Virtual or Human? The Impact of the Influencer Type on Gen Z Consumer Outcomes

Journal of Product and Brand Management. 2025. Vol. 34. No. 1. P. 104–118.

Valeriia Kholkina, Elizaveta Chesnokova, Elena Zelenskaya

Purpose

Virtual influencers are a growing trend in digital marketing strategies. This paper aims to compare the impact of virtual and human influencers on Gen Z consumer outcomes (Source Trust, Intention to Follow, Word-of-Mouth and Brand Attachment).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors surveyed young consumers (N = 317) in Europe and the CIS. The data are analyzed through Welch’s t-test and partial least squares structural equation modeling.

Findings

This study demonstrates that for Gen Z, human influencers are still a more effective marketing tool than virtual influencers. The latter arouse greater social-psychological distance that significantly affects consumer outcomes. Consumers with a higher need-for-uniqueness and novelty seeking have a lower social-psychological distance from virtual influencers.

Practical implications

This study offers valuable insights for practitioners in terms of influencer marketing decisions in the digital environment with respect to one of the most solvent target groups – Gen Z.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the empirical investigation of the impact of virtual influencers on the behavioral outcomes of Gen Z by including Novelty Seeking and Brand Attachment in the analysis. The research sample includes CIS and European consumers, which allows for a more comprehensive investigation.

Keywords: социальные сети, искусственный интеллект, инфлюенс-маркетинг, generation Z, influencer marketing, virtual influencer, виртуальный инфлюенсер, Artificial intelligence (AI), social media influencer, поколение Z