VIRTUAL INFLUENCERS : THE NEW ERA OF BRAND BUILDING
“Can you picture an influencer who not only follows your brand’s vision but actually steers your brand towards new horizons?”
This imagination has now become a reality with the advent of Virtual Influencers, which are significantly transforming the world of brand building and show a brilliant promise in future to become a cornerstone marketing strategy.
Businesses who want to position their brand effectively and market their products or services in a creative manner are constantly searching for innovative ways to connect with audiences, build brand awareness, and foster brand loyalty. Influencer marketing is one such strategy that developed from this need, thus spawning a generation of influencers on various platforms along with associated influencer marketing companies.
With the advent of AI, Augmented Reality (AR), and Virtual Reality (VR), a new domain has now emerged called Virtual Influencers, specifically made for enhanced brand building. In this blog post, we’ll explore the phenomenon of virtual influencers, their impact on businesses in the form of influencer marketing, and how they can revolutionize your business’ brand-building efforts.
The Rise of Social Virtual Influencers
Virtual influencers are computer-generated personalities in the form of an image or an avatar. Using 3D modelling and animation tool, these avatars can be modified and brought to life, thus blurring the lines between the virtual and real worlds. They can be used effectively by businesses to market products or services on various platforms such as social media, websites, news, billboard ads, and events.
This concept might sound like a subplot from a sci-fi novel, but it’s very much a reality in today’s marketing sphere. In fact, these online entities have been around since the past 15 years or so, although initially they were not used for any corporate business or branding requirements.
Did You Know?
- Recognized globally as the first virtual influencer, Lil’ Miquela Sousa, who is a singer and social media personality, was developed by US-based startup Brud in 2016.
- Soon, other companies started coming up with their own personalities like Imma, Nobody Sausage, and Guggimon.
- These are now some of the top virtual influencers and have amassed millions of followers on various social media platforms, especially TikTok, thus being a part of the entertainment industry.
- In India, the virtual influencer phenomenon is also gaining traction in the last few years.
- Myntra, a popular fashion recently created and introduced their own virtual influencer named “Maya”, set up under the name of “maya_unlimited”.
- Maya is incorporated into the Studio section of Myntra app, besides representing one the biggest fashion brands in India, she also advocates mental health, body positivity, and inclusivity.
- Similarly, there have been others in India, namely Kyra and Naina, who both are the first ones from the country, and cater to various niches.
- Kyra or Kyraonig was created by Himanshi Goel, launched in Jan 2022, and has endorsed various brands such as Amazon Prime Video, boat, and John Jacobs, thus prominently benefiting the music and entertainment industries.
What sets these influencers apart is not just their appealing nature but also their ability to engage and resonate with audiences on a deep, emotional level. They embody the essence of authenticity, despite being purely digital entities, thus being valid for use in businesses belonging to various industries to generate massive business potential.
Unlocking Business Value: How Virtual Influencers Supercharge Your Brand
- Brand Authenticity
- Virtual influencers embody authenticity through AI-driven personas.
- They convey specific values, beliefs, and share relatable personal stories.
- Immune to human influencer pitfalls like scandals and controversies.
- Provide high control for effective brand building.
- Available 24/7, engage without fatigue, and adapt to evolving trends and preferences.
- Influencer Marketing and Hyper-Personalization
- Virtual influencers excel at hyper-personalizing marketing campaigns
- Data-driven insights enable tailored content for specific audience segments
- They seamlessly switch between personas, languages, and cultural nuances.
- A versatile tool for global brand expansion.
- Targeting diverse demographics within the same campaign.
- Building Trust and Credibility
- Virtual influencers maintain consistent and transparent images
- They lack personal agendas and hidden biases.
- Their loyalty to the brand is unwavering.
- Recommendations from virtual influencers are trusted as unbiased and reliable.
- Programmed for meaningful, real-time engagement with followers.
- Immersive Storytelling and Brand Narratives
- Virtual influencers excel at delivering captivating narratives.
