Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Background

This study addresses the burgeoning influence of virtual influencers (VIs) in social marketing, specifically examining their role in promoting socially beneficial behaviors.

Focus of the Article

The manuscript is a piece of research and evaluation focusing on the intersection of social marketing and digital innovation through virtual influencers. It significantly exhibits concepts of behavior change and the use of promotional marketing strategies within a digital context.

Research Question

The research questions focus on how virtual influencers can effectively engage audiences in social causes and whether their virtual presence affects audience receptivity to social marketing messages. The key hypothesis is that VIs in immersive media environments can enhance the effectiveness of social marketing campaigns.

Program Design/Approach

The program design incorporates virtual reality environments to enhance the realism and engagement of VI endorsements, using a structured approach that leverages both the media richness and source credibility theories to assess the effectiveness of VIs.

Importance to the Social Marketing Field

The research contributes innovative ideas on the use of digital avatars in social marketing, potentially transforming how social behaviors are influenced online. It provides a novel perspective on integrating technology with traditional social marketing strategies.

Methods

This study adopts 2 (video format: 360-degree video vs. regular video) × 2 (backstage disclosure: yes vs. no) between-subjects experimental design.

Results

Results indicate that VIs can significantly affect audience engagement and behavior, particularly when presented in rich media formats like virtual reality that enhance perceived authenticity and relatability.

Recommendations for Research or Practice

The study suggests further exploration into the ethical implications and long-term effectiveness of VIs in social marketing, recommending strategies for their optimal use in various social contexts.

Limitations

The study acknowledges limitations in generalizability due to the novel technology used and the specific demographics engaged in the experimental setup.

Keywords

virtual influencer social cause media richness theory source credibility theory

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Ahn

R. J.

Cho

S. Y.

Tsai

W. S.

(2022). Demystifying computer-generated imagery (CGI) influencers: The effect of perceived anthropomorphism and social presence on brand outcomes. Journal of Interactive Advertising. https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2022.2111242

Ahn

S. J.

Fox

Dale

K. R.

Avant

J. A.

(2020). Framing virtual experiences: The role of immersive virtual environments in promoting environmental conservation. Media Psychology, 23(5), 735–759. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2020.1809082

Batista da Silva Oliveira

Chimenti

(2021). “Humanized robots”: A proposition of categories to understand virtual influencers. Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 25. https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v25i0.3223

Behnoosh

Naylor

Dickson

(2017). Promoting sport and physical activity participation: The impact of endorser expertise and recognisability. Managing Sport and Leisure, 22(3), 214–233. https://doi.org/10.1080/23750472.2018.1424024

Block

Lovegrove

(2021). Discordant storytelling, ‘honest fakery’, identity peddling: How uncanny CGI characters are jamming public relations and influencer practices. Public Relations Inquiry, 10(3), 265–293. https://doi.org/10.1177/2046147X211026936

Boyd

D. E.

Koles

(2019). An introduction to the special issue “virtual reality in marketing”: Definition, theory and practice. Journal of Business Research, 100, 441–444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.04.023

Bradley

(2021, March 20). Even better than the real thing? Meet the virtual influencers taking over your feeds. The Drum. https://www.thedrum.com/news/2020/03/20/even-better-the-real-thing-meet-thevirtual-influencers-taking-over-your-feeds

Brooks

F. P.

(1999). What’s real about virtual reality? IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 19(6), 16–27. https://doi.org/10.1109/38.799723

Bublitz

M. G.

Hansen

Peracchio

L. A.

Tussler

(2019). Hunger and food well-being: Advancing research and practice. Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, 38(2), 136–153. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743915619827012

10.

Byrne

B. M.

(2010). Structural equation modeling with AMOS: Basic concepts, applications, and programming. Routledge.

11.

Byrne

Kearney

Macevilly

(2017). The role of influencer marketing and social influencers in public health proceedings of the nutrition society. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 76(E103), Article E103. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0029665117001768

12.

Casais

Proença

J. F.

(2012). Inhibitions and implications associated with celebrity participation in health-related social marketing: An exploratory research focused on HIV prevention in Portugal. Health Marketing Quarterly, 29(3), 206–222. https://doi.org/10.1080/07359683.2012.705642

13.

Cheng

Chen

Y.-R. R.

Hung-Baesecke

C.-J. F.

(2021). Social media influencers in CSR endorsement: The effect of consumer mimicry on CSR behaviors and consumer relationships. Social Science Computer Review, 39(4), 744–761. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439320987184

14.

Cheng

Hung-Baesecke

C.-J. F.

Chen

Y.-R. R.

(2021b). Social media influencer effects on CSR communication: The role of influencer leadership in opinion and taste. International Journal of Business Communication, 61(2), 232948842110351–232948842110359. https://doi.org/10.1177/23294884211035112

15.

Cho

C. H.

Phillips

J. R.

Hageman

A. M.

Patten

D. M.

(2009). Media richness, user trust, and perceptions of corporate social responsibility: An experimental investigation of visual web site disclosures. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 22(6), 933–952. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513570910980481

16.

