In today’s brand marketing climate, it is important to maintain cohesive imagery and continuous connections between brands, influencers as brand spokespersons, and consumers. We know platforms like Cameo have given power to celebrities and influencers to deliver brand messages to their fans and followers, but how can businesses leverage an unlimited amount of branded, recognizable content?
Your favorite fashion brand? One of their brand ambassadors might be a virtual influencer. The tech brand that you are very loyal to? Its latest product might be endorsed by a virtual influencer. Take Lil Miquela for example. Having gained popularity as the OG of virtual influencers who meticulously documents her life in Los Angeles, Lil Miquela is one of the most successful virtual influencers that has racked up a huge 2.5 million followers on Instagram. She has worked with brands like Samsung, Prada, and Calvin Klein alongside real-life supermodel Bella Hadid.
By 2025, 30% of influencer budgets will be allocated to virtual influencers, and digital humans are on a trajectory to become a $528 billion market by 2030. But why is virtual better? What needs are they fulfilling?
Engaging virtual influencers as spokespersons on social media allows brands to maintain complete control over the messaging and creative process from conception to execution. Brands can create the perfect brand ambassador or face for their brand and avoid the uncontrollable nature of human endorsers. They don’t have to worry about their brand ambassador hit by a scandal, going off-script, aging, or leaving for a competitor.
One study showed that virtual influencers have three times the fan interaction rate of real influencers. These virtual influencers are developed with certain personality, relationships, likes, dislikes, and traits, therefore building up a niche follower base. Combined with the right promotion strategy, their nicheness and authenticity can satisfy the audience’s love and belonging needs, and the stronger the customer brand engagement will be.
According to a 2022 virtual influencers survey conducted by the Influencer Marketing Factory, 58% of respondents follow at least one virtual influencer and 35% of consumers said they had purchased a product promoted by a virtual influencer. Those aged 18-44 were most likely to have purchased a product that a virtual influencer promoted.
Marketers have the ability to innovate in ways that were never possible through engaging virtual influencers. They can perform out-of-the box marketing activities and interactions that are possible, well, because they are digital humans.
As an example, Ikea Japan engaged virtual influencer Imma to explore the concept of “happiness at home.” Imma “lived” for three days in the storefront of Ikea Harajuku. Passerbys could peer into Imma’s living room, watching as she lounged on a couch, mindlessly browsing her phone. Meanwhile, a view into her bedroom was streamed on a screen on the second floor, viewable from Harajuku Station. This wouldn’t be possible if Imma were a real person, as there’s no way Ikea Japan could get a social media star to live in their storefront, clearly visible among the public gaze for three days non-stop.
Another example, digital celebrity and Roblox creator Kai was able to perform in seven different virtual concert venues simultaneously, an impossible feat for a human influencer.
Engaging virtual influencers is certainly easier on the pocket due to slashed production costs. For example, brands that wish to hold virtual influencer photoshoots at exotic locations don’t need to actually fly them there. The influencer’s creator and programming team would put the influencers onto whatever backdrops the clients want. All they need is a high-res backdrop image of some far-flung location and voilà, glamour Instagram campaigns at dreamy locations are ready to post.
It is also interesting to note that since influencer marketing is a highly content-driven marketing strategy, virtual influencers have a unique ability to create content around the clock, more than a real human influencers could produce within the same amount of time.
In a world where brands are fighting for relevance and mind share, one of the secrets to being relevant is to be trustworthy. People trust people. That is why it’s becoming increasingly important for brands to personify themselves. A virtual influencer allows brands to ascribe desirable images for themselves, so they can be more relatable and connect better with audiences.
While it is evident that virtual influencers are effective, more brands will embrace their own avatars and take the next steps in building a deeper, richer community. There is nobody that needs to be more aware of this trend than the brands who are looking to stay on top of the game, reach out to a whole new type of audience, and be relevant always.
