AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF VIRTUAL INFLUENCERS IN THAILAND

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand consumer behavior and attitude toward virtual influencers and the possibility of growing this technology in Thailand. There are some agencies and companies in Thailand that have built virtual humans and created communities to build to influence consumers. This study aims to explore the attitudes of marketers in different business sectors and consumers of different ages toward virtual influencers in Thailand through the qualitative method. The 14 selected stakeholders are interviewed with open-end questions and the results showed that the interviewee from both groups pointed out various things about virtual influencers in Thailand based on their understanding and point of view which they separate into 3 subjects; 1) Perceptions of Influencers and Virtual Influencer, 2) Attitude toward the virtual influencers, and 3) Virtual influencers affect consumers' perception of products which it complies to the variables. In the end, the study provides the potential recommendations that the creator and marketer can apply when they bring virtual influencers into the Thai market which could be beneficial for them from a consumer's perspective.