The Application of Anthropomorphism in Marketing

Abstract

From a psychological approach, brands are attached to human personality traits to make them more appealing and facilitate future consumption. Brand personality, however, cannot independently exist. In other words, it must be projected by and transferred through appropriate functional tools and activities. Nevertheless, a precise knowledge of anthropomorphic marketing from a functional approach is missing. In addition, the contribution of artificial intelligence or AI to the implementation of anthropomorphic marketing is unclear. This chapter aims to synthesize the existing literature about these functional practices of anthropomorphic marketing. The outcomes revealed that anthropomorphic marketing was apparent in commercial and social activities. However, the contribution of AI to these marketing practices is limited at present. Based on these observations, this chapter discusses the theoretical and practical implications and the application of anthropomorphic marketing to build a greener economy.