THE POWER OF VIRTUAL INFLUENCERS: THE IMPACT OF BRAND AWARENESS AND GENDER ON BRAND ATTITUDE AND WOM INTENTION

This study investigates the impact of virtual influencers on consumer responses in the sportsshoe brand. Specifically, it examines how brand awareness (well-known vs. unknown) and influencer gender (female vs. male) affect brand attitude and word-of-mouth (Intention to share and comment on social media) intention. By controlling the level of anthropomorphism, the research isolates the effects of these factors on brand-related evaluations. The research framework is built upon consumer reactions to social media posts featuring virtual influencers promoting both well-known and unknown brands. A 2×2 experimental design was employed, manipulating brand awareness (a well-known brand vs. an unknown brand) and influencer gender (female vs. male). Four virtual influencers were developed to represent each condition. Data were collected through an online survey with 290 valid responses via YouReply, an online research platform, and analyses were conducted using GLM MANCOVA. The interaction between gender and brand awareness was found to be significant for WOM intention this indicates that male participants were more inclined to engage in WOM for the unknown brand, whereas female participants demonstrated higher WOM intention for the well-known brand. Brand awareness significantly affected brand attitude, but it did not have a significant effect on WOM intention. The analysis confirmed that anthropomorphism is a strong predictor of both brand attitude and WOM intention. These findings offer strategic insights for marketers designing virtual influencer campaigns.