 286 participants. Results: Findings reveal that virtual influencers positively impact parasocial interactions, which in turn enhance parasocial relationships and brand attitudes. However, the proposed effect of novelty on brand attitude through parasocial interaction was not statistically supported. Conclusions: This study highlights the unique attributes of virtual influencers, such as anthropomorphism, empathy, and novelty, which enhance consumer engagement through parasocial interactions and influence brand attitude. It provides a comprehensive framework for leveraging virtual influencers in marketing, offering significant advantages in maintaining consistent brand messaging and reducing risks associated with human influencers.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2022S1A5A2A01045628)

References

  1. Altsech, M. B. (1996). The assessment of creativity in advertising and the effectiveness of creative advertisements. The Pennsylvania State University.
  2. Andersson, V., & Sobek, T. (2020). Virtual avatars, virtual influencers & authenticity. University of Gothenburg.
  3. Belch, G. E., & Belch, M. A. (2015). Advertising & promotion: An integrated marketing communications perspective (10th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
  4. Belknap, G. M. (1954). Communication and persuasion: Psychological studies of opinion change. by Carl I. Hovland, Irving L. Janis, and Harold H. Kelley. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1953. Pp. xii, 315. $4.50.). American Political Science Review, 48(2), 600.
  5. Cotter, K. (2019). Playing the visibility game: How digital influencers and algorithms negotiate influence on Instagram. New Media & Society, 21(4), 895-913.
  6. Chung, S., & Cho, H. (2017). Fostering parasocial relationships with celebrities on social media: Implications for celebrity endorsement. Psychology & Marketing, 34(4), 481-495.
  7. Deshpande, R., & Stayman, D. M. (1994). A tale of two cities: Distinctiveness theory and advertising effectiveness. Journal of Marketing Research, 31(1), 57-64.
  8. De Veirman, M., Hudders, L., & Nelson, M. R. (2019). What is influencer marketing and how does it target children? A review and direction for future research. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 498106.
  9. Dibble, J. L., Hartmann, T., & Rosaen, S. F. (2016). Parasocial interaction and parasocial relationship: Conceptual clarification and a critical assessment of measures. Human Communication Research, 42(1), 21-44.
  10. Ellegaard, C., & Koch, C. (2012). The effects of low internal integration between purchasing and operations on suppliers' resource mobilization. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 18(3), 148-158.
  11. Epley, N., Waytz, A., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2007). On seeing human: A three-factor theory of anthropomorphism. Psychological Review, 114(4), 864-886.
  12. Erdogan, B. Z. (1999). Celebrity endorsement: A literature review. Journal of Marketing Management, 15(4), 291-314.
  13. Fu, S., Yan, Q., & Feng, G. C. (2018). Who will attract you? Similarity effect among users on online purchase intention of movie tickets in the social shopping context. International Journal of Information Management, 40, 88-102.
  14. Glucksman, M. (2017). The rise of social media influencer marketing on lifestyle branding: A case study of Lucie Fink. Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications, 8(2), 77-87.
  15. Gorry, G. A., & Westbrook, R. A. (2011). Once more, with feeling: Empathy and technology in customer care. Business Horizons, 54(2), 125-134
  16. Hoffner, C. (1996). Children's wishful identification and parasocial interaction with favorite television characters. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 40, 389-402.
  17. Horton, D., & Wohl, R. (1956). Mass communication and parasocial interaction: Observations on intimacy at a distance. Psychiatry, 19(3), 215-229.
  18. Jin, S. V., Muqaddam, A., & Ryu, E. (2019). Instafamous and social media influencer marketing. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 37(5), 567-579.
  19. Kay, S., Mulcahy, R., & Parkinson, J. (2020). When less is more: the impact of macro and micro social media influencers' disclosure. Journal of Marketing Management, 36(3-4), 248-278.
  20. Kim, H. (2022). Keeping up with influencers: Exploring the impact of social presence and parasocial interactions on Instagram. International Journal of Advertising, 41(3), 414-434.
  21. Kover, A. J., Goldberg, S. M., & James, W. L. (1995). Creativity vs. effectiveness? An integrating classification for advertising. Journal of Advertising Research, 35(6), 29-40.
  22. Labrecque, L. I. (2014). Fostering consumer-brand relationships in social media environments: The role of parasocial interaction. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 28(2), 134-148.
