With the rapid development of artificial intelligence, virtual influencers (VIs) have attracted increasing attention as emerging brand endorsers, yet how their multidimensional anthropomorphism shapes brand image remains underexplored. Grounded in Mind Perception Theory and Social Identity Theory, this study examines how virtual influencers' multidimensional anthropomorphism influences brand image through trustworthiness and parasocial interaction, while considering the moderating role of autonomy.
This study surveyed 411 participants who had experience following virtual influencers, and analyzed the proposed relationships using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and importance–performance map analysis (IPMA).
Positive anthropomorphism of VIs increases trustworthiness, whereas negative anthropomorphism decreases trustworthiness. Trustworthiness further enhances brand image through parasocial interaction. Autonomy strengthens the positive effect of attractiveness on trustworthiness and amplifies the negative effect of eeriness on trustworthiness, but does not moderate the effect of humanness.
This study extends the three-dimensional anthropomorphism framework to the context of VI endorsement, revealing the mechanism through which anthropomorphism shapes brand image by trustworthiness and parasocial interaction, and further clarifying the moderation of autonomy in this process, deepening the understanding of brand image construction by VIs in brand marketing.
