Evaluation of the effect of virtual influencers used in social media marketing activities on cognitive avoidance with change theory

Today's digital marketing strategies go beyond traditional methods and focus on interaction-based activities conducted through social media platforms. In this process, especially virtual influencers (virtual influencers) come to the fore as a new tool in the communication established by brands with their target audiences. Virtual influencers are digital characters with specific personalities and lifestyles created with artificial intelligence, graphic design and data analytics. In this study, the role of virtual influencers in the process of social media marketing activities was evaluated in the context of change theory within the framework of the effect of individuals on cognitive avoidance behavior. The theoretical basis of the research is based on the concept of cognitive avoidance, which explains the tendency of individuals to resist the information or communication content they are exposed to, and Lewin's theory of change, which aims to understand individual behavioral changes. In this context, the study analyzed in which the aesthetic stimuli of virtual influencers, the perception of digital reliability and artificial identity elements affect the avoidance tendencies developed by individuals against the flow of information based on social media. As a result of the study, it was determined that virtual influencers facilitate the acceptance of marketing messages by reducing cognitive avoidance in some cases, and in some cases have the opposite effect in cases where the perception of artificiality is high. The findings obtained provide an innovative and ethically based framework for digital marketing strategies.