Virtual or human? The impact of the influencer type on Gen Z consumer outcomes
| Date | 30 October 2024 |
| Pages | 104-118 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-12-2023-4885 |
| Published date | 30 October 2024 |
| Author | Valeriia Kholkina,Elizaveta Chesnokova,Elena Zelenskaya |
Virtual or human? The impact of the influencer
type on Gen Z consumer outcomes
Valeriia Kholkina and Elizaveta Chesnokova
St. Petersburg School of Economics and Management, HSE University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, and
Elena Zelenskaya
Department of Management, HSE University, St. Petersburg, Russian Federation
Abstract
Purpose –Virtual influencers are a growing trend in digital marketing strategies. This paper aims to compare the impact of virtual and human
influencers on Gen Z consumer outcomes (Source Trust, Intention to Follow, Word-of-Mouth and Brand Attachment).
Design/methodology/approach –The authors surveyed young consumers (N¼317) in Europe and the CIS. The data are analyzed through
Welch’st-test and partial least squares structural equation modeling.
Findings –This study demonstrates that for Gen Z, human influencers are still a more effective marketing tool than virtual influencers. The latter
arouse greater social-psychological distance that significantly affects consumer outcomes. Consumers with a higher need-for-uniquenessand
novelty seeking have a lower social-psychological distance from virtual influencers.
Practical implications –This study offers valuable insights for practitioners in terms of influencer marketing decisions in the digital environment
with respect to one of the most solvent target groups –Gen Z.
Originality/value –This research contributes to the empirical investigation of the impact of virtual influencers on the behavioral outcomes of Gen Z
by including Novelty Seeking and Brand Attachment in the analysis. The research sample includes CIS and European consumers, which allows for a
more comprehensive investigation.
Keywords Social media influencer, Virtual influencer, Influencer marketing, Artificial intelligence, Generation Z, Brand attachment,
Word-of-mouth, Source trust, Intention to follow, Psychological distance
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining momentum
(Harreis et al., 2023), especially regarding human interaction
with new virtual and robotictechnologies (Lou et al., 2021). AI
is revolutionizing the digital purchasing experience by
integrating customer digital traces through an omnichannel
approach, enhancing customer satisfaction and perceived
service (Blom et al.,2021). Social media (SM) platforms are
saturated with human-generated content (Malik et al., 2023)
and content that is providedby nonhuman influencers (Qu and
Baek, 2023;Sands et al.,2022) which blend the physical and
digital elements of the environmentin their communication.
Gen Z is viewed as the most important target group of
influencer marketing due to their growing spending power and
theroleinfluencers play in their purchase decisions (Tian et al.,
2023). This generation is curious about new technologies and
experiences, especially in the digital world (Carroll, 2019;Francis
and Hoefel, 2018). They are more likely to be engaged with the
content produced by nonhuman influencers (Carroll, 2019)and
easily build emotional connections with empathetic computer-
generated characters (Luthera, 2020).
While Gen Z is becoming more solvent (Baykal,2020;Sands
et al., 2022), changingthe consumption landscape (Francis and
Hoefel, 2018), brands are starting to focus on state-of-the-art
methods to attract young consumers by creating a seamless
omni-digital experience. Marketers consider collaborations
with fictitious personalities to be strategically profitable and
different from conventional advertising campaigns with
celebrities and public figures (Luthera, 2020). However, the
implementation of virtual influencers is not without marketing
risks. First, philosophical and ethical considerations arise,
including uncertainty about their metaphysical nature and
autonomous status, concerns over the moral obligations of the
actions of virtual personas and the transparency of their
identities and the companies behind them (Robinson, 2020).
Second, studies have indicated a feeling of eeriness and
discomfort among users if the virtual influencer possesses an
obvious resemblance to a human (Seymour et al., 2020;
Arsenyan andMirowska, 2021;Lou et al., 2022).
While the research interest in virtual influencer marketing is
growing (Byun and Ahn, 2023), there is still little empirical
evidence on the impact of virtual influencers on consumer
behavior. Some studiesare qualitative (Baumgarth et al., 2021)
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) 104–118
© Emerald Publishing Limited [ISSN 1061-0421]
[DOI 10.1108/JPBM-12-2023-4885]
Received 15 December 2023
Revised 27 May 2024
5 August 2024
Accepted 19 September 2024
104
Get this document and AI-powered insights with a free trial of vLex and Vincent AI
Get Started for FreeStart Your 3-day Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your 3-day Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your 3-day Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your 3-day Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting
Start Your 3-day Free Trial of vLex and Vincent AI, Your Precision-Engineered Legal Assistant
-
Access comprehensive legal content with no limitations across vLex's unparalleled global legal database
-
Build stronger arguments with verified citations and CERT citator that tracks case history and precedential strength
-
Transform your legal research from hours to minutes with Vincent AI's intelligent search and analysis capabilities
-
Elevate your practice by focusing your expertise where it matters most while Vincent handles the heavy lifting