*Image reference from truthinadvertising.org

What is… A Virtual Influencer?

Virtual Influencers are CGI characters or personas that are controlled by real people. Oftentimes they take on the persona of a real person- however there are many types of characters out there such as a hybrid between animal and human or even something similarly unusual such as a Bee. They are created with their own set of personalities, character flaws, hobbies and more. They live in an environment and have lifestyles like we do and they mainly focus on promoting products or services etc online. At times, People online do not even realise that they are computer-generated, due to their realistic features.

What are the benefits of Virtual Influencers?

Firstly, brands or companies have more control over what the virtual influencer does, says, promotes etc . For example, with real people, there are certain limitations or restrictions when it comes to promoting brands. With virtual influencers, it reduces the risk of influencers publishing content that they do not agree with or doesn’t portray the message they desire. Secondly, it saves time looking for the right influencers. It’s a hassle to look through countless profiles, just to look for the right influencer to help promote your brand. When working with virtual influencers, companies do not have to worry about them making a statement, causing a scene in public or making negative headlines in the press. There’s less worry for brands this way and their reputation won’t be affected.

*Image reference from The Drum

*Image reference from Porsche

Famous Virtual Influencers

There are many great examples of famous virtual influencers. Imma Gram is a popular Japanese virtual influencer. She has posted a lot of interesting content and has collaborated with many popular brands such as Porsche and IKEA. Some influencers are not your typical humans. For instance, Guggimon is a bunny character who is also an influencer with many followers. This shows that almost anyone and anything can be a virtual influencer online.

Conclusion

Many of us love listening to and telling stories, and it helps us to express ourselves. This goes the same for virtual influencers – they’re just another form of expression. Although virtual influencing has its many benefits, it is still not a typical approach to the influencer marketing yet. I feel that with the right digital character, it can help your brand stand out among all the other real influencers who are already using channels like Instagram and TikTok. As technology progresses, digital content can be made much easier and quicker; it makes sense why virtual influencers will continue to be successful.