Avatars, assemble! Digital human avatars for public figure engagement and marketing

Lucas Whittaker, Jason Weismueller and Jason I. Pallant

Business Horizons, 2026, vol. 69, issue 4, 449-461

Abstract: What if your brand’s ambassador or celebrity endorser could hold personalized conversations with your worldwide audience, in any language, at any time, without ever setting foot in a studio? Digital human avatars (DHAs) are an emerging AI-facilitated avatar technology that combines advanced form and behavioral realism to deliver human-like and interactive engagement experiences. This article explores DHAs as interactive representations of brand ambassadors or public figures for engagement. We introduce DHAs and discuss how they operate and their increasing deployment in marketing contexts to engage audiences. We provide a balanced examination of the implications of DHAs by discussing their key opportunities and key risks. We conclude by presenting five strategic considerations for DHA implementation: (1) augmentation, not replacement, (2) balance representativeness, (3) contextual alignment, (4) appropriate disclosure, and (5) privacy protection for both users and public figures. We provide specific managerial recommendations for each consideration.

Keywords: Digital human avatars; Artificial intelligence; Public figures; Engagement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:bushor:v:69:y:2026:i:4:p:449-461

DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2025.06.004

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