The impact of virtual influencer advertising on consumer response: a moderated chain mediation model based on mind perception and parasocial interaction

This study explore how virtual influencer advertisements affect consumer response. Based on the SOR theory, an eyetracking experiment with 76 participants and a questionnaire survey with 298 participants were conducted to construct a moderated chain mediation model. The results show that emotional virtual influencers attract more advertisement attention and exert more positive impacts on consumer response than professional ones. Mind perception and parasocial interaction act as chain mediators, while the impact of parasocial interaction on unfamiliar products endorsed is more significant. These findings open up the "black box" of virtual influencer reactions and provide guidance for virtual emotional marketing.