Artificial intelligent chatbots as brand promoters: a two-stage structural equation modeling-artificial neural network approach
ISSN: 1066-2243
Article publication date: 24 December 2021
Issue publication date: 4 July 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the determinants of effective human and artificial intelligence (AI) relationship-building strategies for brands. It explores the antecedents and consequences of consumers' interactant satisfaction with communication and identifies ways to enhance consumer purchase intention via AI chatbot promotion.
Design/methodology/approach
Microsoft Xiaoice served as the focal AI chatbot, and 331 valid samples were obtained. A two-stage structural equation modeling-artificial neural network approach was adopted to verify the proposed theoretical model.
Findings
Regarding the IQ (intelligence quotient) and EQ (emotional quotient) of AI chatbots, the multi-dimensional social support model helps explain consumers' interactant satisfaction with communication, which facilitates affective attachment and purchase intention. The results also show that chatbots should emphasize emotional and esteem social support more than informational support.
Practical implications
Brands should focus more on AI chatbots' emotional and empathetic responses than functional aspects when designing dialogue content for human–AI interactions. Well-designed AI chatbots can help marketers develop effective brand promotion strategies.
Originality/value
This research enriches the human–AI interaction literature by adopting a multi-dimensional social support theoretical lens that can enhance the interactant satisfaction with communication, affective attachment and purchase intention of AI chatbot users.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Shantou University STU Scientific Research Initiation Grant [STF20010] and by the Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation Grant [2021A1515012259]. The authors would like to thank three anonymous referees of this journal for their constructive comments, the editor and the associate editor for their support and encouragement. The authors would like to acknowledge the proceeding of American Marketing Association (AMA) Summer Academic Conference entitled “AI Companionship: Examining Social Support of Artificially Intelligent Social Chatbot” written by Crystal T. Lee, Sara H. Hsieh and Ling-Yen Pan, on which this manuscript is developed upon.
Citation
Lee, C.T., Pan, L.-Y. and Hsieh, S.H. (2022), "Artificial intelligent chatbots as brand promoters: a two-stage structural equation modeling-artificial neural network approach", Internet Research, Vol. 32 No. 4, pp. 1329-1356. https://doi.org/10.1108/INTR-01-2021-0030
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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