A Study on Agent Expression and User Gaze Behavior in Product Endorsement Videos

Influencers on social networking and social media share their experiences of using products and services through their own content. This sometimes influences the consumption behavior of their followers. Influencers are increasingly introducing products in video media, and some are being asked by companies to introduce their products. In addition, the appearance of influencers is becoming more diverse, and we believe that the amount of information received by users varies depending on differences in agent representation. Therefore, this study examines whether differences in agent representation in product endorsement videos have different influences on advertising effectiveness (purchase intention after viewing the video, understanding of the product, and attitude toward brand) and viewers’ eye movements. Participants watched one of the following videos: one with a human, one with an avatar, and one with an image of a default icon. The participants then answered a questionnaire. The results of the experiment showed that there was no difference in advertising effectiveness among the three types of agent representations, but there were differences in the likability, and trustworthiness of the agents. And, there was a difference in the physical attraction of the agents between human and avatar. In addition, it was found that the participants’ gaze during video viewing differed between the human video and avatar video.