Giving Brands a Human Touch: Disentangling How Anthropomorphic Dimensions Differentially Influence Consumers’ Processing Fluency and Brand Perceptions

The extant literature remains inconclusive regarding the mechanisms through which anthropomorphism operates and the conditions that shape its effectiveness. Building on the three-factor theory of anthropomorphism, this research develops a conceptual model to examine how four anthropomorphic dimensions—(1) appearance, (2) moral virtue, (3) cognitive experience, and (4) conscious emotionality—differentially influence consumers’ brand perceptions, considering both linear and nonlinear patterns. We test the mediating role of processing fluency and the moderating roles of self-congruity and anthropomorphic advertising receptivity. Evidence comes from 595 U.S. consumers (Study 1) and 412 U.K. consumers (Study 2), analyzed through hybrid partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), importance-performance map analysis (IPMA), and artificial neural network (ANN) methods. ANN architectures achieve 78.24% predictive accuracy in Study 1 and 79.13% in Study 2, designating the differential influence of anthropomorphic dimensions on brand perceptions. Study 2 enhances external validity while capturing a downstream behavioral outcome: purchase behavior toward a real anthropomorphized brand, accounting for the role of psychological closeness and alternative serial mediation pathways. This research advances brand anthropomorphism literature by signifying a hierarchy of importance among anthropomorphic dimensions and provides recommendations for global marketers developing effective anthropomorphic communication strategies.