Look Who’s Talking Now: The Effects of Pre-recorded and AI-generated Synthetic Brand Voices on Brand Anthropomorphism and Brand Equity

Technological innovations, including artificial intelligence (AI), are progressively being integrated into marketing and branding. However, the novel nature of these technologies often shrouds their potential benefits and associated risks. This holds also true for the implementation of AI in the domain of brand voices. Brand voices may play a crucial role in fostering human-like brand perception (brand anthropomorphism), potentially offering competitive advantages for companies. However, the integration of AI in shaping brand voices in an advertising context remains a relatively unexplored area. This study addresses this gap by examining the impact of pre-recorded and AI-generated synthetic brand voices on brand anthropomorphism and brand equity. Conducted through a 3 × 2 online experiment the study shows that both pre-recorded and synthetic brand voices positively influence brand anthropomorphism. Additionally, brand anthropomorphism emerges as a strong mediator between brand voices and brand equity. Notably, the positive effects persist even when the synthetic brand voice is disclosed as being AI-generated. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are derived.