- Brands can craft intricate backstories, mission statements, and brand values.
- Enriching the brand’s identity and deepening its connection with consumers.
- Ongoing story arcs create anticipation and excitement among followers.
- Memorable, emotionally resonant, and shareable brand campaigns.
- Cost-Efficiency and Scalability
- Virtual influencers offer cost-efficiency and scalability.
- They are faster and require less research time.
- The initial investment in creating a virtual influencer may be significant.
- Long-term benefits far outweigh the costs.
- Can engage with audiences indefinitely without additional expenses.
- Virtual Influencers in Various Industries
In an era where consumers seek genuine experiences, virtual influencers offer a novel way to maintain authenticity and distinctiveness in marketing activities. These AI-driven personas can convey values, beliefs, and personal stories, making them highly relatable. Unlike human influencers, they avoid pitfalls that can tarnish a brand’s reputation, provide control, and offer round-the-clock engagement while adapting to changing consumer preferences.
Virtual influencers offer a unique advantage in hyper-personalizing marketing campaigns. Leveraging data-driven insights, brands can create tailored content for specific audience segments. With the ability to switch between personas, languages, and cultural nuances, virtual influencers become a versatile asset for global brand expansion. Consider the potential of a single virtual influencer effectively engaging various demographics within the same campaign, increasing conversion rates, building brand loyalty, and reducing marketing costs.
Virtual influencers build trust and credibility by offering consistent and transparent images without personal agendas or hidden biases. Their unwavering loyalty to the brand makes recommendations from them highly trusted as unbiased and reliable sources of information. They can also engage in real-time conversations with followers, addressing questions and concerns promptly, fostering trust and creating a sense of community around the brand.
Virtual influencers are extraordinary storytellers, captivating audiences with their narratives. Brands can shape intricate backstories, mission statements, and brand values for these virtual ambassadors, enriching their brand identity and fostering deeper connections with consumers. These personas engage in ongoing story arcs that generate anticipation and excitement among followers. Leveraging the storytelling prowess of virtual influencers results in brand campaigns that are memorable, emotionally resonant, and shareable.
Traditional influencer marketing can be costly, particularly when collaborating with celebrities or industry experts. In contrast, virtual influencers are a cost-efficient and scalable option, requiring less time and resources. While the initial investment in creating a virtual influencer can be significant, the long-term benefits far surpass the costs. Once developed, these digital personalities engage with audiences indefinitely without additional expenses, allowing brands to allocate resources more efficiently and invest in other crucial marketing activities.
Virtual influencers have proven their versatility and can be successfully implemented in a wide range of industries. Below are some of the industries where virtual influencers are highly viable and can be utilized to their maximum extent.
In the IT and technology sectors, virtual influencers can simplify complex concepts and engage tech-savvy audiences. For the recruitment industry, they can act as informative career guides. In the medical field, they can raise awareness about health issues. In the BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance) sector, they can promote financial literacy. In construction and real estate, they can showcase architectural designs and property listings.
Their adaptability and ability to personalize content make them a viable marketing tool for numerous industries.
Conclusion
The potential of virtual influencers spans across a multitude of industries. They offer a unique approach to connecting with audiences, conveying messages, and fostering brand loyalty. Their ability to swiftly adapt to industry-specific content and engage with diverse demographics makes them an invaluable asset for brands looking to expand their reach and grow in today’s digital landscape.
Virtual influencers represent a paradigm shift in the world of brand building. Their authenticity, hyper-personalization, trust-building capabilities, storytelling prowess, cost-efficiency, and scalability make them a powerful marketing tool for businesses. However, embracing virtual influencers doesn’t mean forsaking human influencers entirely. Instead, it means augmenting a marketing strategy with a new, exciting dimension that can elevate a business significantly.
Curious about harnessing the power of virtual influencers to elevate your brand? Reach out to Dust Value, a leading digital marketing agency that specializes in 360-degree digital marketing services. We can help you navigate this exciting frontier and make virtual influencers a part of your brand’s success story.