Health-Related Advertising: Leveraging Virtual and Human Influencers to Encourage Health Behaviors

Previous studies have explored the importance of health-related advertising; however, effective social media advertising strategies for promoting health behaviors remain poorly understood. Grounded in construal level theory, the current study examines the impact of influencer types (virtual vs. human) on health behavior types (illness prevention vs. illness detection). The results indicate that pairing virtual (human) influencers with illness prevention (illness detection) enhances the effectiveness of health promotion (Studies 1 and 2). This effect is driven by increased self-efficacy and reduced fear. Specifically, in the condition of illness prevention, virtual influencers are found to be more effective in increasing individuals’ self-efficacy and, consequently, help-seeking intention. However, in the illness-detection condition, human influencers proved to be more successful in reducing fear, which subsequently improved help-seeking intention (Study 3). This study enriches the literature on health-related advertising, influencer marketing, and construal level theory, offering governments, health organizations, and enterprises valuable guidance on using virtual influencers for successful health-related advertising.