Virtual influencers are taking the marketing world by storm. Already, they are said to boast approximately triple the average engagement rates of their human counterparts, with many businesses embarking on new partnerships with them and others likely to follow suit.
Essentially, virtual influencers are computer generated ‘people’, with realistic characteristics, personality traits and features. They are created to closely resemble humans in order to resonate with their audiences and promote products and brands in more creative ways. