Parasocial Research Articles

ANALISIS PERSEPSI MASYARAKAT DUNIA TERHADAP VIRTUAL YOUTUBER YANG MENAWARKAN PENGALAMAN KEKASIH

This research investigates the global public's perception of the phenomenon of Virtual YouTubers (VTubers) who offer romantic experiences such as "boyfriend" or "girlfriend experience." Involving sentiment analysis, this study collected and classified 1623 comments from social media platforms using the Microsoft Azure algorithm. The analysis results indicate that the majority of the public holds a negative view of such relationships, depicting the complexity of social interactions in the digital world. These findings underscore the importance of understanding the impact of VTubers' phenomenon in the context of parasocial relationships. The research recommends increased discussions through other social platforms and the development of more advanced sentiment analysis models for a deeper understanding of this phenomenon. The research findings emphasize the relevance and complexity of VTubers' phenomenon in today's digital culture, highlighting the importance of developing social understanding of human interactions in a virtual context.

Jumpa Penggemar Artis dari Lensa Interaksi Parasosial Virtual

Meeting fans is something that is difficult to realize during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the entertainment industry reproduces the relationship between fans and celebrities through social media-mediated fan encounters in order to balance the impact of business and intimate relationships with fans. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, the author explores celebrity and fan interactions at South Korean celebrity Lee Sung Kyung's fanmeeting via TikTok using Horton and parasocial theory. Previous research has not explained the interactions between celebrities and fans when fanmeetings take place in virtual spaces with a qualitative approach. The form of virtual fanmeetings actually repeats previous offline fanmeetings. Both sell artist personas as commodities. However, the absence of physical interaction makes these virtual fanmeetings very difficult to distinguish from broadcasts on conventional television. The author believes that fanmeetings are offline products that cannot be replaced with virtual content because they do not involve voluntary interactions such as hugs, handshakes, or other physical interactions that play a role in physical and emotional intimacy. This research strengthens Horton & Wohl's (11956) that the interaction between the audience and the celebrity is actually one-sided, not dialectical, controlled by the celebrity, and there is no mutual development of the relationship. Furthermore, celebrity parasocial interaction in this study is shown as "selective self-presentation of the sender of the message" in mediated communication.

“Not all travel videos are equal.” Examining the effects of short travel videos on travel intentions and electronic word-of-mouth

Although short-form videos are treated as an effective marketing tool for destinations to attract potential tourists’ attention, what characteristics of short travel videos stimulate potential tourists to involve in destinations and the influence of users’ inertia behavior of viewing short travel videos on its promotion efficiency remains poorly studied. Thus, this study put forward a conceptual model to investigate the power of content novelty of short travel videos and parasocial relationships on users’ involvement behavior and explored the moderating role of inertia between involvement and users’ travel intentions. Partial least squares (PLS) path modeling was applied to evaluate the linkage between variables, in which 212 valid questionnaires were collected via private messages to users who commented on or posted relevant short travel videos. Data results revealed that content novelty and parasocial relationships significantly influence users’ involvement behavior, further predicting travel intention and electronic word-of-mouth. Inertia behavior negatively moderates users’ intention to travel; their browsing behavior primarily serves as a means of passing time, but they do nothing significant. The findings provided a novel viewpoint on the existing destination marketing literature in short travel videos by testing the interactive role of inertia with involvement. Further implications will be discussed below.

Increasing the Effectiveness of Public Service Announcements Among Gen Z by Using Influencer Advertising

In this study, we aim to explore the effectiveness of influencer advertising in the realm of public policy. More specifically, we will be examining key factors that can potentially increase psychological reactance among individuals belonging to Generation Z when they are processing anti-binge drinking Public Service Announcements. We then discuss how collaboration between federal agencies and social media influencers can overcome the hurdles posed by psychological reactance. By drawing upon the existing research on persuasive messages, psychological reactance, influencer advertising, and parasocial relationships, our findings will hold significant value for policymakers in disseminating impactful Public Service Announcements that resonate with Generation Z.

When employees become streamers: the mediating power of friendship and self-congruity

研究目的本研究旨在调查员工直播主对消费者购买行为和品牌形象的影响, 以及了解友谊和自我一致性在其中的中介作用。研究方法本研究提出了一个框架, 以解释员工直播主的特质通过友谊和自我一致性的中介对消费者行为和品牌形象的影响。在中国收集了225份有效的调查问卷数据, 并采用PLS-SEM分析来测试假设关系的统计显著性。研究发现研究发现员工直播主的四种特质 - 可信度、吸引力、反应能力和专业性 - 通过自我一致性和友谊的中介对消费者的购买行为和品牌形象产生了显著影响。研究创新本研究深入探讨了员工直播主在消费者决策和品牌形象塑造中的不同作用, 为学者们理解消费者与员工直播主之间PSI（伪社交互动）的因素提供了理论基础, 为直播和消费者行为领域的日益增长的文献体系做出了贡献。

THE ETHICAL IMPORTANCE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN B2B MARKETING: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The article discusses some relevant philosophical and methodological aspects of the analysis of the processes of digitalization of markets and the introduction of digital technologies in business management related to digital ethics. The empirical research conducted by the author is aimed at identifying current trends in the implementation of artificial intelligence in marketing, the attitude of company management to the implementation of these processes, awareness of ethical aspects and problems of interaction with consumers. The goal of the work is to advance the issues of determining the attributes of digital ethics for the use of artificial intelligence in business: assessing the awareness of new opportunities and risks in Russian entrepreneurship. These issues naturally attract the attention of Russian. In this regard, a number of ethical problems relevant to the digital space are identified, such as problems of information wars and cyber attacks, problems of information security, privacy of private life, primacy of information sources, digital education technologies, transformation of moral values, in particular , perceptions of cruelty and violence in the digital entertainment industry, ethics of virtual communities, the use of artificial intelligence and virtual reality in production teams. The issues of developing the business environment, in particular, the reputational risks of companies in the context of the emergence of a new digital ethics, also deserve special attention . The wide public response to the ethical aspects of digitalization of various aspects of public relations has led to the development of a number of international and Russian documents that bring to the fore the observance of ethical principles and norms in the new environment of life and development of society. About two dozen large Russian companies and organizations signed the first Russian “Code of Ethics for Artificial Intelligence” at the end of 2021. The Artificial Intelligence Code states that responsibility in the application of this technology must always remain with humans. Its development is provided for by the AI Development Strategy until 2030 and the federal project “Artificial Intelligence”. For now, compliance with the norms of this document is voluntary. There are similar documents in 20 countries, 35 large companies in the world already have their own codes, in Russia - Sberbank and Yandex (Artificial Intelligence...). At the end of 2022, the European Union adopted the European Declaration on European Digital Rights and Principles (European Digital Rights.). Keywords: digital ethics, business ethics, artificial intelligence, marketing, parasocial relationships.

The Influence of Parasocial Relations on Contemporary Chinese Young Women's Idol Worship: A Study on Fan Culture

With the booming development of socio-economic and Internet technology, social culture has also continued to improve and enrich the times. Fan culture is given a new cultural connotation, and the fans cover the coverage of all sectors of society, which has attracted widespread attention. This study explores the correlation between parasocial relationships and celebrity worship among young Chinese women, utilizing questionnaires to examine how social connections influence celebrity worship behavior and its impact on well-being. The findings reveal a significant association between parasocial connections with celebrities and the level of celebrity worship. Despite potential adverse effects, celebrity worship provides emotional support and fosters a positive outlook on the future through parasocial relationships. The research also delves into the psychological mechanisms underlying the formation of these relationships, emphasizing the role of social media and celebrity culture. Understanding celebrity worship among young Chinese women contributes to our understanding of fan behavior, personal identity development, and the broader socio-cultural context of media and celebrity in contemporary society.

Hubungan Parasosial Army di Weverse (Studi Pada Komunitas Army Balikpapan)

Parasocial relationships is the participation of fans who connect with an idol and become emotionally attached to them because the process satisfy each fan individually. The parasocial relationship that occurs between fans of the K-pop group BTS and their fans, namely ARMY, is established on the digital media Weverse. The aim of this research is to understand the description of parasocial relationships by looking at the levels of fan parasocial interaction: Entertainment Social Value, Intense Personal Feeling, Bonderline Pantalogical Tendency. This research employs the phenomenological method, a qualitative approach that allows for detailed observation and hearing of people's individual explanations and understandings based on their experiences. The sampling technique in this research used purposive sampling technique. Sampling took the form of observation, documentation and in-depth interviews as primary data analyzed using the Miles and Huberman model. According to the study's findings, fans' emotional attached to BTS were shown by ARMY's parasocial interactions, which included motivation aspect at the Entertainment Social Value level, intensity aspect at the Intense Personal Feeling level, and obsession aspect, willing to do anything behaviour, irrational and uncontrollble thinking at the Bonderline Pantalogical Tendency level.

