Who says what? How message appeals shape virtual- versus human-influencers’ impact on consumer engagement

Purpose Influencer marketing has become a pivotal strategy in modern interactive marketing, making it essential to understand the comparative effectiveness of human and virtual influencers (VIs) in driving consumer engagement. However, existing research presents mixed findings, which may stem from variations in the type of message influencers convey. As altering message appeal is a nearly zero-cost, easily implementable strategy, this study examines how the interaction between influencer type (virtual vs. human) and message appeal (rational vs. emotional) influences consumer engagement. Furthermore, we investigate the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions that shape this relationship. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on persuasion and feeling-as-information theory, we conducted three experiments to test our hypothesis. Study 1 explored how influencer type affects engagement with rational versus emotional travel ads. Study 2, using a different experimental design in another interactive marketing context, replicated Study 1’s findings and further explored the underlying mechanisms of feeling of rightness. Study 3 demonstrated the moderating role of anthropomorphism such that endowing humanlike features on VI in using emotional appeal strategy increases consumer repost choice and purchase intention for the bar soap. Findings Three experiments (total N = 1,137) demonstrated that VIs using rational appeals and human influencers using emotional appeals increased ad clicks (Study 1), boosted willingness to pay for the Ring Fit (Study 2) and enhanced post-sharing and purchase intention for bar soap (Study 3). This effectiveness is attributed to the matching effect, which enhances the feeling of rightness and thereby increases consumer engagement (Study 2). Notably, VIs can overcome their limitations in using emotional appeals when they are endowed with real-life experiences, showing the moderating role of anthropomorphism (Study 3). Originality/value The findings not only offer new insights that help reconcile conflicting perspectives on influencer effectiveness in the literature but also have practical implications for firms’ influencer marketing strategies and product promotional message strategies.