False idols: Unpacking the opportunities and challenges of falsity in the context of virtual influencers

Sean Sands, Carla Ferraro, Vlad Demsar and Garreth Chandler

Business Horizons, 2022, vol. 65, issue 6, 777-788

Abstract: Influencer marketing has become a dominant and targeted means for brands to connect with consumers, but it also brings risks associated with influencer transgression and reputation damage. In recent years, virtual influencers have gained popularity and given rise to falsity, or artificially created and manipulated influencers that are revolutionizing the field of influencer marketing. A virtual influencer is an entity—humanlike or not—that is autonomously controlled by artificial intelligence and visually presented as an interactive, real-time rendered being in a digital environment. As brands increasingly seek to engage virtual influencers to connect with and sell to audiences, we take a step back and discuss the opportunities and challenges they present for firms and managers. To help marketers understand this emerging field, we first document the rise of virtual influencers. Then, we discuss consumer reactions to virtual influencers before unpacking their associated opportunities and challenges for brands and marketers. Finally, we conclude with an overview of implications and future considerations.

Keywords: Influencer marketing; Virtual influencers; Social media marketing; Falsity; Artificial intelligence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (14)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:bushor:v:65:y:2022:i:6:p:777-788

DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2022.08.002

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