Human vs virtual influencers and message framing: enhancing environmental awareness, activism and sustainable purchase intentions through effective messaging

Purpose With the advent of metaverse, virtual influencers (VIs) are on the rise and so is their usage in advertisement of various products and services. This study aims to explore the domain of sustainable marketing and presents whether a VI can be more effective than their human counterparts (HIs) when it comes to environmental messaging. The study uses the concept of message frames to check which message frame and influencer type leads to more effective communication and ultimately sustainable purchase decisions. Design/methodology/approach A 2 × 2 experimental design was employed to check the effect of the type of influencer (HI vs VIs) on message effectiveness using positive and negative message frames which ultimately affect the purchase intentions of the followers. A combination of two-way ANOVA along with PLS-SEM was used to validate the hypothesized relationships. Findings The findings from the structural equation modelling revealed that HIs still continue to be better at communicating environmental messages than VIs. Further, in lines with the previous research this study highlighted the importance of negative message frames in enhancing the effectiveness of posts related to environmental causes. Additionally, the study revealed a positive association between message effectiveness, consequential awareness, environmental activism and sustainable purchase intentions. Originality/value Though there is an emergent interest in VIs, scant literature exists on how they encourage sustainable consumer behaviour. This study attempts to fill this gap by assessing the comparison between VIs and HIs in terms of promoting sustainable consumption. It is a novel effort in the crossover of sustainable marketing and influencer marketing.