Choudhry

Han

Huang

(2022). “I felt a little crazy following a ‘doll’”: Investigating real influence of virtual influencers on their followers. Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 6(GROUP), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1145/3492862

17.

Daft

R. L.

Lengel

R. H.

(1986). Organizational information requirements, media richness and structural design. Management Science, 32(5), 554–571. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.32.5.554

18.

Dann

(2010). Redefining social marketing with contemporary commercial marketing definitions. Journal of Business research, 63(2), 147–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2009.02.013

19.

De Veirman

Cauberghe

Hudders

(2017). Marketing through Instagram influencers: The impact of number of followers and product divergence on brand attitude. International Journal of Advertising, 36(5), 798–828. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2017.1348035

20.

Dietrich

Hurley

Carins

Kassirer

Rundle-Thiele

Palmatier

R. W.

Merritt

Weaven

S. K.

Lee

(2022). 50 years of social marketing: Seeding solutions for the future. European Journal of Marketing, 56(5), 1434–1463. https://doi.org/10.1108/ejm-06-2021-0447

21.

Dietrich

Rundle-Thiele

Kubacki

Durl

Gullo

M. J.

Arli

Connor

J. P.

(2019). Virtual reality in social marketing: A process evaluation. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 37(7), 806–820. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-11-2018-0537

22.

Eastin

M. S.

(2001). Credibility assessments of online health information: The effects of source expertise and knowledge of content. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 6(4). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2001.tb00126.x

23.

Eror

(2018). Meet Lil Miquela, the AI influencer on the cover of our new print issue. Retrieved 24 April 2022, from. https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/lil-miquela-cover-story-issue-16/

24.

Flaherty

Domegan

Anand

(2021). The use of digital technologies in social marketing: A systematic review. Journal of Social Marketing, 11(4), 378–405. https://doi.org/10.1108/jsocm-01-2021-0022

25.

Frechette

Diasio

Luckett

Trocchia

P. J.

Natali

(2023). Immersive technology as a social marketing tool: Exploring the impact of 360-video and virtual reality on intent to help and attitudes toward the homeless. Social Marketing Quarterly, 29(1), 45–66. https://doi.org/10.1177/15245004221150796

26.

Goldsmith

R. E.

Lafferty

B. A.

Newell

S. J.

(2000). The influence of corporate credibility on consumer attitudes and purchase intent. Corporate Reputation Review, 3(4), 304–318. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.crr.1540122

27.

Hair

Black

W. C.

Babin

B. J.

Anderson

R. E.

(2010). Multivariate data analysis (7th ed.). Pearson Educational International.

28.

Hayes

A. F.

(2013). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. Guilford Press.

29.

Hughes

Swaminathan

Brooks

(2019). Driving brand engagement through online social influencers: An empirical investigation of sponsored blogging campaigns. Journal of Marketing, 83(5), 78–96. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022242919854374

30.

Kandaurova

Lee

S. H. (M)

(2019). The effects of Virtual Reality (VR) on charitable giving: The role of empathy, guilt, responsibility, and social exclusion. Journal of Business Research, 100, 571–580. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.10.027

31.

Kashif

Sarifuddin

Hassan

(2015). Charity donation: Intentions and behavior. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 33(1), 90–102. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-07-2013-0110

32.

Kostygina

Tran

Binns

Szczypka

Emery

Vallone

Hair

(2020). Boosting health campaign reach and engagement through use of social media influencers and memes. Social Media + Society, 6(2), 2056305120912475. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120912475

33.

Kowalczyk

C. M.

Pounders

K. R.

(2016). Transforming celebrities through social media: The role of authenticity and emotional attachment. The Journal of Product and Brand Management, 25(4), 345–356. https://doi.org/10.1108/jpbm-09-2015-0969

34.

Lafferty

B. A.

Goldsmith

R. E.

Newell

S. J.

(2002). The dual credibility model: The influence of corporate and endorser credibility on attitudes and purchase intentions. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 10(3), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/10696679.2002.11501916

35.

Leaver

Highfield

Abidin

(2020). Instagram: Visual social media cultures. John Wiley & Sons.

36.

Lee

N. R.

Kotler

(2023). Social marketing: Behavior change for good (7th ed.). Sage Publications.

37.

Lee

Y.-J.

Zhao

Chen

(2021). Consumer response to virtual CSR experiences. Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising, 42(1), 102–122. https://doi.org/10.1080/10641734.2020.1734119

38.

Lefebvre

R. C.

(2011). An integrative model for social marketing. Journal of Social Marketing, 1(1), 54–72. https://doi.org/10.1108/20426761111104437

39.

Lou

Kiew

S. T. J.

Chen

Lee

T. Y. M.

Ong

J. E. C.

Phua

(2023). Authentically fake? How consumers respond to the influence of virtual influencers. Journal of Advertising, 52(4), 540–557. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2022.2149641

40.

Lou

Tse

C. H.

Lwin

M. O.

(2019). “Average-sized” models do sell, but what about in East Asia? A cross-cultural investigation of US and Singaporean women. Journal of Advertising, 48(5), 512–531. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2019.1668890

41.

