Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles (한국의류학회지)

The Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles (한국의류학회)
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The Effect of the Characteristics of Virtual Influencers and Consumer Attitudes on the Purchase Intention of Apparel Products

가상 인플루언서의 특성과 소비자 태도가 패션 제품 구매의도에 미치는 영향

  • Dan Ke (Dept. of Fashion Design, College of Arts, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Yunjeong Kim (Institute of Arts and Culture, Chung-Ang University) ;
  • Kyung Wha Oh (Dept. of Fashion Design, College of Arts, Chung-Ang University)
  • 가단 (중앙대학교 예술대학 패션전공) ;
  • 김윤정 (중앙대학교 예술문화연구원) ;
  • 오경화 (중앙대학교 예술대학 패션전공)
  • Received : 2023.10.30
  • Accepted : 2023.12.19
  • Published : 2024.04.30
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Abstract

This study aimed to examine the impact of virtual influencers' characteristics on purchase intentions through attitudes toward the influencer and the brand, and to identify which factors are important depending on involvement. We used a scenario-based online survey of 320 female consumers in their twenties and thirties, and analyzed their responses through structural equation modeling using AMOS 21.0. Virtual influencers' attractiveness, reliability, familiarity, and virtuality had significant effects on consumers' attitudes toward those influencers, while their attractiveness, familiarity, and virtuality had significant effects on consumers' brand attitudes. Notably, in contrast to the other variables, virtuality had a negative effect. In addition, consumers' attitudes toward the virtual influencer significantly affected their brand attitudes and purchase intentions. We also analyzed which characteristics had significant impacts on high- and low-involvement groups. We found that reliability had the greatest influence on purchase intentions in the high-involvement group and that familiarity had the greatest influence on purchase intentions in the low-involvement group, which confirmed that the variables affecting purchase intentions differ depending on the level of involvement.

Keywords

References

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