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Consumers' perceptions and acceptance of virtual influencers on social media

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  • Berger-Grabner, Doris
  • Dürhammer, Tobias

Abstract

Influencer marketing has established itself as a popular advertising strategy and it can be assumed that it will continue to grow. Some companies have started to create or collaborate with virtual influencers to support their campaigns. Virtual influencers have grown in popularity in recent years and some of them have a similar number of followers as their human counterparts. Research shows that people react emotionally to such fictional, computer-generated figures, but with doubts about authenticity and acceptability, especially when it comes to trust and relationship building. If there is no complete transparency about the roots of a virtual influencer, they are judged to be inauthentic. Therefore, it is important to understand how social media users perceive such virtual figures compared to real influencers to assess the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.

Suggested Citation

  • Berger-Grabner, Doris & Dürhammer, Tobias, 2024. "Consumers' perceptions and acceptance of virtual influencers on social media," PraxisWissen - German Journal of Marketing, AfM – Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Marketing, vol. 9(01/2024), pages 72-84.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:afmpwm:335558
    DOI: 10.15459/95451.67
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Michael Gerlich, 2023. "The Power of Virtual Influencers: Impact on Consumer Behaviour and Attitudes in the Age of AI," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-21, August.
    2. Campbell, Colin & Farrell, Justine Rapp, 2020. "More than meets the eye: The functional components underlying influencer marketing," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 63(4), pages 469-479.
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