Mainolfi

Lo Presti

Marino

Filieri

(2022). “YOU POST, I TRAVEL.” Bloggers’ credibility, digital engagement, and travelers’ behavioral intention: The mediating role of hedonic and utilitarian motivations. Psychology and Marketing, 39(5), 1022–1034. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21638

42.

Malthouse

Copulsky

(2023). Artificial intelligence ecosystems for marketing communications. International Journal of Advertising, 42(1), 128–140. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2022.2122249

43.

Martin

C. A.

Bush

A. J.

(2000). Do role models influence teenagers’ purchase intentions and behavior? Journal of Consumer Marketing, 17(5), 441–453. https://doi.org/10.1108/07363760010341081

44.

McGuire

W. J.

(1978). An information-processing model of advertising effectiveness. Behavioral and Management Science in Marketing.

45.

Miquela . (2019). Miquela and Bella Hadid get surreal | Calvin Klein [video]. Retrieved 24 April 2022, from. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuTowFf6B9I

46.

Morgenroth

Ryan

M. K.

Peters

(2015). The motivational theory of role modeling: How role models influence role aspirants’ goals. Review of General Psychology, 19(4), 465–483. https://doi.org/10.1037/gpr0000059

47.

Moustakas

Lamba

Mahmoud

Ranganathan

(2020, June). Blurring lines between fiction and reality: Perspectives of experts on marketing effectiveness of virtual influencers. In 2020 international conference on cyber security and protection of digital services (cyber security) (pp. 1–6). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/CyberSecurity49315.2020.9138861

48.

Okuah

Scholtz

B. M.

Snow

(2019). A grounded theory analysis of the techniques used by social media influencers and their potential for influencing the public regarding environmental awareness. In Proceedings of the South African institute of computer scientists and information technologists 2019 (pp. 1–10). ACM Digital Library.

49.

Olmedo

Milner‐Gulland

E. J.

Challender

D. W.

Cugnière

Dao

H. T. T.

Nguyen

L. B.

Nuno

Potier

Ribadeneira

Thomas‐Walters

Wan

A. K. Y.

Wang

Veríssimo

(2020). A scoping review of celebrity endorsement in environmental campaigns and evidence for its effectiveness. Conservation Science and Practice, 2(10), Article e261. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.261

50.

Pornpitakpan

(2004). The persuasiveness of source credibility: A critical review of five decades’ evidence. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 34(2), 243–281. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2004.tb02547.x

51.

Rundle-Thiele

Russell-Bennett

Leo

Dietrich

Kubacki

(2022). 50 Years of social marketing: Seeding solutions for the future. European Journal of Marketing, 56(5), 1434–1463. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-06-2021-0447

52.

Sands

Campbell

C. L.

Plangger

Ferraro

(2022). Unreal influence: Leveraging AI in influencer marketing. European Journal of Marketing, 56(6), 1721–1747. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-12-2019-0949

53.

Schartel Dunn

Nisbett

(2020). If childish Gambino cares, I care: Celebrity endorsements and psychological reactance to social marketing messages. Social Marketing Quarterly, 26(2), 80–92. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524500420917180

54.

Schouten

A. P.

Janssen

Verspaget

(2020). Celebrity vs. influencer endorsements in advertising: The role of identification, credibility, and product-endorser fit. International Journal of Advertising, 39(2), 258–281. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2019.1634898

55.

Schuemie

M. J.

van der Straaten

Krijn

van der Mast

C. A. P. G.

(2001). Research on presence in virtual reality: A survey. CyberPsychology and Behavior: The Impact of the Internet, Multimedia and Virtual Reality on Behavior and Society, 4(2), 183–201. https://doi.org/10.1089/109493101300117884

56.

Schwarz

(2022). Should marketers leverage virtual influencers? Forbes. Retrieved from. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2022/05/23/should-marketers-leverage-virtual-influencers/?sh=77493044b6a9

57.

Shah

Wei

(2022). Source credibility and the information quality matter in public engagement on social networking sites during the COVID-19 crisis. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 882705. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.882705

58.

Thomas

V. L.

Fowler

(2021). Close encounters of the AI kind: Use of AI influencers as Brand endorsers. Journal of Advertising, 50(1), 11–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2020.1810595

59.

Travers

(2020). What is a virtual influencer? Virtual influencers, Defined and Explained [Blog]. https://www.virtualhumans.org/article/what-is-a-virtual-influencer-virtual-influencers-defined-and-explained

60.

Tseng

C.-H.

Wei

L.-F.

(2020). The efficiency of mobile media richness across different stages of online consumer behavior. International Journal of Information Management, 50, 353–364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2019.08.010

61.

Ulrich

(2012). Seeing is believing: Using the rhetoric of virtual reality to persuade. Young Scholars in Writing, 9, 5–18.

62.

Virtual Humans . (2022). Virtual influencer marketing. https://www.virtualhumans.org/term/virtual-influencer-marketing

Social Virtual Influencer Effectiveness: Environmental Factor and Source Trust

Abstract

Background

Focus of the Article

Research Question

Program Design/Approach

Importance to the Social Marketing Field

Methods

Results

Recommendations for Research or Practice

Limitations

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References