Virtual idol consumption among Generation Z: exploring fandom motivations, engagement behavior, and marketing implications

Virtual idols have rapidly gained worldwide popularity among young people and have become a significant marketing tool for promoting brands and expanding market reach. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study conducted in-depth interviews to explore motivations, engagement behavior, and consumption patterns underlying Generation Z’s virtual idol fandom. The findings reveal that virtual idol fandom is shaped by both intrinsic and attribute-driven motivations. Within the fandom, engagement with and consumption of virtual idols are driven by overlapping motivational pathways combining emotional involvement, relational control, technology fascination, and community participation. Where community participation is involved, virtual idol fandom extends beyond individual engagement into a socio-technical ecosystem shaped by user agency, platform affordances, and regulatory oversight. At the same time, virtual idol fans seek emotional involvement while pursuing a ‘secure distance’ that preserves psychological boundaries and relational control. This study develops an SDT-informed interpretive framework that reconfigures diverse motivations within contemporary virtual idol fandom. By mapping distinct fan-as-consumer profiles, this study offers practical implications for the scalability of digital persona-led industries and insights for brands seeking to leverage the visibility and influence of virtual idols for targeted promotion among young consumers, enhanced brand value creation, and sustainable expansion in global markets.