Journal of Marketing· 2021Q1
An Emerging Theory of Avatar Marketing
- 629citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2021year
Short summary
A new theory of avatar marketing proposes that aligning an avatar's form realism and behavioral realism, based on a 2x2 taxonomy, explains its effectiveness in driving purchase likelihood.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Defines 'avatar' and categorizes its design elements to establish conceptual clarity.
- Introduces a 2x2 taxonomy of avatars based on form realism and behavioral realism.
- Proposes that the alignment of these realism dimensions explains avatar effectiveness in marketing outcomes.
- Develops an integrated theory of avatar marketing with theoretical insights and managerial implications.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Avatars are becoming increasingly popular in contemporary marketing strategies, but their effectiveness for achieving performance outcomes (e.g., purchase likelihood) varies widely in practice. Related academic literature is fragmented, lacking both definitional consistency and conceptual clarity. This article makes three main contributions to avatar theory and managerial practice. First, to address ambiguity with respect to its definition, this study identifies and critically evaluates key conceptual elements of the term avatar, offers a definition derived from this analysis, and provides a typology of avatars’ design elements. Second, the proposed 2 × 2 avatar taxonomy suggests that the alignment of an avatar’s form realism and behavioral realism, across different contingencies, provides a parsimonious explanation for avatar effectiveness. Third, the authors develop an emerging theory of avatar marketing by triangulating insights from fundamental elements of avatars, a synthesis of extant research, and business practices. This framework integrates key theoretical insights, research propositions, and important managerial implications for this expanding area of marketing strategy. Lastly, the authors outline a research program to test the propositions and insights as well as advance future research.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of Marketing, 2021 · DOI ↗
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Field: Human-Computer Interaction
Human-Computer InteractionComputer Science