The effect of virtual anchor appearance on purchase intention: a perceived warmth and competence perspective
| Date | 22 August 2024 |
| Pages | 84-103 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-08-2023-4690 |
| Published date | 22 August 2024 |
| Author | Yuexian Zhang,Xueying Wang |
The effect of virtual anchor appearance on
purchase intention: a perceived warmth and
competence perspective
Yuexian Zhang and Xueying Wang
Department of Business, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China
Abstract
Purpose –Although virtual anchors have emerged as potent marketing tools, their acceptance by consumers is controversial. Specifically, the
relative efficacy of selecting an all-human-like or animal-human-like virtual anchor is not well-defined. However, anthropomorphic visual cues are
vital in enhancing live streaming. This study aims to analyze the disparate effects of an animal-human-like or all-human-like virtual anchor on
purchase intention as well as evaluate the possible underlying influential mechanisms and boundary conditions.
Design/methodology/approach –In this research, three different studies were carried out to elucidate the impact of virtual anchors on purchase
intention. Study 1 evaluated the core impact of an animal-human-like and all-human-like virtual anchor on purchase intention, as well as the
mediating role of perceived warmth and competence. Studies 2 and 3 were then performed to investigate the moderating impacts of product type
and certainty of consumer needs, respectively. Furthermore, research data for these studies was collected using the Credamo tool and analyzed via
SPSS, using PROCESS for moderation and mediation analyses.
Findings –The research findings indicate that virtual anchors can trigger purchase intention, with perceived warmth and competence acting as mediating
factors. Based on the utilitarian products and high certainty of consumer needs, the influence of perceived competence on purchase intention is augmented.
Therefore, an all-human-like virtual anchor increases purchase intention. In contrast, the impact of perceived warmthon purchase intention is supplemented
for hedonic products and low certainty of consumer needs. Thus, an animal-human-like virtual anchor increases purchaseintention.
Originality/value –This research study evaluated consumer reactions to all-human-like and animal-human-like virtual anchors for differentproduct
types and the certainty of consumer needs to optimize the comprehension of a virtual anchor. Furthermore, the assessment of the mediating rolesof
perceived warmth and competence provided valuable insights into the influential mechanisms by which virtual anchors affect purchase intention.
Moreover, this study provided managerial implications to guide retailers and brands on the strategic adoption of virtual anchors to enhance
purchase intention based on the product type and the certainty of consumer needs.
Keywords Purchase intention, Perceived warmth, Perceived competence, Virtual anchor
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
The combined use of e-commerce and streaming media has
reduced the temporal and spatial limitations of live streaming
commonly relatedto online shopping. Therefore, it has become
an avant-garde sales channel and a novel consumerpurchasing
practice for brands and retailers (Wang et al., 2023;Robertson,
2022). It has been estimated that by June 2023, the live-
streaming audience in China had reached 765 million people,
constituting 71% of the total internet user base in China
(CNNIC, 2023). Therefore, the advent of virtual anchors is a
noticeable innovation,designed to captivate consumers, as well
as facilitate the promotion and the sale of merchandise (Miao
et al.,2021). iiMedia Research (2023) indicated that retailers
and brands are channeling significant investments into virtual
anchors, which is becoming a burgeoning sector in the live-
streaming market. Moreover, LeadLeo (2021) predicted an
anticipated annual market growth rate of 127.89% for virtual
anchors from 2021 to 2025. In livestreaming, visual cues serve
as the foremost elements essentialfor consumer entertainment,
consequently enhancing engagement and fostering purchase
intentions among viewers (Xu et al., 2022a). In addition, the
anthropomorphic appearance of virtual anchors constitutes
their crucial visual cue (Miao et al.,2021). However, the
effectiveness of the anthropomorphic appearance of virtual
anchors is still contentious. Furthermore, certain consumers
perceive virtual anchors’anthropomorphic appearance as more
appealing, enhancing purchase intention (Gao et al.,2023),
while others are sensitive to them asthey make them feel
uncomfortable (Wu et al.,2024). Since anthropomorphic
appearance is a critical visual cue of virtual anchors, failure to
The current issue and full text archiveof this journal is available on Emerald
Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/1061-0421.htm
Journal of Product & Brand Management
34/1 (2025) 84–103
© Emerald Publishing Limited [ISSN 1061-0421]
[DOI 10.1108/JPBM-08-2023-4690]
This project is supported by the National Social Science Foundation of
China (Grant No. 21BGL057).
Received 31 August2023
Revised 21 January 2024
27 March 2024
5 June 2024
20 July 2024
27 July 2024
29 July 2024
Accepted 29 July 2024
84
manage the anthropomorphic appearance of virtual anchors
may result in lower purchase intention (Sun et al.,2024).
Therefore, brands and retailers must explore how the
anthropomorphic appearanceof virtual anchors can be applied
over time.
