Anthropomorphism and construal level theories provide the bases for two studies showing that when nonprofit charity marketers design artificial intelligence (AI) agents to resemble humans and to smile like humans, potential donors feel greater psychological closeness to the agents and are motivated to increase charitable giving. Study 1 demonstrates that participants feel greater psychological closeness and willingness to donate in response to appeals from smiling AI agents that look like humans rather than like robots. Study 2 demonstrates that participants tend to donate more in reaction to appeals from humanlike (vs. machinelike) AI agents that smile broadly rather than slightly or not at all. The article concludes with a discussion of theoretical insights and practical implications for using AI representatives in nonprofit charity appeals.

Purpose: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaigns have become increasingly popular among fashion apparel brands to reduce environmental impacts of their operations and position themselves as sustainable. In light of attribution theory, this paper aims to investigate how aspects of a CSR campaign affect consumers’ perceptions of brand authenticity, brand attitudes and CSR attitudes. Design/methodology/approach: This research is based on a 2 (brand image: sustainable vs disposable brand) × 2 (message source: brand website vs news article) between-subjects experimental design with random assignment to conditions and manipulation checks. Findings: When exposed to messages about CSR campaigns, consumers have more favorable perceptions of brand authenticity, brand attitudes and CSR attitudes for a sustainable brand than for a disposable brand, particularly when consumers view information about a CSR campaign on the brand’s website. However, this is not true for disposable brands when CSR campaigns are promoted through a news source. Practical implications: Sustainable brands can derive benefits by strategically partnering with causes through CSR campaigns, particularly when their campaigns are promoted through their brand’s website (vs news source). However, brands that offer disposable products (e.g. fast fashion brands) should exercise caution when implementing these campaigns; CSR campaigns may confuse customers as they do not align with the everyday practices of disposable brands. Originality/value: As the apparel industry faces increased scrutiny for negative impacts on the environment, this study helps to understand whether customers perceive CSR campaigns as trustworthy and authentic, or as ploys aimed at creating more positive brand images.

Purpose: This paper aims to propose a conceptual model to examine the effect of an augmented reality (AR)–based product display (vs a picture-based product display) on interactivity, vividness, website quality and consumer responses. In addition, the moderating role of the need for touch (NFT) in the effect of AR on media features is identified.Design/methodology/approach: Hypotheses are tested using a one-factor between-subjects design for both a student sample (Study 1, N = 120) and a nonstudent sample (Study 2, N = 272). Data are analyzed using a series of analyses of variance, multivariate analyses of covariance and structural equation modeling.Findings: Study 1 shows that an AR-based product display generates greater website quality, interactivity and vividness than a picture-based product display. Moreover, an AR-based product display improves interactivity and vividness only for high-NFT consumers; however, no significant difference emerged for low-NFT consumers. Study 2 replicates and extends our findings by identifying the specific processes that consumers go through when evaluating a website.Originality/value: The current research advances the understanding of how product presentation technologies can attract customers with different haptic orientations and provides practical implications for online retailers interested in improving their customers' e-commerce experience.

Purpose: E-commerce continues to experience unprecedented growth, but a lack of understanding of socio-behavioral aspects of green last-mile delivery solutions is conflicting with e-commerce and shipping companies' climate-related pledges to e-shoppers. This study seeks to correct for research deficiencies in the e-commerce context by determining how e-shoppers' adoption of green last-mile delivery might be influenced by socio-behavioral factors, personality traits; and e-shopping motivations.Design/methodology/approach: To test the hypotheses, this study collected data from 319 US adults enrolled in an online panel survey and conducted hierarchical regression analyses after controlling for demographic variables.Findings: Results showed that socio-behavioral variables (attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavior control) contributed 60.3% of the unique variance in explaining purchase intention via green delivery (PIGD). Notably, e-shopping motivations derived from utilitarian features (convenience and energy efficiency) and experiential features (e-shopping adventure) emerged as significant predictors of PIGD. Although personality traits (conscientiousness and openness) significantly predicted PIGD in the regression model, the individual effect of openness was not significant. Further, demographic subgroups, including gender, education and income level revealed significant outcomes, while age and ethnicity exhibited no significant group differences with the above-mentioned variables.Practical implications: The study findings would provide online retailers and marketers with in-depth insight on how green marketing initiatives can increase responsible consumers' intention to purchase via green delivery.Originality/value: This is a one-of-a-kind effort that integrates and tests e-shoppers' socio-behavioral factors, e-shopping motivations and personality traits into a single model.

Purpose: The authors aim to examine how the construal level, either as an individual temporal orientation or temporal distance of promotion, moderates the effects of emojis' emotional intensity on consumers' purchase intentions in social media advertising.Design/methodology/approach: Two experiments are used to test four hypotheses.Findings: The results of two experimental studies show that present-oriented participants reveal greater purchase intentions when low (vs high) emotionally intense emojis are embedded in a social media ad; but future-oriented consumers showed no difference when viewing ads with the two different emojis. In Study 2, participants indicate greater purchase intentions when a social media ad includes a distant-future promocode and high (vs low) emotionally intense emojis and an ad with a near-future promocode and low (vs high) emotionally intense emojis.Originality/value: The current study advances our understanding how emojis with different emotional intensities can be effectively used in social media ads. This study also provides theoretical implications to construal level theory (CLT) by examining how emojis interact with construal level, either as a chronic tendency or simulated by psychological distance, can influence consumer response.