Virtual Influencers, Friends to Listen to?

Sammanfattning: Thesis Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore if virtual influencers can be viewed as capable of developing parasocial relationships and opinion leadership. This will be researched through the virtual influencers source credibility, perceived by the Swedish audience of Instagram. This is based on previous research that has shown that the two concepts of parasocial relationships and opinion leadership are key for successful, traditional influencer marketing. Methodology: This is a qualitative study, based on an abductive approach with a relativist ontological position and a constructionist epistemological position. This was chosen in order to allow for the most appropriate and relevant interpretations of the empirical material. Theoretical Perspective: The theoretical perspective for the study involves the source credibility theory (Hovland, Janis & Kelley, 1953) and the two concepts of parasocial relationships (Horton & Wohl, 1956) and opinion leadership (Katz, 1957). Empirical Data: The empirical data consisted of twelve semi-structured interviews where similar patterns could be identified. This allowed for a thematic sorting process which resulted in five identified themes that were later analyzed. Findings: The main findings of the study shows difficulties for virtual influencers to be perceived as source credible and the difficulty for them to develop parasocial relationships and opinion leadership. However, the study also shows that it could be possible under certain circumstances that are stated in the thesis. Practical Implications: This study provides practical implications regarding how to design a virtual influencer and what attributes that are necessary when creating a virtual influencer and managing it to suit the needs of the audience. If practitioners strive to leverage this knowledge, virtual influencers could potentially become an asset when it comes to influencer marketing.