Rethinking the Brand-Influencer-Consumer Relationship in the Metaverse Era: Toward New Dynamics of Co-Constructed Engagement
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70112/ajms-2026.15.1.4299Keywords:
Metaverse, Brand-Influencer-Consumer , Relationship, Immersive Experiences, Value Co-Creation, Co-Constructed EngagementAbstract
The rise of Web 3.0, immersive technologies, and the metaverse has profoundly transformed influencer marketing. Beyond the traditional formats developed in digital social networks, relationships between brands, influencers, and consumers are being redefined in 3D virtual environments, where immersion, co-creation, and storytelling are emerging as key drivers of engagement. Through a literature review, case analyses, and observation of emerging technological trends, this article aims to explore how the metaverse is reconfiguring the tripartite relational dynamics of influencer marketing and to establish a strategic framework for the development of lasting tripartite relationships in the metaverse. The research highlights three major developments : the role of brands as architects of immersive experiences ; the transformation of influencers into avatar figures with experiential influence ; and the emergence of the consumer-actor, involved in the active co-creation of value. These developments have led to new relational dynamics, including a shift from content-based marketing to interaction-driven marketing, a reconfiguration of trust-building methods, and the emergence of new metrics to measure engagement. The proposed strategic framework includes five essential steps : establishing an ethical foundation, ensuring strategic alignment, governing tripartite relationships, creating shared engagement, and steering through listening and flexibility. Brand managers working in the metaverse are now called upon to rethink their immersive strategies to make them more participatory and ethical, in order to respond to contemporary consumers’ quest for authenticity, transparency, and co-constructed experiences.
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