The Authenticity & Aspiration Paradox in Influencer Marketing: A Systematic Review Analysis

Virtual influencers in digital marketing: a PRISMA-based systematic literature review and thematic synthesis of engagement, trust, and ethical challenges

Virtual influencers (VIs) are AI-generated personas that are reshaping digital marketing, particularly through social media. While marketing research on human influencers is extensive, systematic insights into VIs remain limited. This study conducts a systematic literature review (SLR) of 73 peer-reviewed articles from 2016 to 2024 using the PRISMA framework and multiple analytical tools (RStudio, VOSviewer). Key research questions address the evolution of VIs, their comparative effectiveness with human influencers, and how perceived trust and authenticity impact engagement. Through thematic, content, and comparative analyses, the study uncovers key trends, identifies research gaps, and proposes a conceptual framework to guide future research in marketing and communication.

Virtual Influencer and User Engagement: A Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda

Social media has emerged as a prominent tool for marketers offering direct access to billions of consumers. Its ability to build networks and share content propagates influencer marketing, where brands partner with trusted online personalities (influencers) to promote products or services. Currently, when marketers need more control and scalability, virtual influencers (VIs) are evolving as novel phenomena for endorsement and communication. This study presents a systematic literature review to provide a comprehensive view on user engagement with VIs. Guided by the Theory‐Context‐Characteristics‐Methodology (TCCM) and Input‐Mediator‐Outcome (IMO) frameworks, the study examines how VIs foster engagement and shape behavioral outcomes. The SPAR‐4‐SLR protocol ensured rigor, with 32 articles published in 21 ABDC‐listed journals retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science. The study draws four interrelated themes from the literature: (i) appearance, characteristics, and credibility; (ii) influencer type; (iii) content quality and expertise; and (iv) privacy concerns and risks. Theoretically, VIs and user engagement are argued primarily by using the uncanny valley, source credibility, parasocial interaction, anthropomorphism, and computers are social actors (CASA). Contextually, VIs and user engagement are examined on social media marketing platforms with minor appearances of immersive digital environments, online booking, live‐streaming, corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication, and tourism promotion. Within the IMO framework, we find influencer, content, comparison, receiver, brand, social, technological, and cause‐related factors that operate as inputs, mediators, moderators, and outcomes. Methodologically, experimental and cross‐sectional designs dominate. We propose a roadmap urging scholars to integrate AI elements into theoretical models, cross‐validate scales across cultures and economies, further combine theories, and adopt multiplatform longitudinal approaches in emerging markets to capture the evolving nature of VIs. This review advances knowledge by reconciling contradictory findings, integrating frameworks for thorough evaluation, and offering actionable insights for practitioners navigating the dynamic landscape of virtual influencer marketing.

Internal marketing: a systematic literature review and research agendas

Extant literature highlights the significance of internal marketing (IM) for enhancing organizational performance. Although it spans both the domains of marketing and human resource (HR), IM remains under-researched. There is a need for a structured, systematic literature review (SLR) to synthesize IM literature. By applying the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and theory–context–characteristics–methodology framework, this SLR synthesizes 170 selected research papers to explore the nuances of IM and its implications. The review identified varied research gaps, categorized as contextual, digital/technological, strategic, crisis and cultural, and suggests future research propositions. It identifies multifaceted themes of IM literature and offers theoretical contributions. The framework highlights the varied IM practices. The resultant benefits include the role of digitization, artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainability as moderators. The review contributes theoretically by analysing different theoretical frameworks, such as social exchange theory, social identity theory, transformative learning theory and socio-technical system theory, which extend insights into the role of IM in shaping employee attitude and behaviour conducive to organizational success. The review offers insights into managerial implications. The outcome would help managers implement effective IM practices, including training, proper communication and reward systems with the integration of digitalization and AI, which will foster employee satisfaction, loyalty, commitment and performance. The review attempts to conduct a structured review of research on IM. Synthesizing extant IM literature, it presents a conceptual framework that exhibits the relationship between varied IM practices and the outcomes related to organizations, employees, customers and society.

Consumer well-being in marketing: a hybrid review and future research opportunities

Given the growing influence of marketing and marketplace interactions on consumers' quality of life, satisfaction and happiness, this study synthesizes the intellectual structure of consumer well-being (CWB) research to advance scholarship through an integrative review. The study adopts a hybrid review approach that combines bibliometric performance analysis, Theories–Context–Methodology and Antecedents–Decisions–Outcomes (TCM-ADO) framework-based review and BERTopic modeling. A total of 495 peer-reviewed articles published between 1996 and September 2025 were analyzed to map the evolution, theoretical foundation and core structure of CWB research. The study reveals that CWB research is primarily grounded in theories from psychology and sociology, with a dominant emphasis on service contexts. Using the ADO framework, the findings highlight the prevalence of micro-level emotional and motivational drivers associated with subjective well-being, while meso- and macro-level influences remain comparatively underexplored. BERTopic modeling further identifies key thematic clusters, including transformative service research, sociocultural values and materialistic consumption in shaping CWB. Building on these insights, the study maps the intellectual structure of the field, identifies critical research gaps and proposes directions for future research. The review offers a comprehensive understanding of CWB research with marketing discipline-specific depth, identifies research gaps and outlines future research opportunities. The hybrid review synthesizes literature and presents the core structure of CWB research by integrating TCM-ADO and BERTopic Modeling.

Journal of Business Insights and Perspectives

Virtual Influencers in Marketing and Business: A Systematic Review of Theories, Contexts, Characteristics, and Methods

This study systematically synthesizes research on virtual influencers (VIs) in business through the lens of the theory‐context‐characteristics‐methodology (TCCM) framework. Following the SPAR‐4‐SLR protocol, a systematic search and screening process was conducted, combining a macro‐level performance analysis of the broader literature with an in‐depth TCCM‐based content analysis of a journal‐filtered subset. The findings reveal that the field is heavily anchored in parasocial interaction theory and the source credibility model, concentrates empirically on tourism and hospitality contexts, and relies predominantly on quantitative and experimental methods. Limited integration exists between these established relational theories and emerging AI‐specific concerns, including algorithmic transparency, ethical risks, cultural variation, and long‐term consumer effects. This creates a central tension between social effectiveness and artificiality risk. The review contributes a structured knowledge map and a theory‐driven future research agenda emphasizing integrative model building, broader contextual and cross‐cultural investigation, and methodological diversity. These insights provide a foundation for advancing context‐sensitive and ethically informed scholarship on VIs in business.