Can Avatars Sell Faith? The role of Parasocial Interaction in Islamic Higher Education Marketing

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of virtual influencers’ (VIs) trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness on consumer trust and behavioural intention in the promotion of Islamic-based higher education institutions, with parasocial interaction introduced as a moderating variable in the relationships between VI trustworthiness and expertise and consumer trust. Using a survey of 544 final-year high school students as prospective university enrolees, this study employed an experimental stimulus in the form of a video featuring VIs promoting an Islamic- based higher education institution, and the data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that VI trustworthiness, expertise, and attractiveness positively influence consumer trust and behavioural intention, while parasocial interaction significantly strengthens the positive relationship between VI trustworthiness and consumer trust but does not significantly moderate the relationship between VI expertise and consumer trust. This study offers practical implications for top management by highlighting the potential of VIs as a promotional tool for Islamic-based products and services, given their consistency, flexibility in message customization, and cost efficiency compared to human influencers. From an originality perspective, this research extends the literature by addressing the underexplored effectiveness of VIs in endorsing Islamic value–based services and demonstrates that parasocial interaction can generate consumer engagement effects comparable to those of real human influencers, despite the inherent limitations of VIs in conveying authentic emotional and religiously grounded interactions.