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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)
ISSN No. 2454-6186 | DOI: 10.47772/IJRISS | Volume IX Issue XIV November 2025 | Special Issue on Management
Artificial Empathy and Brand Anthropomorphism: An Advertising
Experiment
Nadia Sfar
Lecturer at the Faculty of Economics and Management of Mahdia University of Monastir
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.914MG00246
Received: 10 December 2025; Accepted: 18 December 2025; Published: 25 December 2025
ABSTRACT
This study aims to examine a specific consumer – brand relationship. Seizing the originality of incorporating an
empathic speech in brand, the research seeks to investigate how consumers perceive empathetic advertising and
its influence on their tendency to anthropomorphize the advertised brand. Through various mood-inducing
techniques, our empirical study aims to explore the cause-to-effect relationship between consumers' perception
of empathetic advertising as an emotional regulator of their mood, and their inclination to anthropomorphize the
brand being advertised. We employed experimental methods to verify the proposed causality hypotheses. Mood
induction stimuli were carefully chosen and pre-tested. The selection of the product type and the advertised brand
was well-justified as well. Additionally, we meticulously designed and pre-tested different empathetic
advertisements, ensuring congruence or incongruence conditions with the consumer's mood. We believe that our
research provides a new impetus for the design and development of empathetic advertisements under the
umbrella of artificial intelligence contributions in the marketing field.
Keywords: Artificial Empathy, Brand Anthropomorphism, AI, Mood Induction, Advertising Experiment,
Emotional Regulation, Mood Congruency
INTRODUCTION
Marketing communication serves as a channel through which companies aim to inform, persuade, and remind
consumers, both directly and indirectly, about the products and brands they offer. It acts as the company's "voice,"
allowing them to initiate dialogue and foster connections with consumers (Prasetyo and Purnamasari, 2022).
However, Consumers are becoming increasingly weary and desensitized by the array of brands/products
available. They are bombarded by facts and images: advertisements are everywhere, and instead of being
persuaded, consumers react by turning away! There are few efforts to capture the thoughts of contemporary
consumers and genuinely make them want to listen to what one wants to convey. Researchers suggest that
advertising messages should target emotions. In other words, if brands can evoke feelings of connection and
intimacy, where consumers feel understood and cared for through advertising, a more profound link and a closer
relationship with the brand are likely to develop (Mandina et al., 2014).
The importance placed on the emotional characteristics of the product/service in contemporary exchange is also
justified by the significance of social orientations specific to the postmodern era (Rytel, 2009). One of the
trajectories characterizing contemporary marketing is the creation of empathy between the company (the brand)
and the consumer. Empathy, in this context, is the ability to put ourselves in situations or conditions faced by
others and understand their feelings (Consoli, 2010; (Prasetyo and Purnamasari, 2022).
The necessity for creating marketing communication rooted in empathy became prominent during the
destabilizing period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Empathetic communication, attuned to the consumer's mood
and emotional state, fosters shared interests and kindness towards others (Prasetyo and Purnamasari, 2022). Such
marketing practices lead consumers to form connections with products/brands akin to interpersonal relationships.
He would voluntarily attribute human traits and intellectual awareness to the brand, a concept referred to as brand
anthropomorphism (Aggarwal and McGill 2012; Puzakova et al. 2013).
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INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJRISS)
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DEVELOPMENT OF RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
Based on our research question and taking consideration of the very limited similar studies, a review of the
literature has allowed us to develop the hypotheses related to our study. At this stage, we reiterate our research
objectives. In fact, this study aims to:
• Explore the effectiveness of using an "empathetic language" for consumer’s emotional regulation in
brand promotion.
• Understand how the connection between anthropomorphic associations and brands could enhance the
effectiveness of marketing communication.
The absence of a neutral language in everyday life has made it practically impossible to avoid anthropomorphism
(Mitchell, 2005). Marketing specialists take advantage of the fact that our ordinary language is anthropomorphic
(Kennedy, 1992). They use a more metaphorical language, such as deliberately describing brands/products in the
first person, making them look and sound more human-like and relatable to the targeted consumer (Kogeer, 2013;
Coppens d'Eeckenbrugge and Blistein, 2018).
On the other hand, consumers use advertising messages to fulfill their needs and desires, to provide
companionship, address frustrations and insecurities, or to use them as a form of escape and fantasy (Brierley,
1995). Advertisers can incorporate specific language in their advertisements targeting the emotional sensitivities
of their audience. These ads can elicit favorable responses and act as a mechanism for emotional regulation for
consumers (Kemp et al., 2013): a positive mood enhances the expectation that a message which is congruent
with that mood will make consumers feel even better, whereas a negative mood leads to the expectation that
incongruent messages will make them feel better (Di Muro and Murray, 2012).
