Virtual vs. Human influencers: The battle for consumer hearts and minds

Abstract

Virtual influencers, or fictional CGI-generated social media personas, are gaining popularity. However, research lacks information on how they compare to human influencers in shaping consumer attitudes and purchase intent. This study examines whether perceived homophily and para-social relationships mediate the effect of influencer type on purchase intent and the moderating effect of perceived authenticity. A 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment manipulated influencer type (virtual vs. human) and product type (hedonic vs. utilitarian). Young adult participants viewed an Instagram profile of a lifestyle influencer. Authenticity, perceived homophily, para-social relationship, and purchase intent were measured using established scales. Perceived homophily and para-social relationships mediate the effect of influencer type on purchase intent. A significant interaction showed that perceived authenticity moderated the mediated pathway, such that the indirect effect via para-social relationship and perceived homophily was stronger for human influencers. Maintaining an authentic persona is critical for virtual influencers to sway consumer behaviours, especially for audiences less familiar with social media.