Virtual influencers and pro-environmental causes: The roles of message warmth and trust in experts

Abstract

Virtual influencers (VIs) are an increasingly popular form of endorsers used in marketing campaigns. With their human influencer counterparts sometimes involved in scandals and controversy, VIs can be a more reliable source to promote pro-environmental and sustainable behavior. Taking a multi-methods approach, we examine how individuals react to VIs promoting pro-environmental campaigns. Our findings from initial semi-structured interviews confirm that individuals may be open to learning about green causes from VIs. Following this, we conduct two experiments to explore how VIs should promote green causes depending on their audience. We find that message warmth is positively associated with social-psychological distance, resulting in higher levels of engagement with pro-environmental causes. Moreover, the effect of message warmth is particularly pronounced for individuals with low trust in experts. We propose actionable implications for policy makers and other stakeholders considering employing VIs to promote their pro-environmental campaigns.