IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v175y2024ics0148296324000249.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Virtual influencers and pro-environmental causes: The roles of message warmth and trust in experts

Author

Listed:
  • Gerrath, Maximilian H.E.E.
  • Olya, Hossein
  • Shah, Zahra
  • Li, Huaiyu

Abstract

Virtual influencers (VIs) are an increasingly popular form of endorsers used in marketing campaigns. With their human influencer counterparts sometimes involved in scandals and controversy, VIs can be a more reliable source to promote pro-environmental and sustainable behavior. Taking a multi-methods approach, we examine how individuals react to VIs promoting pro-environmental campaigns. Our findings from initial semi-structured interviews confirm that individuals may be open to learning about green causes from VIs. Following this, we conduct two experiments to explore how VIs should promote green causes depending on their audience. We find that message warmth is positively associated with social-psychological distance, resulting in higher levels of engagement with pro-environmental causes. Moreover, the effect of message warmth is particularly pronounced for individuals with low trust in experts. We propose actionable implications for policy makers and other stakeholders considering employing VIs to promote their pro-environmental campaigns.

Suggested Citation

  • Gerrath, Maximilian H.E.E. & Olya, Hossein & Shah, Zahra & Li, Huaiyu, 2024. "Virtual influencers and pro-environmental causes: The roles of message warmth and trust in experts," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:175:y:2024:i:c:s0148296324000249
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.114520
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296324000249
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.114520?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Clee, Mona A & Wicklund, Robert A, 1980. "Consumer Behavior and Psychological Reactance," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 6(4), pages 389-405, March.
    2. Brigitte Nerlich & Nelya Koteyko & Brian Brown, 2010. "Theory and language of climate change communication," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 1(1), pages 97-110, January.
    3. Audrezet, Alice & de Kerviler, Gwarlann & Guidry Moulard, Julie, 2020. "Authenticity under threat: When social media influencers need to go beyond self-presentation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 557-569.
    4. Hsieh, Sara H. & Chang, Aihwa, 2016. "The Psychological Mechanism of Brand Co-creation Engagement," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 13-26.
    5. Akee, Randall K. Q. & Feir, Donn. L. & Gorzig, Marina Mileo & Myers Jr, Samuel, 2022. "Native American "Deaths of Despair" and Economic Conditions," IZA Discussion Papers 15546, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Winterich, Karen Page & Zhang, Yinlong & Mittal, Vikas, 2012. "How political identity and charity positioning increase donations: Insights from Moral Foundations Theory," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 346-354.
    7. Kull, Alexander J. & Romero, Marisabel & Monahan, Lisa, 2021. "How may I help you? Driving brand engagement through the warmth of an initial chatbot message," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 840-850.
    8. Eric Merkley & Peter John Loewen, 2021. "Anti-intellectualism and the mass public’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 5(6), pages 706-715, June.
    9. Seo Young Kim & Bernd H. Schmitt & Nadia M. Thalmann, 2019. "Eliza in the uncanny valley: anthropomorphizing consumer robots increases their perceived warmth but decreases liking," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 30(1), pages 1-12, March.
    10. Yaping Chang & You Li & Jun Yan & V. Kumar, 2019. "Getting more likes: the impact of narrative person and brand image on customer–brand interactions," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 47(6), pages 1027-1045, November.
    11. Dietram A. Scheufele & Nicole M. Krause, 2019. "Science audiences, misinformation, and fake news," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 116(16), pages 7662-7669, April.
    12. Matthew J. Hornsey & Emily A. Harris & Paul G. Bain & Kelly S. Fielding, 2016. "Meta-analyses of the determinants and outcomes of belief in climate change," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 6(6), pages 622-626, June.
    13. Thomas, Veronica L. & Fowler, Kendra, 2023. "Examining the outcomes of influencer activism," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    14. Elgaaied-Gambier, Leila & Monnot, Elisa & Reniou, Fanny, 2018. "Using descriptive norm appeals effectively to promote green behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 179-191.
    15. Unknown, 2022. "Wildlife Economics in the American West - Summary," Western Economics Forum, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 20(1), May.
    16. Huang, Ran & Ha, Sejin, 2020. "The effects of warmth-oriented and competence-oriented service recovery messages on observers on online platforms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 616-627.
    17. Etienne Chevalier & Sergio Pulido & Elizabeth Z'u~niga, 2021. "American options in the Volterra Heston model," Papers 2103.11734, arXiv.org, revised May 2022.
    18. Alice Audrezet & Bernadett Koles, 2023. "Virtual Influencer as a Brand Avatar in Interactive Marketing," Springer Books, in: Cheng Lu Wang (ed.), The Palgrave Handbook of Interactive Marketing, chapter 0, pages 353-376, Springer.
    19. Fine F. Leung & Flora F. Gu & Robert W. Palmatier, 2022. "Online influencer marketing," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 50(2), pages 226-251, March.
    20. Karagür, Zeynep & Becker, Jan-Michael & Klein, Kristina & Edeling, Alexander, 2022. "How, why, and when disclosure type matters for influencer marketing," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 313-335.
    21. Alexa Spence & Wouter Poortinga & Nick Pidgeon, 2012. "The Psychological Distance of Climate Change," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 32(6), pages 957-972, June.
    22. Kim, Do Yuon & Kim, Hye-Young, 2021. "Trust me, trust me not: A nuanced view of influencer marketing on social media," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 223-232.
    23. Bernritter, Stefan F. & Verlegh, Peeter W.J. & Smit, Edith G., 2016. "Why Nonprofits Are Easier to Endorse on Social Media: The Roles of Warmth and Brand Symbolism," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 27-42.
