From myth to marketplace: designing avatars for good

Olivia Petit (), Carlos Velasco, Anders Gustafsson and Charles Spence
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Olivia Petit: Kedge BS - Kedge Business School
Carlos Velasco: King‘s College London, BI Norwegian Business School [Oslo]
Anders Gustafsson: King‘s College London, BI Norwegian Business School [Oslo]
Charles Spence: University of Oxford

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Abstract: The market for digital avatars is expanding rapidly, yet consumer adoption and experiences with the technology remain uneven, highlighting the need to understand the psychological, social, and ethical effects of avatars. Building on interdisciplinary theory, we propose a conceptual model of ethical avatar design for consumer wellbeing, centred on self-congruence and humanisation, and moderated by realism and skills. The model integrates insights from the Proteus Effect, Computers-Are-Social-Actors framework, and Social Comparison Theory, and is operationalised through a self-avatar continuum that classifies forms of customisation. While avatars enable engagement, self-expression, and perspective-taking, they may also amplify risks such as stereotype reinforcement, Uncanny Valley effects, or idealized body standards. The framework presented here provides actionable strategies for designing avatars that align with user values, foster wellbeing, and encourage prosocial behaviour, offering both managerial guidance and directions for future research in marketing, health, and immersive digital environments.

Keywords: Digital; avatar; Ethical; marketing; Consumer; wellbeing; Self-representation; Customisation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026-12
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Published in Journal of Business Research, 2026, 217, pp.116434. ⟨10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.116434⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05732293

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.116434

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