Innovative technologies in branded-service encounters: How robot characteristics affect brand trust and experience

Social robots are increasingly employed in service contexts such as healthcare, entertainment, and accommodation. Firms invest in social robots to improve their brand perception. Branding effects of social robots have received little attention in the literature. The present study addresses this issue and clarifies whether (1) social robots influence customers' brand perceptions and (2) these effects are service-context dependent. We develop a video experiment testing 16 different social robots in four service contexts (e.g. people-processing services). The survey results from 530 study participants indicate that the robot characteristics anthropomorphism, likability, and perceived intelligence display strong effects on brand trust and brand experience. We also find that brand effects depend on the service context, being more likely for people and mental services than possession and information services. We provide guidance regarding which services benefit from employing social robots.