Fictional friends and enemies as first aid after ostracism? Experimentally investigating the potential of para-/orthosocial relationships in belongingness need restoration and emotion regulation

Abstract Being socially excluded seriously threatens individuals’ need to belong and emotional well-being. This article investigates to what extent different coping strategies help overcome these detrimental effects: thinking about real-life friends/enemies (i.e., orthosocial relationships, OSRs) and thinking about (dis)liked media characters (i.e., parasocial relationships, PSRs). Across three experiments (NPilot = 129, NStudy1 = 132, NStudy2 = 855), we first induced social exclusion using a virtual ball-tossing game. Afterward, we manipulated different relationship types and valences and compared them to non- or less-relational control conditions. As hypothesized, belongingness and emotional well-being increased from pre- to post-coping. This effect was fully mediated by perceived relationship closeness to the respective person(a). Highlighting that PSRs represent more than surrogates (i.e., secondary replacements of OSR), both relationship types did not differ in coping effectiveness. Moreover, positive relationships were more effective in fulfilling both coping goals than negative ones.

The impact of virtual influencer advertising on consumer response: a moderated chain mediation model based on mind perception and parasocial interaction

ABSTRACT This study explore how virtual influencer advertisements affect consumer response. Based on the SOR theory, an eyetracking experiment with 76 participants and a questionnaire survey with 298 participants were conducted to construct a moderated chain mediation model. The results show that emotional virtual influencers attract more advertisement attention and exert more positive impacts on consumer response than professional ones. Mind perception and parasocial interaction act as chain mediators, while the impact of parasocial interaction on unfamiliar products endorsed is more significant. These findings open up the “black box” of virtual influencer reactions and provide guidance for virtual emotional marketing.

Patient influencer: the impact of homophily on value co-creation behaviour in online health communities

ABSTRACT The world has witnessed a rapid rise of online health communities (OHCs) where patients can create a powerful network of support and resources to make a meaningful difference in people’s health lives. Despite this rapid rise, healthcare authorities and organisations are under enormous pressure to create a sustainable environment for OHCs. Prior studies revealed that encouraging patient value co-creation behaviour (VCB) is substantially beneficial for successful OHCs; however, what factors influence these patient behaviours to co-create value is still unknown. To fill this gap, this study uses the service-dominant logic perspective of value co-creation theory and discloses how homophily between patient influencers and patients in OHCs effect VCB. The data was collected through a self-administered survey from 422 patients who are users of OHC in China and was analysed via partial least squares structural equation modelling and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The results revealed that homophily positively influences VCBs, i.e. participation behaviour (PB) and citizenship behaviour (CB). A parasocial relationship only moderates the relations between homophily and (PB), whereas the influencer ethical interaction capability significantly moderates the relationship of both homophily with patient PB and CB. Furthermore, the fsQCA findings signify the robustness of the study model.

Mentor or partner: Matching effect of para-social interaction and product type on purchase intention in live-streaming commerce

Live-streaming commerce differs from traditional e-commerce by bringing consumers and sellers closer together, enhancing the perception of para-social interaction through real-time interactivity. Based on para-social interaction theory, this study proposed two types of para-social interaction: mentor-oriented and partner-oriented. And explored the impact of para-social interaction and product type on purchase intention, mediated by trust. Additionally, this research examined the moderating influence of individual construal level, in combination with the construal level theory. The results of three scenario experiments showed that mentor-oriented para-social interaction promotes purchase intention more than partner-oriented para-social interaction when purchasing utilitarian products. However, partner-oriented para-social interaction promotes purchase intention more than mentor-oriented para-social interaction in the purchase decision of hedonic products. In addition, the construal level moderates the matching impact of para-social interaction and products type on purchase intention. Studying from para-social interaction type perspective, this paper provided insights into the research of consumption behavior in the field of live-streaming commerce and marketing.

The formation of parasocial relationships in tourism social media: A rational and emotional trust‐building process

AbstractThis study examines the effects of parasocial interactions on relationships and behavior in the context of tourism social media. Based on a dual process of trust formation, this study theorizes rational trust and emotional trust as part of a parasocial interaction process to explain the formation of this form of relationship. The study results (N = 424) reveal that information characteristics and influencer characteristics are identified as critical predictors of rational trust and emotional trust by the respondents. Furthermore, trust amplifies parasocial relationships as well as increasing consequent trust behaviors, such as information adoption and word of mouth. This study thus contributes to the literature by illuminating how the trust‐building process forms parasocial relationships. Meanwhile, it also provides insights into the mechanism of parasocial relationship formation for theoretical researchers and has important implications for tourism social media administrators.

