Is She Real? Leveraging Real-Life and Virtual Influencer Marketing in Brand Communications

TY - GEN

T1 - Is She Real? Leveraging Real-Life and Virtual Influencer Marketing in Brand Communications

AU - Penttinen, Valeria

AU - Mouritzen, Simone Lykke Tranholm

AU - Pedersen, Susanne

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © Academy of Marketing Science 2024.

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Although most social media influencer marketing campaigns are done in collaboration with real-life influencers, the use of virtual influencers is increasingly popular. Yet, little is known about how consumers respond to the social media communications of virtual influencers, and how brands can leverage this new type of influencers in their social media marketing campaigns. This pilot study examines consumers’ attitudes toward brands in response to influencer marketing campaigns involving real-life and virtual influencers across two types of promotional messages focusing on either hedonic or utilitarian product values. The outcomes of the pilot study show that while consumers generally have more favorable perceptions associated with communications of real-life influencers, messages focusing on hedonic (cf. Utilitarian) product attributes improve consumer responses to posts shared by virtual influencers. Perceived creepiness and trustworthiness as well as the social presence of communications are defined as mediators explaining individual campaigns’ impacts on brand attitudes. Notably, posts shared by virtual influencers evoke higher creepiness, explaining likely reasons behind more negative responses to virtual (cf. Real-life) influencer marketing.

AB - Although most social media influencer marketing campaigns are done in collaboration with real-life influencers, the use of virtual influencers is increasingly popular. Yet, little is known about how consumers respond to the social media communications of virtual influencers, and how brands can leverage this new type of influencers in their social media marketing campaigns. This pilot study examines consumers’ attitudes toward brands in response to influencer marketing campaigns involving real-life and virtual influencers across two types of promotional messages focusing on either hedonic or utilitarian product values. The outcomes of the pilot study show that while consumers generally have more favorable perceptions associated with communications of real-life influencers, messages focusing on hedonic (cf. Utilitarian) product attributes improve consumer responses to posts shared by virtual influencers. Perceived creepiness and trustworthiness as well as the social presence of communications are defined as mediators explaining individual campaigns’ impacts on brand attitudes. Notably, posts shared by virtual influencers evoke higher creepiness, explaining likely reasons behind more negative responses to virtual (cf. Real-life) influencer marketing.

KW - Influencer marketing

KW - Product attributes

KW - Social media marketing

KW - Virtual influencers

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85182857346&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-031-49039-2_4

DO - 10.1007/978-3-031-49039-2_4

M3 - Article in proceedings

AN - SCOPUS:85182857346

SN - 978-3-031-49038-5

T3 - Developments in Marketing Science: Proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science

SP - 32

EP - 43

BT - Welcome to The New Normal: Life After The Chaos

PB - Springer

ER -