Therefore, the use of empathetic language in advertising, endowing the brand with an empathetic interpersonal
role, is likely to stimulate the anthropomorphizing of the advertised brand. Thus, our research hypotheses are as
follows:
H: The perception of empathetic advertising stimulates the anthropomorphism of the advertised brand.
H1a: For a consumer induced into a positive mood, perceiving mood-congruent empathetic advertising
stimulates the anthropomorphism of the advertised brand.
H1b: For a consumer induced into a positive mood, perceiving mood-incongruent empathetic advertising does
not stimulate the anthropomorphism of the advertised brand.
H2a: For a consumer induced into a negative mood, perceiving mood-incongruent empathetic advertising
stimulates the anthropomorphism of the advertised brand.
H2b: For a consumer induced into a negative mood, perceiving mood-congruent empathetic advertising does
not stimulate the anthropomorphism of the advertised brand.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Our research aims to test cause-and-effect relationships between an explanatory metric variable and a metric
variable to be explained. Therefore, experimentation appears to be the most appropriate method for data
collection. Indeed, experimentation is a highly useful procedure for providing data that guide decision-making
in the field of advertising (Patrick et al, 2017).
This methodology is most suitable for testing hypotheses as it enables the description of causal links between
one or more manipulated independent variables and one or more measured dependent variables, while imposing
a high degree of control over sources of variation.
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A. Conducting the Empirical Study: Experimental Design
There are two main options for conducting experimental studies: laboratory experiments and field surveys (in an
outdoor environment). Online surveys are a form of field survey that allows observation, tracking, and drawing
conclusions in situations closer to the real-life experiences of the target audience, minimizing the risk of
rationalization (McMillan and Hwang, 2002; Macias, 2003; Amichai-Hamburger and Fine, 2004).
1) Development of the Factorial Design
An experimental plan is developed to meet the objectives of our research. We opt for the type of experimental
design with independent groups. Each group of participants only participates in one experiment representing a
single modality of the independent variable, which, in our case, is the perception of empathetic advertising.
We aim to induce groups of participants into either a positive or a negative mood state. For participants induced
into a positive mood, we expose one group to empathetic advertising congruent with the positive mood
(enthusiastic advertising) and another group to empathetic advertising incongruent with this positive mood
(nonenthusiastic advertising). Similarly, for participants induced into a negative mood, one group is exposed to
empathetic advertising congruent with the negative mood (unhappy advertising), and another group to
empathetic advertising incongruent with this negative mood (happy advertising).
Table 1: Factorial Experimental Design
Condition
Consumer Mood induction
Empathetic Advertising
1
Positive
Congruent with positive mood
2
Positive
Incongruent with positive mood
3
Negative
Congruent with negative mood
4
Negative
Incongruent with negative mood
The use of this experimental design allows studying the influence of multiple main variables and the interaction
between them (Evrard et al, 2003).
The factors implemented in our study consist of two video sequences inducing the consumer's mood, each with
two conditions (Positive and Negative), and empathetic advertisements, also with two conditions (congruent
with the consumer's mood and incongruent with the consumer's mood).
Thus, there are 4 (2*2) experimental cells created for the experiment (see table). In this type of experimental
design, comparisons will focus on the results obtained from each experimental condition (that is, from each
modality of the explanatory independent variables).
2) Sampling Method
We have chosen the convenience sampling method. Our sample primarily consists of Tunisian students from
various disciplines. Chen and Wells (1999) justify the recommended use of a student sample for online surveys
due to their interest and proficiency in using communication technologies, making them an attractive target for
electronic advertising. Participants are randomly assigned to one of the (4) experimental conditions. The groups
are independent to avoid order effects, learning effects, or interference (Légal).
B. Conducting the Empirical Survey: Selection of Advertised Product and Brand, and Design of Stimuli
Before embarking on the fieldwork and starting our empirical study, the type of the advertised product must be
well selected, the choice of the brand of this product must be justified, the stimuli for inducing the consumer's
mood must be carefully chosen and pre-tested, and the various empathetic advertisements (congruent and
incongruent to the consumer's mood) must be delicately designed and pre-tested as well.
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1) Choice of Product
According to Pham (1998), consumers with hedonic incentives to buy a product, as opposed to utilitarian
incentives, are more likely to perceive the feelings evoked by the advertisement as relevant. Since our study
focuses on empathetic language in advertising, the designed advertisements are emotional, incorporating
affective language. The choice of a hedonic product seems most appropriate. We selected a food product due to
the universal appeal of food (Kemp, Bui, and Chapa, 2013). A sample of 50 students was asked to list foods they
might consume to feel better (Kemp, Bui, and Chapa, 2013), or maintain a positive mood. Chocolate was listed
in the top five foods, alongside ice cream, cola, pizza, and cakes.
