Exploring the Effect of Social Media Content of Virtual Influencers on Generation Z’s Purchase Intention: An Elaboration Likelihood Model Approach

Through the evolution of technology and the rise of Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Influencers (VIs) have emerged as an innovative marketing strategy. However, the concept of VIs remains novel in Vietnam, particularly regarding how the effectiveness of VI-endorsed content on social media may vary across different persuasive cues. This study aims to investigate how central cues (argument quality) and peripheral cues (social attractiveness, physical attractiveness, and attitude homophily) of virtual endorsers influence the purchase intentions of Generation Z while exploring the moderating role of speciesism in these relationships. A survey experiment (N = 244) with a 2 × 2 factorial design was conducted to examine how variations in cues affect purchase intention, with speciesism as a moderator. The results revealed that peripheral cues could independently affect purchase intention. Additionally, when customers with high level of speciesism expose to VI’s endorsed content, their purchase intention would be significantly low regardless of the attractiveness of VI. This research contributes to the understanding of VI effectiveness in marketing strategies, particularly in the Vietnamese context. It offers insights into the complex interplay of persuasive cues and cognitive biases in consumer behavior.