Analyses of the Relationship between Virtual Influencers’ Endorsements and Customer Brand Engagement in Social Media

Abstract

This article studies how virtual influencers' endorsements affect consumer brand engagement on social media. Existing studies have found that consumers' participation in social media brand activities has both internal and external motivation, that is, the internal needs of the audience and social network recommendation. However, there is relatively little research on what characteristics of virtual influencers' endorsements can influence the motivations. To enrich the relevant content, by using qualitative research and a case study, 20 respondents aged 18-29 were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews to discuss their perceptions of customer brand engagement on social media. The findings reveal that, the visibility, authenticity of appearance, and brand fit of virtual influencers, as well as interactivity, creativity, and brand storytelling in advertising content design, were positively correlated with customer brand engagement in social media. In terms of internal motivation, customer brand engagement is mainly related to the audience's needs for love and belongingness, cognitive and self-actualization. This research can provide insights into the increasing popularity of virtual influencers in social media marketing and provide direction for future research.