Human vs. Virtual Fashion Influencers in Indonesia: How Expectancies and Parasocial Bonds Drive Emotional Engagement

Agung Stefanus Kembau, Surianto Surianto, Arief Perdana Kumaat, Devi Yurisca Bernanda, Fidelia Novena Doa

Abstract


Imagine an Instagram feed where a computer-generated model and a real-life style star fight for your thumb’s attention. In Indonesia—home to 170 million social-media users—that duel is already under way, yet we still don’t know which side truly tugs at people’s feelings. This study takes a closer look. Borrowing a page from psychology’s AIDUA playbook and running a multi-group PLS-SEM test in SmartPLS 4, we asked 223 Indonesian Instagram users (18–35 years old) how two gut-check questions—“Is this useful?” and “Is this easy?”—shape the emotions they feel toward human influencers (HIs) and virtual influencers (VIs). The answers stunned us. When followers judged an influencer genuinely helpful, virtual avatars sparked the bigger thrill. When the content felt clumsy, human creators took the harder hit. A third factor—parasocial interaction, that one-sided “I-know-you” bond—cranked the volume up: it boosted good vibes for both camps but softened irritation only for the humans. In plain terms, algorithms win on utility; humans win on forgiveness. For brands, the playbook is simple: let VIs crunch data and drop sharp trend tips, then let HIs wrap those tips in relatable stories—turning a lazy scroll into loyal fandom. Future research should test this tandem strategy over time and in other lifestyle categories to see whether the same rules of utility and forgiveness still apply.

Keywords


Virtual Influencers, Human Influencers, Emotion, Parasocial Interaction, Indonesian Fashion

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/ijdb.v5i1.87142

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