Virtual influencer marketing

: the role of perceived authenticity and social psychological distance in consumer behavioural intentions

Abstract

The present study adopts a quantitative methodology and an experimental model to investigate the differences between virtual and human influencers' perceived authenticity and social psychological distance from their followers, as well as the influence of these two variables on the purchase, recommendation, and follow intention depending on the nature of influencer. A total of 214 individuals of Portuguese nationality participated in this study by answering an online questionnaire. The results indicated that virtual influencers, as compared to human influencers, are perceived as less authentic and more social psychological distant from followers. Authenticity significantly predicted follow, recommendation, and purchase intentions, while social psychological distance only directly affected recommendation intention. Although influencer type did not directly impact behavioural intentions, follow, recommendation and purchase intentions were indirectly influenced through perceived authenticity, and recommendation intention was similarly mediated by perceived social psychological distance. These results suggest that using virtual influencers to promote brands or services does not in itself represent a disadvantage compared to using human influencers and emphasises the importance of perceived authenticity and social psychological distance. This research aimed to extend the limited scientific knowledge on virtual influencer marketing, leading to the efficient use of virtual influencers in marketing plans by brands and marketers.

Date of Award	9 Dec 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Susana Silva (Supervisor) & Roberta De Cicco (Co-Supervisor)