관광기업의 ESG 마케팅에서 가상 인플루언서 형태별 소비자 참여 및 지지 행동 연구: 극사실주의형 vs. 애니메이션형 vs. 아바타형

The purpose of of this study is to examine the impact of virtual influencer types and the construal level of ESG advertising messages on consumer engagement and corporate attitudes. A 3 (virtual influencer: hyper-realistic vs. animated vs. avatar) × 2 (ESG advertising message: concrete vs. abstract) experimental design was applied, with 380 participants. Two-way ANOVA and PROCESS macro (Model 7) were used to verify the main effects, interaction effects, and mediating effects of immersion. The analysis results showed that, first, both the virtual influencer type and the construal level of ESG advertising messages significantly influenced immersion and corporate attitudes. Second, the hyper-realistic type showed the highest immersion level when combined with a concrete message, while the animated and avatar types showed the highest immersion level when combined with an abstract message, confirming the congruency effect. Third, commitment acted as an important parameter to corporate attitude, and the indirect effect by condition was also significant. This study empirically investigates the interaction between the type of a virtual influencer and the ESG advertising message to expand the scope of application of construal level theory and provide a theoretical basis for establishing an ESG advertising strategy. In practice, it shows that companies can strategically utilize a combination of influencer forms and messages to enhance consumer commitment and ESG value empathy. However, there is a limit to generalization in that it uses specific stimuli and Gen Z-centered samples, and future studies require verification of long-term effects with various groups.