Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/320744 
Year of Publication: 
2023
Citation: 
[Journal:] Administrative Sciences [ISSN:] 2076-3387 [Volume:] 13 [Issue:] 8 [Article No.:] 178 [Year:] 2023 [Pages:] 1-21
Publisher: 
MDPI, Basel
Abstract: 
In recent years, a new type of influencer has emerged in the field of social media marketing: virtual influencers. Though it is spreading fast, the trend is still new and, therefore, limited research has been conducted on the topic. This study aims to investigate the impact of virtual influencers on customers and whether there is a direct impact on human influencers due to the rise of virtual influencers in the industry. The study employed a questionnaire-based survey method to collect and analyse responses from a sample of 357 participants. The questions focus on trust, credibility, expertise, and contribution to purchase intention by the virtual influencers. The results indicate that customers are increasingly attracted to virtual influencers and that virtual influences are perceived as more trustworthy, credible, and relevant to customers' preferences, leading to an increase in purchase intention. The study also discusses the implications of these findings for managers designing marketing campaigns.
Subjects: 
virtual influencers
consumer behaviour
artificial intelligence
consumer perception
social media marketing
influencer marketing
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by Logo
Document Type: 
Article
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