Consumer reviews: reviewer avatar facial expression and review valence

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how the facial expression of the reviewer's avatar interacts with the valence of the consumer review to influence consumer purchase decisions. Design/methodology/approach A 2 (facial expression of the reviewer's avatar)× 2 (valence of the consumer review) between‐subjects online experimental design was used. Findings It was found that when the consumer review was positive, participants exposed to the reviewer's angry‐looking avatar were more likely to attribute the review to the product's performance than those exposed to the happy‐looking avatar. The causal attribution toward product performance, in turn, influenced the strength of intention to purchase the brand positively. When the consumer review was negative, however, there were no differential effects between the happy‐looking and the angry‐looking avatars. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on consumer reviews by identifying an important source characteristic that consumers consider when processing consumer reviews – the facial expression of the reviewer's avatar.