Social media influencers have become a powerful tool in marketing in the past decade; consumers who engage with the influencers are more likely to trust their recommendations. A VI is a very attractive marketing tool for brands and businesses. However, there is little empirical work about why and how consumers react to the anthropomorphism of virtual agents. Therefore, this study develops an understanding of how consumers interact with VI, emphasizing the perceived anthropomorphism's role. Consequently, we aim to investigate antecedents and outcomes of perceived anthropomorphism of the VI from online consumers' perspectives to develop and implement effective marketing strategies on social media platforms.

ABSTRACT
Introduction
Hypothesis Development
Results
Contributions

• Zhan Wang(U.S.A., Saint Cloud State University)
• Wootae Chun(Canada, University of Northern British Columbia)