Anthropomorphism in artificial intelligence: a game-changer for brand marketing

The expansion of brands adopting artificial intelligence services with human characteristics, such as chatbots, has revolutionized digital marketing strategies, transforming how companies reach and engage customers. This technological innovation is reshaping digital interactions between companies and consumers, offering a more personalized and efficient experience. This study explores the influence of chatbot anthropomorphism on customer engagement and purchasing decision-making with brands that use this artificial intelligence service. Data from a questionnaire with 1319 participants was analyzed using partial least squares method. Chatbot anthropomorphism has a more positive influence on purchasing decision-making when this relationship is mediated by customer engagement. In turn, customer involvement also has a positive influence on decision-making. The results emphasize that for a greater influence of the chatbot's anthropomorphism on purchasing decision-making, the customer must first be engaged with the chatbot. This research illuminates a new path in the domain of AI-enabled brand interactions, showing the distinct influence of anthropomorphism in chatbots on customer satisfaction, trust and loyalty, thus revolutionizing traditional paradigms of consumer-brand engagement and decision-making processes. By exploring the intricate dynamics between customer engagement with anthropomorphized chatbots and purchasing decisions, this study breaks new ground, offering unprecedented insight into the transformative potential of human-like chatbot interactions in shaping consumer behavior and brand relationships.