The Moderating Role of Homophily and Need for Uniqueness in the Relationship Between Anthropomorphism of Virtual Influencer and Intention to Imitate and Word of Mouth

With the recent gradual reduction in negative perceptions of virtual influencers (VIs), understanding how consumers perceive VIs’ anthropomorphism and its impact on forming consumer relationships is critical for increasing marketing effectiveness. To gain a better understanding of how consumers form relationships with VIs, this study examined VI characteristics as well as consumer personalities. The study’s data were collected from a sample of 266 social media users. The results show that VI’s anthropomorphism positively affected the parasocial relationship (PSR). This association was reinforced by homophily, whereas the neede for uniqueness dampened it. PSR positively influenced trust, intention to imitate, and word-of-mouth (WOM). Moreover, trust positively affected imitation intention and WOM. This study aimed to broaden theoretical understanding, specifically on consumers’ responses to VIs, which is an emerging research area, while providing practical recommendations for companies incorporating VIs into their strategies.