Under the influence

As if real influencers were not enough, now companies are using computer-generated personalities to persuade consumers to buy their products. A study in the International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing has looked at these CGI-AI figures, which are designed and programmed to act like human social media personalities, and how they affect purchase intention when it comes to sports products.

The work uses the stimulus-organism-response framework, a model in psychology and marketing that helps explain how external stimuli affect a person’s mental state and drive behaviour. The research found that exposure to virtual influencers (the stimulus) can affect the thoughts and feelings of the consumer (the organism), leading to decisions such as making a purchase (the response).

Survey data from consumers in the Phillipines indicates that virtual influencer marketing can have a statistically significant effect on purchase intention. This effect is both direct and indirect. Indirectly, virtual influencers increase product involvement, the degree to which a consumer finds a product personally relevant, and brand familiarity, meaning how well a consumer knows a brand. Both factors lead to a greater likelihood of a purchase, the researchers found.

It seems that virtual influencers operate by deepening engagement rather than being overtly persuasive as a human influencer might. The team suggests that several psychological mechanisms underpin this process. Parasocial interaction, a term describing one-sided relationships in which audiences feel emotionally connected to media figures, helps explain why consumers may respond to virtual personalities as if they were real. Perceived realism, how lifelike and believable the influencer appears, also contributes, alongside attractiveness and perceived trustworthiness.

The findings highlight a shift in digital marketing strategies and offer an alternative to human influencers who have their own opinions and expect to be rewarded or remunerated for their efforts. Unlike human influencers, virtual figures can be tightly controlled, avoiding reputational risks and ensuring consistent messaging. This makes them appealing to brands seeking reliability in an increasingly competitive online environment.

The obverse of this, however, is that the price of such control raises questions about authenticity. As consumers form emotional connections with artificial entities, the nature of trust in advertising may change or there may even be a backlash against this kind of marketing.

Biason, R., Elnagar, A.K., Tolete, C., Elsaadany, H.A.S., Hasan, S. and Santos, L. (2026) ‘Virtual influencer marketing: mediating roles of product involvement and brand familiarity’, Int. J. Electronic Marketing and Retailing, Vol. 17, No. 6, pp.1–23.