Human, virtual, or both?: A systematic literature review on influencer marketing in the metaverse

Abstract

Influencers within the metaverse represent a burgeoning topic in the discipline of marketing. This topic particularly captivates the interest of numerous scholars and industry professionals due to the simultaneous existence of human and virtual influencers within the metaverse. There is a need for a methodical approach to the examination and synthesis of academic literature within this emerging domain. This research adopts a systematic review of the literature (Tranfield et al., 2003; Loureiro et al., 2020), drawing upon 217 pertinent Web of Science and Scopus articles. The research provides relevant research themes, methodologies, theoretical frameworks, variables, antecedents, consequences, managerial implications, and potential avenues for further study.