Digital pioneers or mere illusions? Decoding young consumers’ perceptions of virtual influencers and their social advocacy
Abstract
This study explores young consumers’ perceptions of virtual influencers in social advocacy, addressing a growing but underexplored area in the influencer marketing literature. While virtual influencers have gained popularity in brand marketing, limited research has examined their effectiveness in the context of promoting social causes, a domain traditionally reliant on human authenticity and emotional appeal. Existing studies primarily focus on virtual influencers’ aesthetics, branding potential or consumer trust in commercial settings, leaving a critical gap in understanding how audiences interpret virtual influencers’ credibility, motives and emotional resonance in non-commercial, advocacy-driven contexts. Using the source credibility model, semi-structured interviews with 26 participants reveal four key themes: lack of human qualities, human preference and emotional impact, transparency and motive concerns, and nonexperiential positioning in advocacy. While participants recognised the unique value virtual influencers bring to awareness campaigns, they also highlighted clear limitations tied to authenticity, emotional resonance and accountability. The findings offer insights into balancing authenticity and transparency to leverage virtual influencers in social cause campaigns and contribute to influencer marketing literature by extending the understanding of virtual influencer effectiveness beyond commercial contexts. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at http://hstalks.com/business.
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Author's Biography
Huan Chen is Chair and Professor in the Department of Advertising at the University of Florida. Her research focuses on artificial intelligence and communication, social media and advertising, and international and cross-cultural advertising. She has written nearly 100 articles for leading peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Advertising, International Journal of Advertising, and Journal of Business Research, among others. Dr Chen serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Advertising, International Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research, Journal of Interactive Advertising, Annals of Management Science and the Journal of Ethnographic & Qualitative Research. Her work has been recognised with top paper and research awards from national and international associations. She has received research funding from the American Academy of Advertising and the National Science Foundation. Dr Chen earned her PhD in communication and information from the University of Tennessee, her MA in advertising from the University of Florida, and her BA in advertising and MA in communication from Wuhan University.
Samantha Olinick graduated from the University of Florida in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in advertising and a master’s degree in mass communication. Since 2021, Samantha has worked as a qualitative research assistant, contributing to projects focused on artificial intelligence in advertising, social media marketing and social cause advertising. They are currently pursuing a career as a social media coordinator with a nonprofit organisation in New York City, with the aim of applying research-driven insights to mission-driven storytelling and community engagement.
Ziqi Zhu is a doctoral student in the College of Journalism and Communications. His research centres on how social identities shape the ways individuals and groups access, interpret and respond to information in digital environments. His work examines how identity-based frameworks influence meaning-making, trust and engagement with media content, particularly in contexts of political communication, digital culture and crisis communication. By focusing on the interaction between identity, media systems and social contexts, his research seeks to explain how different groups construct reality, assign responsibility and navigate uncertainty in an increasingly mediated world.
Cheng Chang is a doctoral student in the Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations at The University of Texas at Austin. Her research focuses on leveraging emerging technologies to address important societal challenges, including public health and social justice, with a particular emphasis on advancing gender equity. She is passionate about exploring how artificial intelligence can influence audience perspectives and foster more effective and engaging communication strategies to drive meaningful social change.