Will social media celebrities drive me crazy? Exploring the effects of celebrity endorsement on impulsive buying behavior in social commerce

AbstractThis study evaluates the influence of social media celebrity endorsements on consumers' impulsive buying behavior in social commerce by extending the signaling theory and commitment‐trust theory. A self‐managed online questionnaire is designed to collect the data from 295 valid respondents and analyze it using a multi‐analytical hybrid structural equation modeling‐artificial neural network (ANN). The results reveal that relational switching alternatives and relationship benefits directly contribute to relationship commitment to social media celebrity, whereas shared value and parasocial interaction positively lead to social commerce trust; both relationship commitment and social commerce trust induce consumers' impulsive buying behavior in social commerce. From a theoretical perspective, this study enriches the components of signaling theory and commitment‐trust theory, expanding their applicability and transferability in social commerce. Moreover, this study consolidates the theoretical integration, indicating that signaling theory can be considered as an antecedent of commitment‐trust theory for triggering consumers' impulsive buying. Methodologically, adopting second‐order constructs benefits, this study captures the multidimensionality and complexity of social commerce trust and impulsive buying from the partial least squares‐ANN perspectives. In practice, this research provides valuable insights into how to better invite celebrity endorsements and build long‐term relationships with customers, as well as offers insights into countries where social commerce is lacking today. That being said, this study is constrained by its cross‐sectional research design, conducted in Malaysia. Future research endeavors should consider launching longitudinal, multicountry studies to broaden the applicability of the findings.

Interaksi Parasosial Penggemar Nike Ardilla yang tergabung Dalam “Nike Ardilla Fans Club”

This research aims to explore parasocial interactions between fans and public figures who have died, with a focus on the extraordinary phenomenon related to the persistence of the influence of these figures even after they have died. The research method used is a qualitative approach with case studies. The research results showed that the majority of informants showed characteristics of parasocial interactions, such as Imaginary Friendship, Search for Friendship, Empathy towards Idols, and Reality of Relationships. In the context of the parasocial level of interaction, most of the informants experienced Entertainment Social Value and Intense Personal Feelings, while none showed signs of Borderline Pathological Tendencies. This indicates that the parasocial interactions that occur are still within normal limits. The conclusion is that parasocial interactions between fans and public figures who are no longer alive can take place with high intensity, even though the figure has died. Despite this, the majority of fans remained within normal limits in their interactions, without showing any worrying pathological signs. Keywords: Parasocial Interaction, Nike Ardilla Fans Club, Public Figures

Battle of Influence: Analysing the Impact of Brand-Directed and Influencer-Directed Social Media Marketing on Customer Engagement and Purchase Behaviour

Firms regularly call on multiple social media communication tactics (e.g. influencers, user-generated content and brand messages) to interact with their customers. Drawing on both parasocial relationship and social identity theories, we investigate the relative effectiveness of brand-directed versus influencer-directed social media marketing in stimulating both customer engagement and purchase behaviour. First, we use a survey research design to collect data on customers’ intention to engage with the brand and purchase when exposed to brand-directed and influencer-directed social media marketing. Second, we collect data from a field experiment on a social media platform that captures customer engagement and brand sales at aggregate levels attributed to brand-directed and influencer-directed social media marketing. Consistently across both studies, we find that brand-directed and influencer-directed social media marketing positively impact customer engagement and customer purchase behaviour. Further evidenced across both studies, we find brand-directed social media marketing is more effective than influencer-directed social media marketing in fostering customer engagement, whereas influencer-directed social media marketing is more effective in driving customer purchases. We also find that female customers are more impacted by influencer-directed social media marketing on both dimensions than brand-directed social media marketing. The study provides a strategic direction for brands to optimally allocate their limited digital marketing budget between brand-directed and influencer-directed social media marketing based on their marketing objectives central to customer behaviour – either enhancing longer-term customer relationship building via engagement or generating shorter-term sales.

