• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.166-183
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• 2024

Revisiting the classic conceptualization of parasocial relationships, the current article examines the potential parasocial relationships established with live streamers. More specifically, this research investigates the relationship between exposure and viewer engagement during live streaming, homophily of attitudes, and parasocial relationships with a live streamer. An online survey was conducted with samples in South Korea (n = 504) and the United States (n = 510) in 2020. The hierarchical linear regression analysis shows that in both countries live streaming exposure, engagement during a live stream (e.g., expressing opinions in the chat, donating money, receiving reactions from a streamer), and perceived homophily of attitudes with a live streamer are positively related to perceptions of parasocial relationships. The results confirm parasocial relationships with live streamers are a global phenomenon.

• The Journal of Economics, Marketing and Management
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.41-51
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• 2024

Purpose: This study explores the distinctive characteristics of virtual influencers compared to human influencers and examines how parasocial relationships with human consumers affect brand attitude. The hypothesis suggests that virtual influencers can overcome social distance barriers, emphasizing their role in fostering engagement. Research design, data and methodology: A structural model based on the source credibility model and unique traits of virtual influencers analyzes these dynamics. An online survey conducted in April 2024 garnered responses from 286 participants. Results: Findings reveal that virtual influencers positively impact parasocial interactions, which in turn enhance parasocial relationships and brand attitudes. However, the proposed effect of novelty on brand attitude through parasocial interaction was not statistically supported. Conclusions: This study highlights the unique attributes of virtual influencers, such as anthropomorphism, empathy, and novelty, which enhance consumer engagement through parasocial interactions and influence brand attitude. It provides a comprehensive framework for leveraging virtual influencers in marketing, offering significant advantages in maintaining consistent brand messaging and reducing risks associated with human influencers.

• The Research Journal of the Costume Culture
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.88-103
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• 2017

The rapid growth in the popularity of social media sites has meant that social media has become an important communication channel for brands. Brands create brand pages on social media to cultivate positive and strong relationships with consumers. This study seeks to enhance our understanding of how fashion brand pages in social media foster consumer-brand relationships by exploring the factors that affect the development of consumer-brand relationships. Drawing on the parasocial interaction theory, this study proposes parasocial interaction as a key factor of this process. Specifically, this study proposes four antecedents (vividness, interactivity, social presence, and focused attention) of consumers' parasocial interaction with brand pages, which further affects consumer responses in terms of affective engagement and brand loyalty. An online survey was administered with consumers who have followed and visited at least one fashion brand page via a social networking site (SNS). Structural equation modeling revealed that consumers' perceptions of vividness, interactivity, social presence, and focused attention on a fashion brand page positively affected their feelings towards parasocial interaction with the brand page, which in turn led to their affective engagement with the brand page and consequent brand loyalty. These findings suggest that consumers build relationships of varying degrees with brand pages in a similar manner to that with people, which leads to their development of a positive relationship with the brand. This study concludes with discussions and practical implications.

• The Journal of Information Systems
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.47-80
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• 2024

Purpose With the rapid evolution of the OTT platform, this study addresses a notable gap in the existing literature by examining the impact of celebrity involvement in OTT contents on the intention to visit the country. We explore the intricate mechanisms through which the audience's sense of telepresence, facilitated by OTT technology, and parasocial relationships with celebirities contribute to the formation of the national image and, consequently, influence the intention to visit the country. Design/methodology/approach This study applied Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using survey data from 222 participants. Findings Our findings reveal a positive effect of celebrity involvement on both telepresence and parasocial relationship. Additionally, we observe a positive relationship between telepresence and parasocial relationship. The study further highlights the impact of these factors on the cognitive and affective national images. The cognitive and affective national images, in turn, positively influence the overall national image, ultimately impacting the intention to visit the country. This research contributes to the understanding of the interplay between psychological factors related to viewer-celebrity relationships and the technical characteristics of OTT contents in shaping national images and travel intentions.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.18-31
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• 2022

This study explored the effects of the parasocial relationship formed by CCTV (China Central Television) TV news and non-traditional news on users' perceived media credibility and their online and offline political participation. This study conducted a survey with the Chinese CCTV users between April 19 and April 30, 2021, and finally, 701 respondents' data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The study results showed that both TV news and non-traditional news had positive effects on parasocial relationships and the parasocial relationship positively influenced media credibility, which subsequently facilitated political participation. However, there was no direct effect between media usage and media credibility. This implies the important mediating role of parasocial interactions, which enables CCTV news to gain media credibility and subsequently influence political participation. This study suggests that CCTV needs to improve the parasocial interactions between their audience and media figures by utilizing the interactive mechanism of non-traditional media.

