Stereotyping human-like virtual influencers in retailing: Does warmth prevail over competence?

Building upon the Stereotype Content Model (SCM), the current research provides insights into how virtual influencers (VIs) influence consumer responses. More specifically, it investigates the associations between the VI's anthropomorphism and stereotypical judgments of the VI's warmth and competence as well as the differential and mediating roles of these stereotypes in influencing consumers' willingness to follow the VI's recommendations and purchase intentions. The results support the idea that anthropomorphizing VIs has a direct bearing on stereotyping VIs along the competence and warmth dimensions of the SCM. Consistent with the “Primacy-of-Warmth Effect” hypothesis, the study's findings show that perceived warmth, compared to perceived competence, is positively more associated with consumers' willingness to follow the VI's recommendations. Furthermore, the findings reveal that perceived warmth mediates the association between the VI's anthropomorphism and consumers' willingness to follow the VI's recommendations. However, the findings lend partial support to the mediating role of competence. The willingness to follow the VI's recommendations, in turn, is positively associated with purchase intention. The paper wraps up with some implications for research and practice.