Human, Virtual Human-Like, and Anime Influencers in the Fashion Industry: Examining the Mediating Role of Perceived Authenticity and Parasocial Interactions in the Relationship Between Perceived Novelty, Purchase Intentions, and Word-of-Mouth Intentions

As social media continues to transform the marketing landscape, influencer marketing has emerged as a powerful and influential strategy across various industries, particularly within the fashion sector, changing the way brands connect with consumers and build trust in the digital age. The rise of virtual influencers has introduced new dynamics into this domain. These digitally fabricated figures are gaining increasing power in shaping consumer behavior. This study investigated how perceived novelty influences consumers' purchase intentions and word-of-mouth intentions, and whether these effects are mediated by perceived authenticity and parasocial interactions. Additionally, the study explored whether these relationships differ across three types of influencers, more specifically human, virtual human-like, and anime influencers. To determine this, a between-subjects online experiment (n = 154) was conducted, where participants were randomly exposed to one of three Instagram posts from a fictional fashion brand, each featuring a different type of influencer. The findings revealed that perceived novelty significantly and positively influences both purchase and word-of-mouth intentions. Moreover, perceived authenticity and parasocial interactions each partially mediate these relationships, indicating that psychological engagement plays a key role in shaping consumer responses. Importantly, the influence of perceived novelty on perceived authenticity was moderated by influencer type, being strongest for the anime influencer, followed by the human influencer, and weakest for the virtual human-like influencer. However, influencer type did not significantly moderate the direct effects of novelty on purchase or word-of-mouth intentions, nor on parasocial interactions. This research contributes to the growing literature on influencer marketing by offering a nuanced understanding of how various types of digital personas influence consumer behavioral intentions. Additionally, the insights from this study offer useful implications for brands and marketers seeking to design effective influencer campaigns, particularly by incorporating virtual influencers as a strategic tool in an increasingly fast paced, digitized and saturated media environment.