Downloading appetite? Investigating the role of parasocial relationship with favorite social media food influencer in followers’ disordered eating behaviors

PurposeAlthough a number of investigations have been carried out on the marketing outcomes of parasocial relationships (PSR) with food influencers on social media, little attention has been paid to the potential contribution of these one-sided emotional bonds to followers’ eating attitudes and habits. Drawing on the Parasocial Theory, the role of parasocial attachment with food influencers was investigated in predicting eating disorders, food addiction, and grazing. To increase the accuracy of PSR measurement, a brief self-report scale was developed to gauge social media users’ feelings of mutual awareness, attention, and adjustment with their favorite food influencer at a distance through social media.MethodsParticipants were a convenience sample of 405 Iranian social media users (231women; Mage = 28.16, SDage = 9.40), who followed a favorite food influencer on social media.ResultsThe 8-item Parasocial Relationship with Favorite Food Influencer Scale (PSRFFIS) revealed a unidimensional structure with excellent content and construct validity and internal consistency. Regarding gender differences, men showed stronger parasocial attachment to their favorite food influencers. Adjusting age, gender, and subjective social status as control variables, PSR with favorite food influencers partially contributed to the explanation of eating disorder symptom severity, food addiction, and grazing.ConclusionThese findings show that PSR with favorite food influencers appears to be associated with followers’ craving for food, which, in turn, may contribute to maladaptive eating habits. This highlights media-related factors, such as PSR with food influencers, as potential drivers of dysfunctional eating habits in the digital age, particularly in countries like Iran where disordered eating is prevalent.Level of evidenceLevel V—based on cross-sectional data (correlational study; scale development)

How does ice-snow celebrity influence Chinese tourists to visit Nordic destinations? The case of TikTok

ABSTRACT The emergence of short video (e.g. TikTok) provides a new avenue for destination marketing. However, limited research exists on short ice-snow destination videos, which are significant for Nordic winter tourism marketing. Drawing on a model based on parasocial interaction theory, this study finds that ice-snow celebrity attachment positively predicts Chinese tourists’ parasocial interaction, enjoyment, and hence intention to visit Nordic destinations in winter. Considering that Chinese tourists are an important consumer group for Nordic tourism, the study contributes not only to parasocial interaction theory in the context of short videos and the presentation of ice-snow tourism experiences but also to how to improve ice-snow tourism marketing via celebrity strategies.

THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

This article examines how social media influencers impact consumer behavior in the fields of marketing and management. Utilizing a qualitative research method and analyzing secondary data, the research explores different facets of influencer marketing, such as authenticity, psychological factors, platform-specific dynamics, effectiveness measurement, and ethical concerns. Research shows that authenticity and trustworthiness are crucial in influencer marketing, in addition to the psychological aspects of social proof and parasocial interaction. Different dynamics on each platform emphasize the necessity of customized marketing strategies on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Advanced analytics and sentiment analysis are essential for assessing the effectiveness of campaigns. Maintaining consumer trust relies heavily on adhering to ethical standards, such as following regulations and being transparent. The research highlights the significance of continuously studying and adjusting to new trends in order to fully utilize influencer marketing in modern marketing plans.

The role of attachment to K-celebrity from a destination marketing perspective

PurposeAlthough there is a growing body of literature on how celebrity involvement impacts the effectiveness of destination marketing, the underlying mechanisms of that relationship are still underexplored. Based on the affect transfer and meaning transfer theories, this study aims to examine the impact of celebrity attachment on customer delight toward K-culture and K-culture attachment, affective and cognitive images of Korea, and the intention to visit Korea.Design/methodology/approachOnline survey data were collected from 2,614 US residents, representing various demographic characteristics. For the data analysis, the partial least squares-structural equation modeling was conducted to evaluate the structural model and test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results showed that celebrity attachment is positively related to customer delight toward K-culture and K-culture attachment, which, in turn, positively influences affective and cognitive images of Korea. Additionally, K-culture attachment positively influences cognitive and affective images of Korea, which are positively related to the intention to visit Korea.Research limitations/implicationsBy using the affect transfer theory and meaning transfer theory, this study provides valuable insights into how consumer’s attachment to celebrities has spillover effects on the decision-making process. This study also adds a new concept, customer delight connected to cultural experience, in the context of destination marketing.Practical implicationsBy understanding the importance and influence of people’s intimacy with media characters, practitioners can apply parasocial relationship theory, affect transfer theory and meaning transfer theory to their marketing strategies.Originality/valueAs one of the few empirical studies that examines the impact of celebrity attachment on consumers’ perceptions and behaviors, this study can make significant contributions to the destination marketing literature.