Persuasion at First Sight? Testing the Reciprocal Relationship of Repeated Interactions With Virtual Assistants, Trust, and Persuasion

Abstract

Virtual assistants (VAs) as a new communication source enable businesses to repeatedly interact with consumers, increasing the opportunities for persuasive attempts in the form of (personalized) product- or service-related recommendations. However, knowledge on whether consumers build trusting relationships with VAs through repeated interactions and whether this subsequently influences an assistant’s persuasiveness is lacking. This study tests the reciprocal relationship of repeated interactions, trust, and brand-related outcomes in a preregistered 15-day longitudinal within-subjects experiment including 3 measurement points. In daily interactions, participants received recipe suggestions including branded product recommendations from a VA (n = 242). Findings show a positive relationship between VA trust and persuasion and longitudinal effects of increased trust in a VA, resulting in a subsequent increase in positive attitudes toward the recommended brand. We show that persuasion does not happen at first sight, as some interaction is needed for persuasiveness to unfold.