Machine Talk: How AI-Based Conversational Interfaces Enhance Brand Intimacy and Impact Behavioral Brand Outcomes

23.09.2021 12:15 – 13:15

MANAGEMENT BROWN BAG SEMINAR / SHORT ABSTRACT

AI-based conversational interfaces are often thought of merely as tools for service automation to provide 24/7 customer support. This research shows that such interfaces can also have a profound impact on consumer-brand relationships. We introduce a conceptual model of technology-mediated communication that identifies the structural (turn-taking, turn-initiation) and semantic (grounding) properties of a dialogue as the key drivers of consumers’ perception of an AI-based conversational interface, their perception of the brand that the interface represents, and their behavior in connection with the brand. Converging evidence from five studies shows that these conversational properties profoundly impact the perceived humanness of conversational interfaces, which promotes more intimate consumer-brand relationships, ultimately resulting in more favorable behavioral brand outcomes (such as greater recommendation acceptance, willingness to pay a price premium, brand advocacy, and brand loyalty). Moreover, we show that these effects are enhanced in contexts requiring greater mutual understanding between the consumer and the brand. This research highlights how our understanding of fundamental principles of human-to-human communication can be harnessed to design more relatable AI. The findings presented here have important practical implications for the design of AI-based conversational interfaces that brands use to interact with consumers.

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