Contemporary studies on the impact of virtual anchors’
anthropomorphic appearance on consumers mainly focus on
two aspects: assuming anthropomorphic appearance as a
holistic structure (Chen et al., 2024a) or from a single
viewpoint, such as gender (Chen et al., 2024b). Currently,
studies comparing the influences of diverse anthropomorphic
appearances of virtual anchors on consumersare lacking. The
computer as a social actor (CASA) theory points out that
consumers ascribe human characteristics to nonhuman entities
and respond to them as though they were human based on the
anthropomorphic appearance of virtual anchors (Waal, 1999;
Blut et al., 2021;Feine et al., 2019). However, it is still
uncertain whether these virtual anchors significantly impact
purchase intention. Due to this uncertainty,both practical and
theoretical dilemmas arise in brand and retail management,
thus justifying the need for future research.Based on the CASA
theory, this study investigates how altering the visual cues of
virtual anchors and choosing specific anthropomorphic
appearances optimizethe purchase intention in a live-streaming
context.
The mind perception theory states that consumers evaluate
cognitive cues based on two dimensions,agency which denotes
analytical reasoning capacity, and experience which
encompasses capabilities for empathy as well as emotional
engagement (Gray et al., 2007). Furthermore, the perceived
deficiency in either dimension by consumers is related to a
lowered willingness to interact (Gray et al., 2007). Previous
studies have comprehensively investigated the impact of
chatbots’experiential attributes (Dong et al.,2017) and
internet systems’agency (Lee et al.,2019) on consumer
behavior. For instance, Hu et al. (2021) analyzedhow personal
intelligent assistants affect consumer behavior using both the
agency and experimental aspects. However, Hu et al. (2021)
illuminated that existing investigations, which generally study
the agency and experimental dimension, require further
examination under certaincontexts such as tourism, education,
hospitals and live streaming. This paper assessed how virtual
anchors are perceived through stereotypical content, thereby
influencing consumercognition toward them. In particular, the
stereotype content model describes two fundamental
perceptions includingcompetence, denoting ability and skill, as
well as warmth, indicating enthusiasm and friendliness (Fiske
et al., 2002). Moreover, the agency dimension corresponds to
the warmth aspect, while the experience dimension in mind
perception theory is consistent with the competence aspect of
the stereotype contentmodel.
The emergence of virtual anchors in live streaming is a new
development.They not only offer competence through artificial
intelligence (AI) but also augment warmth through
anthropomorphic appearances.However, the current literature
scarcely investigateshow virtual anchors concurrently influence
consumers through perceived warmth and competence.
Therefore, based on the stereotype content model and mind
perception theory, this study illustrated how animal-human-
like and all-human-like virtualanchors incites varying purchase
intention through perceived warmth or competence to more
effectively investigate the association between virtual anchors
and purchase intention. The stereotype content model
associated with virtual anchors maybe affected by both the
performance of external stimuli and the internal state of
consumers, such as producttype and the certainty of consumer
needs (Blair and Review, 2002). Furthermore, consumers
concentrate on differentproduct information depending on the
product type (Belanche et al., 2024). During the purchase,
consumers of utilitarian products pay due attention to
functional and rational information, whereas those purchasing
hedonic products extensively concentrate on emotional
experiences (Liu and Lee, 2024). Therefore, different product
types have different impacts on the influences of perceived
warmth and competence on purchase intention. In addition,
the certainty of consumer needs mirrors the internal states of
consumers, which can diverge from high to low before the
purchase decisions. Consumers increasingly necessitate
warmth through empathetic communication when purchasing
under low certainty of consumer needs. However, with high
certainty of consumer needs, consumers prioritize competence
such as acquiring effective information when purchasing (Zhu
et al., 2022). Therefore,the influences of perceived warmth and
competence on purchase intention are affectedbythe certainty
of consumer needs (Zhu et al.,2022). Based on this, the present
investigation aimed to determine how the product type as well
as certainty of consumer needs moderates the effects of
perceived warmth and competence on purchase intention,
thereby affecting the influence of virtual anchors on purchase
intention.
Overall, this researcharticle analyzes how all-human-like and
animal-human-like virtual anchors affect purchase intention
through perceived warmth and competence, based on the
CASA theory, mind perception theory and the stereotype
content model. Furthermore,the moderating effects of product
type and the certainty of consumer needswere also analyzed.
Thus, this study contributes to the burgeoning field of virtual
anchors by investigating the comparative effect of animal-
human-like and all-human-likevirtual anchors in the context of
visual cues. Moreover, the findings of this study offer valuable
practical insights into selecting suitable virtual anchors that
align with product types and consumer needs, thereby
enhancing product sales and boosting purchase intentions for
brand owners and retailers.
2.The theoretical foundation and literature
review
2.1The computers as social actors theory
Reeves and Nass (1996) introduced the CASA theory, proposing
that users should be engaged with computers as they interact with
humans at a social convention. Nass and Moon (2000) extended
the CASA theory to account for user responses to social media.
According to this theory, when users encounter information
technologies possessing anthropomorphic appearances, they
respond to these technologies as though interacting with a human
being (Feine et al.,2019).
With the advancement of AI, the anthropomorphic appearances
of information technology have become increasingly sophisticated,
and intelligent technologies are now perceived as social actors that
The effect of virtual anchor appearance
Yuexian Zhang and Xueying Wang
Journal of Product & Brand Management
Volume 34 · Number 1 · 2025 · 84–103
85
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