Correspondence: Seung-A Annie Jin, Department of Communication, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 E-mail: seunga.jin.1@bc.edu

¹is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at Boston College. Her research revolves around the theme of social psychological effects of new media and interactive communication technologies (for example, 3D virtual reality, video/computer games, robotics and haptics) in e-health and e-commerce. Her work has been published in the Journal of Communication, the Journal of Health Psychology, the Journal of Interactive Marketing, Psychology & Marketing, Cyber Psychology & Behavior and the Journal of Game Industry and Culture, among others.

²is an assistant professor in the Department of Advertising at the University of Texas, Austin. His research interests are in the areas of brand personality, brand commitment, consumer-brand relationships, cross-cultural consumer behaviour and brand placement. His work has been published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, the Journal of Advertising, the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, the International Journal of Advertising, the Journal of Brand Management, the Journal of International Consumer Marketing, the Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, the Journal of Health Communication and the Journal of Promotion Management, among others.

Received 10 October 2008; Revised 10 October 2008; Published online 25 September 2009.

Abstract

Second Life is the fastest growing avatar-based 3D virtual environment, as well as a promising media channel for marketing and advertising. Spokes-avatars are increasingly used as company (brand) representatives, personal shopping assistants, conversation partners, recommendation agents, and persuasion agents in such virtual environments. This study aimed to empirically investigate the roles of spokes-avatars' personalities with regard to source credibility, brand attitude and consumers' feelings of presence. A two-group comparison experiment examined the effects of spokes-avatars' different personalities (sincere/competent vs exciting) on source credibility and brand communication. The results showed that the subjects who interacted with sincere/competent spokes-avatars showed greater source expertise and trustworthiness, a more positive attitude towards the brand, higher satisfaction with the retailer, and greater online shopping intentions than those who interacted with exciting spokes-avatars.