Being Present as 'Real' Humans on Social Media: How Do Personified Brand Visuals Lead to Consumer Engagement?

Corporations are personifying their brands, particularly when communicating via social media. Applying the theoretical underpinnings of brand social presence and personification, this experimental study investigates whether and how personified brand visuals increase consumer engagement. Results find that personified visuals are more effective in engaging consumers than nonpersonified visuals, and this effect is mediated by the social presence consumers perceive from brands that further increases consumer-brand connections. The study highlights that brand personas matter in visual communication in garnering consumer engagement on social media, and this event occurs indirectly through the perceptions that brands are socially present and connected as human-like communicators. The findings also highlight the direct effect of personified visuals on consumer engagement. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.