Study: The Advantage of Virtual Influencers in Commercial Marketing May Not Enhance Their Role in Advocacy for Social Causes

A new study has found that the advantages of virtual influencers in commercial marketing do not necessarily enhance their role in advocacy for social causes. The findings by Miami University Assistant Professor Leping You, Ph.D. 2020, and University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications doctoral student Fanjue Liu were featured in “From Virtual Voices to Real Impact: Authenticity, Altruism, and Egoism in Social Advocacy by Human and Virtual Influencers” published in Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Vol. 207, Oct. 2024.

You and Liu compared the impacts of human and virtual influencers in social advocacy. They investigated the perceived authenticity of human versus virtual influencers and how it affects digital activism and altruistic motives.

According to the authors, “The differing impacts of egoistic motives in virtual and human influencers suggests that organizations with varying business goals and missions could exploit these unique attributes to advance their social responsibility agendas. This approach may compensate for the resource limitations faced by small to mid-sized nonprofit and non-governmental organizations, therefore helping them achieve their socially driven missions.”

Posted: August 14, 2024
Category: AI at CJC News, Alumni News, College News, Student News
Tagged as: Fanjue Liu, Leping You, Technologica Forecasting and Social Change, Virtual Influencers