This study aims to analyse user sentiments towards virtual influencers on Instagram and identify key positive and negative themes to enhance the understanding of consumer perceptions of digital media strategies.
Using sentiment analysis and text-mining techniques, 20,000 comments from Instagram were systematically classified into positive and negative sentiments. The study identified seven positive themes (creativity, engagement, inspiration, aesthetic appeal, community support, brand collaboration and authenticity) and five negative themes (commercialisation, deception, privacy concerns, emotional connection and cultural insensitivity).
The findings revealed that users highly value creativity, engagement and authenticity in virtual influencers, which contributes to positive user experiences. Conversely, excessive commercialisation, perceived deception and cultural insensitivity are significant negative factors that can erode trust and loyalty.
This study was limited to Instagram comments, which may not fully represent sentiments on other social media platforms. Further research could use a more extensive sample and apply other qualitative techniques to obtain more detailed findings. Future research could also track changes in attitudes in relation to virtual influencers over time.
The findings of this study offer practical guidelines for brands and marketers on how to leverage virtual influencers effectively. Thus, by focusing on positive aspects and responding to negative issues, brands can improve customer interaction, satisfaction and loyalty.
This study contributes to the literature on virtual influencer marketing by identifying key psychological and cultural factors that shape consumer sentiment. It also introduces a replicable text mining framework for future research on digital branding, emotional engagement and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven marketing.
This study enhances the theoretical understanding of digital media and cultural sensitivity and provides practical recommendations for enhancing virtual influencer strategies. These findings can help brands and marketers better understand the consumer perception landscape in the digital media age.
