Shaping corporate character via chatbot social conversation: Impact on organization-public relational outcomes

As an empirical effort to explore the public relations potential of AI-enabled technologies such as chatbots, this study examined how chatbot social conversation—a communication strategy that encompasses both social presence and conversational human voice and is conceptualized in consideration of chatbots’ mediated communication environment—can contribute to organization-public relational outcomes (i.e., OPRs). To understand how this process works, we incorporate the personification approach to organizations, and also investigate the impact of chatbot social conversation in shaping public perceptions of corporate character (i.e., agreeableness, enterprise, competence, and ruthlessness). A survey of 778 Facebook users in the United States was conducted, where participants were randomly assigned to have a guided conversation with an AI-enabled social chatbot utilized by real companies on Facebook. Results confirm that chatbot social conversation can serve as a strong antecedent of the corporate character of the organization that deployed it and OPRs. Perceived corporate character also directly influences the quality of OPRs, demonstrating the potential of using AI-enabled social chatbots for public relations purposes. •This study examined how chatbot social conversation can contribute to organization-public relationships (OPRs).•It also investigates the impact of chatbot social conversation in shaping public perceptions of corporate character.•An online survey was conducted with 778 Facebook users who had a guided conversation with an AI-enabled social chatbot.•Results showed that chatbot social conversation served as a strong antecedent of corporate character and OPRs.•Perceived corporate character also directly influenced the quality of OPRs.