• The Journal of Information Systems
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.89-110
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• 2022

Purpose To verify the factors that encourage consumers' favorable reaction toward virtual influencer, we proposed consumers' perception of subjective and objective similarity. The purpose of this study is to comprehensively investigate the impacts of consumers' perception toward virtual influencer on purchase intention through psychological distance and parasocial relationship. Design/methodology/approach This study was designed to examine the structural relationships among consumers' perceived external similarity, internal similarity, controllability, animacy toward virtual influencer, psychological distance, parasocial relationship and purchase intention. Findings The results are as follows. First, perceived external similarity, internal similarity, perceived controllability, and animacy had a positive impact on psychological distance. Second, psychological distance had a positive impact on parasocial relationship, whereas it had no significant impact on purchase intention. However, we found that the relation between psychological distance and purchase intention was mediated by parasocial relationship. Lastly, parasocial relationship had a positive impact on purchase intention. Based on these results, this study can propose the way to generate revenue to companies that consider advertising campaign using virtual influencer.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.1073-1080
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• 2023

This study aims to explore the psychological factors influencing the persuasive effect of virtual influencers, with a specific focus on the impact of social exclusion. Additionally, it examines the mediating effect of parasocial relationships on advertising effectiveness. To achieve these goals, the study conducted an experiment using a 2 (influencer type: human vs. virtual human) × 2 (social exclusion: social exclusion vs. social acceptance) between-group factorial design. The results revealed that consumers who experienced social exclusion exhibited more positive attitudes toward the influencer and the product, higher intentions to purchase the product, and a greater willingness to share or recommend it, especially when the influencer was a real human (vs. a virtual influencer). These moderating effects were found to be mediated by parasocial relationships.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.22 no.11
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• pp.121-129
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• 2024

Purpose: Live-streaming commerce emerges as a new e-commerce powerhouse. Based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response model and the latest literature on live commerce, this study presents an integrated theoretical model with factors influencing potential consumers' intention to watch live broadcasts. This study expects that four factors (product fit, parasocial interaction, perceived serendipity, and deal proneness) would be positively related to one's intention to watch live streams. In addition, the intention to watch live commerce is expected to play a role in linking these factors to impulse purchases. Research design, data and methodology: A survey was conducted with 280 consumers in Korea who recently watched live commerce. Results: Statistical analyses were performed using structural equation modeling in which all four factors were found to show positive and statistically significant relationships with the intention to view the program live. As expected, the intention to watch live commerce simultaneously demonstrated the indirect effect. Conclusions: This study found significant antecedents of continuous watching intention and impulse buying, including product fit, parasocial interaction, perceived serendipity, and deal proneness. Furthermore, this study confirmed both the direct and indirect effect of continuous watching intention on impulse buying, which was found to be a meaningful and impactful indicator in live commerce.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.22 no.10
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• pp.43-54
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• 2024

Purpose: Market competition in the fashion industry is intensifying, pushing brands to strive for consumer preference and market leadership. Mobile fashion applications have emerged as key distribution channels, with live streaming being a common feature for product distribution and consumer loyalty. Therefore, this study will analyze the loyalty model in live streaming on mobile fashion applications by integrating the quality loyalty model, parasocial relationships, and uses and gratifications (U&G) theory. Research design, data and methodology: Data were collected from a survey of 427 respondents who are customers of a fashion product that had been purchased through live streaming on a mobile fashion application and processed using the PLS-SEM method Results: The results of the study show that the live streamer and product quality significantly influence satisfaction and loyalty. Conversely, AR content and live streaming content do not directly influence loyalty but have an indirect effect through satisfaction Conclusions: this study is the first to model loyalty in mobile fashion applications by integrating the quality loyalty model, parasocial relationship, and U&G theory. Practically, fashion companies are advised to conduct live streaming by considering aspects of content, live streamer, and product quality to enhance satisfaction and loyalty.

• Public Diplomacy: Theory and Practice
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.1-19
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• 2023

Objectives: This study aims to discover how the spread of K-POP and the diversification of the Korean Wave affects Korea's national reputation. K-POP stars are diversifying their interactions with fandom by creating an online space to consume various products and services related to their stars and engage in fan activities. Because of this, this study aims to examine the relevance of K-POP to national reputation through a parasocial relationship with K-POP stars by fandom forming a community and utilizing media. Methods: An online survey was conducted in English using the Amazon survey company Mechanical Turk for BTS fans living in the United States. A total of 195 people's data, excluding incomplete responses, were used for the analysis. Results: It was found that BTS fans' social media participation activities themselves did not directly affect Korea's national reputation. But the mediating effect of BTS fans' parasocial relationship was found. That is, BTS fans' social media participation activities had a positive effect on their parasocial relationships with BTS which in turn had a positive effect on their national reputation. Conlusions: The use and participation of BTS fans in social media in Korea's national reputation has no significant effect on itself, but it has been found that it affects the national reputation through forming parasocial relationships. From the study results, the parasocial relationship of K-POP fans can be used as a strategic mechanism to enhance the national image and Korea's national reputation.