Metahuman social media influencers and the endorsement of cultural city brands

Metahuman social media influencers (SMIs) significantly enhance brand loyalty for cultural city brands more effectively than human influencers, primarily by elevating brand charisma, which subsequently strengthens brand reputation and loyalty. This sequential pathway—charisma driving reputation, then loyalty—was demonstrated in randomized experiments conducted across two UNESCO World Heritage cities, Rome and Safranbolu, using Instagram and Facebook platforms. Notably, the positive impact of metahuman SMIs on brand charisma diminished when participants were already familiar with the cultural city brand. The study leverages Social Influence Theory and Meaning Transfer Theory to provide actionable insights for marketers, suggesting that metahuman SMIs could be a scalable tool for promoting lesser-known cultural destinations globally. While limited by controlled online samples, this research offers a novel approach to influencer strategy in social media advertising.

Can, A. S., Javed, A., & Ekinci, Y. (2025). Metahuman social media influencers and the endorsement of cultural city brands. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1108/jrim-07-2025-0409