Who Is More Trusted? A Comparison of Virtual and Human Influencers in Building Consumer Trust
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.30872/yjb9zc55Abstract
The rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has led to the emergence of virtual influencers as a new alternative in digital marketing. The growing use of virtual influencers raises questions regarding their ability to build consumer trust compared to human influencers, who have traditionally dominated influencer marketing practices. This study aimed to map and synthesize the existing literature on the roles of virtual and human influencers in shaping consumer trust. A scoping review methodology was employed following the framework proposed by Arksey and O'Malley and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Literature searches were conducted through Publish or Perish, supported by Mendeley and Rayyan AI, covering publications from 2021 to 2026. A total of 20 articles meeting the inclusion criteria were analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed that consumer trust is primarily influenced by four key factors: source credibility, authenticity, parasocial interaction, and mind perception. Human influencers generally achieve higher levels of trust because they are perceived as more authentic, possess real-life experiences, and are better able to establish emotional connections with audiences. In contrast, virtual influencers demonstrate advantages in audience engagement, identity consistency, and brand control. These findings suggest that the effectiveness of both influencer types is highly contextual and depends on product characteristics, marketing communication objectives, and consumer attributes. This study contributes to the literature by providing a conceptual synthesis of the mechanisms underlying consumer trust formation toward virtual and human influencers and by identifying future research directions in this evolving field.
Perkembangan kecerdasan buatan (Artificial Intelligence/AI) telah mendorong munculnya influencer virtual sebagai alternatif baru dalam pemasaran digital. Kehadiran influencer virtual menimbulkan pertanyaan mengenai kemampuannya dalam membangun kepercayaan konsumen dibandingkan influencer manusia yang selama ini mendominasi pemasaran influencer. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memetakan dan mensintesis literatur mengenai peran influencer virtual dan influencer manusia dalam pembentukan kepercayaan konsumen. Penelitian menggunakan metode scoping review dengan mengacu pada kerangka Arksey dan O'Malley serta pedoman PRISMA-ScR. Proses pencarian literatur dilakukan melalui Publish or Perish dengan bantuan Mendeley dan Rayyan AI pada rentang publikasi tahun 2021-2026. Sebanyak 20 artikel yang memenuhi kriteria inklusi dianalisis menggunakan pendekatan analisis tematik. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa pembentukan kepercayaan konsumen dipengaruhi oleh empat faktor utama, yaitu source credibility, authenticity, parasocial interaction, dan mind perception. Influencer manusia cenderung memperoleh tingkat kepercayaan yang lebih tinggi karena dipersepsikan lebih autentik, memiliki pengalaman nyata, dan mampu membangun hubungan emosional yang lebih kuat dengan audiens. Sebaliknya, influencer virtual menunjukkan keunggulan pada aspek keterlibatan audiens, konsistensi identitas, dan kontrol merek. Temuan ini mengindikasikan bahwa efektivitas kedua jenis influencer bersifat kontekstual dan dipengaruhi oleh karakteristik produk, tujuan komunikasi pemasaran, serta karakteristik konsumen. Penelitian ini memberikan kontribusi berupa sintesis konseptual mengenai mekanisme pembentukan kepercayaan konsumen terhadap influencer virtual dan influencer manusia serta mengidentifikasi agenda penelitian yang perlu dikembangkan pada masa mendatang.
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