Title Virtual influencers: are they the same? A systematic literature review
Authors Sungailaitė, Diana ; Ying, Yiyuan ; Dikčius, Vytautas
DOI 10.15181/tbb.v95i2.2772
Full Text Download
Is Part of Tiltai.. Klaipėda : Klaipėdos universitetas. 2025, vol. 95, iss. 2, p. 106-117.. ISSN 1392-3137. eISSN 2351-6569
Keywords [eng] virtual influencer ; typology ; consumer behaviour ; systematic analysis
Abstract [eng] The burgeoning phenomenon of virtual influencers presents conflicting approaches to the taxonomy of virtual influencers, and lacks a unified conceptual framework. This paper presents a systematic review of the literature on the meaning of virtual influencers. It begins by examining and comparing multifaceted definitions, and presents five main characteristics of virtual influencers, based on various definitions by previous authors. The study proposes a comprehensive typology of virtual influencers, based on four key dimensions: design, ownership, sponsorship disclosure, and follower size. Through systematic analysis, comparison and the synthesis of existing literature, the paper clarifies the current state of knowledge, and identifies critical future research directions within each typological dimension.
Published Klaipėda : Klaipėdos universitetas
Type Journal article
Language English
Publication date 2025
CC license CC license description