If I’d have told you a decade ago that you’d be making purchasing decisions based on what computer-generated people online promote, you’d have laughed in my face.
We can now get same-day delivery. We can purchase online in 3 clicks. We get recommended ads based on what the digital universe knows about us. This is the world we’re living in right now, and how amazing is it?!
It’s safe to say the role of influencer marketing in modern society is ever-changing, particularly since the boom of TikTok and how easy it is for everyday people to create high-quality content and share it to the masses. Alongside this, AI has continued to advance, now playing a more dominant role in our society, from mapping the quickest route to your destination, to suggesting which films you’d like.
Today, we shine a spotlight on virtual influencer marketing. If you’re asking yourself, ‘what on earth is a virtual influencer?’, well, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll take a look at what they are, how brands work with them, and what social media marketing strategy should consider before delving into the unknown.
What are virtual influencers?
What a great place to start. Virtual influencers are fictional, CGI characters modelled after ‘traditional’ influencers. They’re mostly human characters, made with real personalities, characteristics and physical features in mind…despite being 100% fake. They’re mostly used for marketing purposes, replacing the role of the traditional influencers.
At the moment, it’s fair to say the ‘virtual influencer’ – let alone specific names of specific talent – is not common household lingo here in the UK. But, it’s a fast-growing trend in countries like Japan and China; however I do expect we’re a good few years behind them, as the first virtual influencer was actually made back in 2016!
Who manages virtual influencers?
Although some brands have made their own virtual influencers, they’re mostly managed by start-ups or marketing agencies specialising in AI. How it usually works is that the ‘creator’ owns the visual identity – being able to choose how the talent looks, what they wear, who they collaborate with and so on. The creators have full control and keep the money made from deals too! Pretty sweet if you’re a CGI pro.
How do virtual influencers work?
To be honest, they work just like other influencers, really. Apart from how they look and feel, they work the same – post content, interact with audiences, endorse products and brands. One catch – it’s not real 🙃 If you sense my scepticism, do read on…
What are the pros and cons of virtual influencers?
As virtual, online lives blur with real life, it’s bound to get messy. It’s super interesting, innovative and futuristic but…also quite scary! I’ve listed my top 3 pros and cons of this new phenomenon:
The pros
- Innovation
Virtual influencers offer insane, next-level creativity. Because of AI, you can quite literally create whatever you want! The talent is adaptable to any brief, making them a good fit across a range of categories.
- Cost effectiveness
Forget expenses, logistics, time – with everything being fake, there’s less of a focus on what you put in, compared to the time and effort traditional influencer marketing warrants.
- Full editorial control
Point and shoot. There’s no ‘reshoot’, extensive talent liaison, you’re specifically paying to have full control over the outputs. Whatever you want to get out of it, you pretty much will.
The cons
- Misleading and inauthentic
Let’s be honest – these characters look very realistic, but they’re definitely not real. Knowing everything is completely untrue does make what you see seem quite inauthentic and forced. Unlike traditional influencers, where they may actually love a product and talk about it organically, everything is curated specifically for brand deals.
- Impact on real influencers
The sad truth about virtual influencers is that they devalue traditional influencers, driving down partnership rates in our industry. Usually, the costs of real partnerships increase in line with the success of each influencer. But, the biggest investment when it comes to virtual influencers is to get it off the ground – meaning each post then becomes cheaper, rather than more expensive. It’d be a shame to see all partnerships move to the virtual world, as for me, it really lacks connection and emotion.
- Raises ethical issues
The drawbacks of AI in general are still being unearthed, but when it comes to virtual influencers, there’s definitely a risk when it comes to ethics. As AI technology advances, virtual influencers are expected to look even more like humans – making it even more important for brands to be transparent about their use of AI. If audiences can’t distinguish between humans and virtual influencers, it does become quite complex and pose potential risks of deception.
There’s no doubt virtual influencers are reshaping the landscape of digital marketing. Who would’ve thought we’d have got to this place (except maybe the Simpsons, who predict everything)? If you’re looking to explore the world of virtual influencers, here are three to follow, to broaden your horizons:
Lil Miquela
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Lil Miquela launched in 2016 and quickly became the talk of the town. With more than 2.6 million Instagram followers, she has a broader audience than plenty of household name British B List celebrities. Through partnerships with brands like Calvin Klein and Prada, she’s crafted a strong online persona for herself.
Imma
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Imma has amassed nearly 400,000 Instagram followers. Through collaborations with high-end fashion brands such as Prada and Fendi, she’s became quite a prolific virtual influencer; even giving a virtual Ted Talk with her creator, Sara Giusto, earlier this year.
Shudu
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The World’s First AI supermodel, Shudu, boasts more than 240,000 Instagram followers. Having recently collaborating with the likes of Vogue and Balmain, she is big on the fashion and beauty scene.
In conclusion
The world of virtual influencers is huge, but for the most part, largely untapped. As digital marketers, we’re still constantly learning, so it’s new to most of us, too!
If you’re looking to dip your toe in the water, I’d suggest you’re fully comfortable with traditional influencer marketing first. Virtual influencer marketing is its own entity, and I don’t think they should be confused, as they do bring different benefits (more on that in another piece, I’m sure).
According to The Influencer Marketing Factory’s 2024 ‘State of Virtual Influencers’ report, 71% haven’t made a purchase influenced by the recommendation of a virtual influencer. I think it’s an interesting marketing tool, but personally, I’m not sold on virtual influencer marketing quite yet.
I do think it’ll continue to grow and learn as AI advances, so I’d be interested to see how it changes as we head into the mid-2020s. One to watch for 2025!
If you ever want to chat about taking your social media strategy to the next level for your brand, with or without virtual influencers, get in touch today.