Virtual influencers in marketing: addressing authenticity challenges through anthropomorphism

Purpose Virtual influencers are emerging as prominent digital brand endorsers on social media; however, their perceived authenticity remains a critical challenge to their marketing effectiveness. This research addresses this gap and investigates how the anthropomorphism of virtual influencers – in appearance and behavior – differentially affects perceived authenticity through the mechanism of social presence, ultimately shaping audiences’ purchase intentions. Design/methodology/approach Drawing from social presence theory and anthropomorphism literature, we developed a theoretical framework to examine how two dimensions of anthropomorphism – appearance and behavior – translate into perceived authenticity through social presence. Additionally, we explore how these relationships vary across virtual influencer types, such as human-like and animal-like personas. An online survey was conducted via Credamo. A dataset of responses from 415 followers of virtual influencers was analyzed using SmartPLS 4.0. Findings The empirical findings reveal that both anthropomorphic appearance and behavior positively impact perceived authenticity via social presence, driving purchase intentions. Notably, anthropomorphic behavior plays a more significant role than appearance, influencing perceived authenticity both directly and indirectly via social presence. In contrast, anthropomorphic appearance affects perceived authenticity only indirectly, with a weaker effect than anthropomorphic behavior. Additionally, the strengths of these relationships vary across influencer types, such as human-like and animal-like virtual influencers. Originality/value This research pioneers scholarly efforts to address the authenticity challenges associated with virtual influencers, emphasizing that the authenticity gap is not a fixed limitation but a dynamic issue that can be addressed through deliberate design and operational strategies for virtual influencers. It advances virtual influencer research by investigating two key dimensions of anthropomorphism – appearance and behavior – and elucidating the relationship between anthropomorphism and authenticity through the lens of social presence. It uncovers variations in the effects of anthropomorphism across different types of virtual influencers, offering a sound framework to understand the dynamic interactions among factors studied.