  23. Lee, J. E., & Watkins, B. (2016). YouTube vloggers' influence on consumer luxury brand perceptions and intentions. Journal of Business Research, 69(12), 5753-5760.
  24. Lee, J. Y. (2022). Whose message is more powerful? Comparing the effect of virtual influencers and human celebrities on social media persuasion depending on perceived source characteristics and nutrition of Instagram food messages. Michigan State University.
  25. Lim, X. J., Radzol, A. M., Cheah, J., & Wong, M. W. (2017). The impact of social media influencers on purchase intention and the mediation effect of customer attitude. Asian Journal of Business Research, 7(2), 19-36.
  26. Lou, C., & Yuan, S. (2019). Influencer marketing: How message value and credibility affect consumer trust of branded content on social media. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 19(1), 58-73.
  27. Marti-Parreno, J., Aldas-Manzano, J., Curras-Perez, R., & Sanchez-Garcia, I. (2013). Factors contributing brand attitude in advergames: Entertainment and irritation. Journal of Brand Management, 20, 374-388.
  28. McCroskey, J. C., & McCain, T. A. (1974). The measurement of interpersonal attraction. Speech Monographs, 41, 261-266.
  29. Meng, L. M., Bie, Y., Yang, M., & Wang, Y. (2024). Watching it motivates me to become stronger: Virtual influencers' impact on consumer self-improvement product preferences. Journal of Business Research, 178, 114654.
  30. Miltgen, C. L., Cases, A. S., & Russell, C. A. (2019). Consumers' responses to facebook advertising across PCs and mobile phones: A model for assessing the drivers of approach and avoidance of facebook ads. Journal of Advertising Research, 59(4), 414-432.
  31. Morewedge, C. K., Preston, J., & Wegner, D. M. (2007). Timescale bias in the attribution of mind. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93(1), 1-11.
  32. Mori, M., MacDorman, K. F., & Kageki, N. (2012). The uncanny valley [from the field]. IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine, 19(2), 98-100.
  33. Nowak, K. L., & Rauh, C. (2008). Choose your "buddy icon" carefully: The influence of avatar androgyny, anthropomorphism and credibility in online interactions. Computers in Human Behavior, 24(4), 1473-1493.
  34. Ohanian, R. (1991). The impact of celebrity spokespersons' perceived image on consumers' intention to purchase. Journal of Advertising Research. Ohanian, R. (1991). The impact of celebrity spokespersons' perceived image on consumers' intention to purchase. Journal of Advertising Research, 31(1), 46-54 .
  35. Parks, M. R., & Floyd, K. (1996). Making friends in cyberspace. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 1(4), JCMC144.
  36. Pelau, C., Dabija, D. C., & Ene, I. (2021). What makes an AI device human-like? The role of interaction quality, empathy and perceived psychological anthropomorphic characteristics in the acceptance of artificial intelligence in the service industry. Computers in Human Behavior, 122, 106855.
  37. Rubin, R. B., & McHugh, M. P. (1987). Development of parasocial interaction relationships. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 31(3), 279-292.
  38. Rubin, A. M., Perse, E. M., & Powell, R. A. (1985). Loneliness, parasocial interaction, and local television news viewing. Human Communication Research, 12(2), 155-180.
  39. Shankar, V., & Narang, U. (2020). Emerging market innovations: Unique and differential drivers, practitioner implications, and research agenda. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48, 1030-1052.
  40. Sokolova, K., & Kefi, H. (2020). Instagram and YouTube bloggers promote it, why should I buy? How credibility and parasocial interaction influence purchase intentions. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 53, 101742.
  41. Thomas, V. L., & Fowler, K. (2021). Close encounters of the AI kind: Use of AI influencers as brand endorsers. Journal of Advertising, 50(1), 11-25.
  42. Tokunaga, R. S. (2013). Engagement with novel virtual environments: The role of perceived novelty and flow in the development of the deficient self-regulation of Internet use and media habits. Human Communication Research, 39(3), 365-393.
  43. Waytz, A., Cacioppo, J., & Epley, N. (2010). Who sees human? The stability and importance of individual differences in anthropomorphism. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(3), 219-232.
  44. Wiedmann, K. P., & von Mettenheim, W. (2020). Attractiveness, trustworthiness and expertise-social influencers' winning formula? Journal of Product & Brand Management, 30(5), 707-725.
  45. Xiang, L., Zheng, X., & Hu, X. (2014). What drives social commerce: The role of parasocial interaction. PACIS, 86, 1-15.