    24. Conde, Rita & Casais, Beatriz, 2023. "Micro, macro and mega-influencers on instagram: The power of persuasion via the parasocial relationship," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    25. David Dubois & Derek D. Rucker & Adam D. Galinsky, 2016. "Dynamics of Communicator and Audience Power: The Persuasiveness of Competence versus Warmth," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 43(1), pages 68-85.
    26. Pittman, Matthew & Abell, Annika, 2021. "More Trust in Fewer Followers: Diverging Effects of Popularity Metrics and Green Orientation Social Media Influencers," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 70-82.
    27. Casaló, Luis V. & Flavián, Carlos & Ibáñez-Sánchez, Sergio, 2020. "Influencers on Instagram: Antecedents and consequences of opinion leadership," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 510-519.
    28. Lee, Seonjeong (Ally) & Oh, Haemoon, 2021. "Anthropomorphism and its implications for advertising hotel brands," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 455-464.
    29. Gil Appel & Lauren Grewal & Rhonda Hadi & Andrew T. Stephen, 2020. "The future of social media in marketing," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 79-95, January.
    30. ., 2022. "American monetary policy in the nineteenth century," Chapters, in: A Comparative History of Central Bank Behavior, chapter 6, pages 134-158, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    31. Pankaj Aggarwal & Ann L. McGill, 2007. "Is That Car Smiling at Me? Schema Congruity as a Basis for Evaluating Anthropomorphized Products," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 34(4), pages 468-479, June.
    32. Anne M. van Valkengoed & Linda Steg, 2019. "Meta-analyses of factors motivating climate change adaptation behaviour," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 9(2), pages 158-163, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. van der Harst, Jesse Pieter & Angelopoulos, Spyros, 2024. "Less is more: Engagement with the content of social media influencers," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    2. Hsieh, Jung-Kuei, 2023. "The impact of influencers' multi-SNS use on followers’ behavioral intentions: An integration of cue consistency theory and social identity theory," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    3. Sharma, Monika & Rahman, Zillur, 2022. "Anthropomorphic brand management: An integrated review and research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 149(C), pages 463-475.
    4. Liu, Fu & Wei, Haiying & Zhu, Zhenzhong & Chen, Haipeng (Allan), 2022. "Warmth or competence: Brand anthropomorphism, social exclusion, and advertisement effectiveness," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    5. Liyanaarachchi, Gajendra & Mifsud, Matthieu & Viglia, Giampaolo, 2024. "Virtual influencers and data privacy: Introducing the multi-privacy paradox," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    6. Ren, Shengnan & Karimi, Sahar & Bravo Velázquez, Alberto & Cai, Jianfeng, 2023. "Endorsement effectiveness of different social media influencers: The moderating effect of brand competence and warmth," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    7. Belanche, Daniel & Casaló, Luis V. & Flavián, Marta, 2024. "Human versus virtual influences, a comparative study," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    8. Kull, Alexander J. & Romero, Marisabel & Monahan, Lisa, 2021. "How may I help you? Driving brand engagement through the warmth of an initial chatbot message," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 840-850.
    9. Zafar, Abaid Ullah & Shahzad, Mohsin & Ashfaq, Muhammad & Shahzad, Khuram, 2023. "Forecasting impulsive consumers driven by macro-influencers posts: Intervention of followers' flow state and perceived informativeness," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    10. D. Liliana González-Hernández & Raúl A. Aguirre-Gamboa & Erik W. Meijles, 2023. "The role of climate change perceptions and sociodemographics on reported mitigation efforts and performance among households in northeastern Mexico," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(2), pages 1853-1875, February.
    11. Sardar, Sainaz & Tata, Sai Vijay & Sarkar, Subhro, 2024. "Examining the influence of source factors and content characteristics of influencers' post on consumer engagement and purchase intention: A moderated analysis," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    12. Shuqair, Saleh & Filieri, Raffaele & Viglia, Giampaolo & Mattila, Anna S. & Costa Pinto, Diego, 2024. "Leveraging online selling through social media influencers," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    13. Xueqi Wang & Jin Chen, 2022. "Fear emotion reduces reported mitigation behavior in adolescents subject to climate change education," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 174(1), pages 1-16, September.
    14. Li Chen & Yajie Yan & Andrew N. Smith, 2023. "What drives digital engagement with sponsored videos? An investigation of video influencers’ authenticity management strategies," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 51(1), pages 198-221, January.
    15. Karpinska-Krakowiak, Malgorzata & Eisend, Martin, 2021. "The Effects of Animistic Thinking, Animistic Cues, and Superstitions on Brand Responses on Social Media," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 104-117.
    16. Li, Wenting & Zhao, Fang & Lee, Ji Min & Park, Jiwoon & Septianto, Felix & Seo, Yuri, 2024. "How micro- (vs. mega-) influencers generate word of mouth in the digital economy age: The moderating role of mindset," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    17. Zhao, Xiaowen & Zhu, Zhenzhong & Shan, Minghui & Cao, Rui & Chen, Haipeng (Allan), 2024. "“Informers†or “entertainers†: The effect of social media influencers on consumers' green consumption," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    18. Alboqami, Hassan, 2023. "Trust me, I'm an influencer! - Causal recipes for customer trust in artificial intelligence influencers in the retail industry," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    19. Rosengren, Sara & Campbell, Colin & Rapp Farrell, Justine, 2024. "Tricks of the trade: Understanding and utilizing influencer tactics to improve retailer performance," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    20. Osorio, Maria Lucila & Centeno, Edgar & Cambra-Fierro, Jesus, 2023. "An empirical examination of human brand authenticity as a driver of brand love," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:175:y:2024:i:c:s0148296324000249. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.