Thesis Defence: SHAMESHAR Sohelila (Master of Science in Business Administration)

Date
to
Location
Zoom
Campus
Online
The Office of Graduate Administration is pleased to announce that SHAMESHAR Sohelila will be defending their thesis as a candidate for the degree Master of Science in Business Administration.

You are encouraged to attend the defence. The details of the defence and attendance information is included below: &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

Date:  October 29, 2025

Time: 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Defence mode:  Remote 

Virtual Attendance: via Zoom

Please contact the Office of Graduate Administration for information regarding remote attendance for online defences. 

To ensure the defence proceeds with no interruptions, please mute your audio and video on entry and do not inadvertently share your screen. The meeting will be locked to entry 5 minutes after it begins: please ensure you are on time.  

Thesis entitled:  THE IMPACT OF TYPE OF VIRTUAL INFLUNCER, PRODUCT TYPE AND COMPANION PRESENCE ON AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT: ANALYSIS OF INSTAGRAM POSTS

Abstract: This study examines the impact of product type, companion presence, and influencer type on user engagement with virtual influencers on Instagram. Observation data were collected from 250 posts shared by Noonoouri and Milla Sofia between 2023 and mid-2025. Each post was categorized by product type (hedonic vs. utilitarian), companion presence (alone vs. with others), and influencer type (cartoon-like vs. human-like), and engagement was measured by the number of likes and comments. Results of independent-sample t-tests showed that there were significant differences in user engagement for product type and companion presence, with hedonic products and posts including companions generating higher engagement. Differences were also found between cartoon-like and human-like influencers depending on the context. The study highlights how these factors influence audience reactions and provides practical implications for marketers and brands using virtual influencers in social media campaigns.

Defence Committee:  

Chair: Dr. David Connell, University of Northern British Columbia  

Supervisor: Dr. Xin Ge, University of Northern British Columbia  

Committee Member: Dr. Chengbo Fu, University of Northern British Columbia  

Committee Member: Dr. Paul Messinger, University of Northern British Columbia  

External Examiner: Dr. Liang Chen, University of Northern British Columbia  

Contact Information

Graduate Administration in the Office of the Registrar, &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

University of Northern British Columbia  &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

Email: grad-office@unbc.ca 

Web:  https://www2.unbc.ca/graduate-programs &²Ô²ú²õ±è;