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This study investigates the effects of anthropomorphism and animism on social presence as well as the mediating effect of trust in the relationship between social presence and Consumers’ intention to follow Virtual influencers (VI)’s sponsored recommendations. Two top VIs from Japan, Imma ( n  = 229) and Lil Miquela ( n  = 232), were selected for this study. Participants viewed the VIs’ profiles and Instagram posts before completing an online survey. PLS-SEM analysis was then used to test the proposed model. The findings suggest that animism has a stronger influence on social presence than anthropomorphism. Social presence then fosters trust in VIs, leading to an increased intention to follow their sponsored recommendations. This study is one of the first to explore the role of animism as a characteristic of VIs appearance, in relation to social presence and behavioral intentions, thereby extending the concept of animism to the context of VIs.

The Effect of Virtual Influencers’ Appearance on Social Presence and Consumer Engagement: Does Animism Trump Anthropomorphism?