Non-fungible tokens as virtual influencers’ fan merchandise: Assessing the effects of human-likeness, follower count, and account verification

Virtual influencers (VIs) are computer-generated agents that leverage artificial intelligence to promote brands, products, and services. Considering its rising prominence, this research examines how VIs’ characteristics synergistically shape consumers’ reactions toward non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which are unique digital collectibles functioning as a novel type of fan merchandise. Beyond juxtaposing VIs with varying human-likeness, this research investigates the roles of follower count and account verification, which convey VIs’ leadership status on social media. Sentiment analysis of emojis and text in 3,684 user comments revealed the following: User comments toward human-like VIs and anime-like VIs conveyed more positive sentiment than non-human VIs. However, the differences among human-like VIs and anime-like VIs were non-significant. Additionally, user comments conveyed more positive sentiment toward unverified VIs with fewer followers. Notably, these observations were only generalizable to verified VIs with more followers and unverified VIs with fewer followers. Theoretical implications and managerial insights are discussed.