2) Brand Selection
Derbaix (1995) stipulates that the chosen brand for the study should lack preexisting affective and cognitive
structures. To ensure this condition, we opted for an unknown brand. This choice aims to ensure that participants'
responses are solely a result of their exposure to different experimental conditions, without any form of prior
learning about the brand. This approach aims to minimize confusion effects caused by prior attitudes or
familiarity with the brand (Unnava and Burnkrant, 1991; MacKenzie and Spreng, 1992).
3) Design of Empathetic Advertisements
The conceptualization of empathy encompasses caregiving, assistance, communication, and interaction among
participants in the exchange (Davis, 1983; Greenson, 1960; Stotland, 1969; Rogers, Clow, and Kash, 1994).
Therefore, an empathetic message differs from other emotional messages through specific aspects and elements
that must be incorporated for the message to fulfill its function: sharing the target audience's emotional state.
4) Consumer Mood Induction Stimuli
Two movie excerpts were used at the beginning of the experiment. A sad sequence of approximately 5 minutes
was used to induce the consumer in a negative mood, and a pleasant sequence of approximately 5 minutes was
used to induce a positive mood. These excerpts were adapted from previous studies (Andrade and Cohen 2007;
Lee and Andrade 2011) and, of course, pre-tested to ensure they effectively generated the desired mood.
RESEARCH RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION
To test the research hypotheses, this study employs structural modeling using second-generation data analysis
methods (via the AMOS software). The main results from the study are presented and were subsequently
compared with those from the literature.
Table 2: Summary of Research Results
Hypotheses
Relationship between Empathetic Advertising Perception and Brand
Anthropomorphism
H
The perception of empathetic advertising promotes brand anthropomorphism.
H1a
For a consumer induced in a positive mood, perceiving advertising congruent with
their mood as empathetic stimulates brand anthropomorphism.
H1b
For a consumer induced in a positive mood, perceiving advertising incongruent
with their mood as empathetic does not stimulate brand anthropomorphism.
H2a
For a consumer induced in a negative mood, perceiving advertising incongruent
with their mood as empathetic stimulates brand anthropomorphism.
H2b
For a consumer induced in a negative mood, perceiving advertising congruent with
their mood as empathetic does not stimulate brand anthropomorphism.
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The results indicate that using empathetic language in advertising communications, attributing empathic qualities
to the advertised brand similar to a human, effectively encourages consumers to anthropomorphize the brand.
Sub-hypotheses align with our expectations based on previous research: a positive mood creates an expectation
that a message congruent with the mood will enhance positive feelings, while a negative mood creates an
expectation that incongruent messages with the unpleasant mood will improve one's feelings (Di Muro and
Murray, 2012).
However, the negative valence of the mood induced in the consumer does not seem to affect the impact of
empathetic advertising perception (congruent or incongruent with the mood) on brand anthropomorphism. It
appears that the design of both advertisements favored the respondents' inclination to anthropomorphize the
advertised brand. This underscores the influence of using empathetic emotional language in advertising design.
The aesthetics and language of the advertisement seem to stimulate the tendency of uneasy consumers to
anthropomorphize the brand, regardless of whether the advertisement has a pleasant and cheerful tone or an
unpleasant and unenthusiastic one.
CONCLUSION
Brands consistently aim to establish strong, intimate, and enduring relationships with their target consumers, and
advertising serves as a key approach in building this consumer-brand relationship.
Modern consumption is linked with imitation, illusion, and the perception of what is not true and real but can be
understood through symbolic meanings (Rytel, 2010). This perspective guides our research. By inducing
consumers into different mood states, four experimental conditions were established to study the effect of
incorporating artificial empathy on the consumer's tendency to anthropomorphize the advertised brand.
Our work seeks to surpass the limitation of the anthropomorphism process as a mere physical and tangible
assimilation of brand characteristics with those of humans. Instead, we delve into the anthropomorphized
relationship between the consumer and the brand, concentrating on the mental, intentional, and social
anthropomorphizing of the brand. In our study, the brand is conceptualized as an intentional agent, an empathetic
interpersonal entity capable of managing the consumer's emotional state (emotional regulator). This supports the
fundamental theoretical premise that the consumer-brand relationship could be analogous to interpersonal
relationships.
The results of this study are significantly valuable in the realm of artificial intelligence, where AI increasingly
shapes consumer-brand interactions. AI marketing agents have often been perceived as emotionally too distant
to replace genuine human interaction. Therefore, researchers suggest that artificial empathy should be integrated
as a vital component in the next generation of AI marketing applications (Liu-Thompkins, Okazaki & Li, 2022).
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