Abstract:

Digital humans are virtual entities that replicate human appearance， behavior， and cognition processes， capable of interacting in both virtual and real worlds. The emergence of digital humans has created new opportunities for brand image building and consumer engagements， accelerating the shift from traditional digital marketing to a hybrid model that integrates both virtual and real elements. Despite growing interest from scholars and practitioners， significant gaps remain between theoretical research and practical applications in digital human marketing， which need to be addressed. 213 English-language articles from the Web of Science core collection and 216 Chinese-language articles from the CNKI database are analyzed. The external and internal characteristics of digital humans are first explored， identifying three theoretical foundations of digital human marketing： individual cognition， information processing， and emotional interaction， and summarizing four key dimensions of its effectiveness. Based on these analyses， two mediating mechanisms are identified： cognitive responses and emotional responses， and outline three boundary conditions that affect the effectiveness of digital human marketing from the perspectives of consumers， corporations， and environment. Finally， unresolved issues in digital human marketing research are discussed and insights into potential future directions for advancing this field are provided.

Key words: metaverse, digital human, marketing model, theoretical framework, literature review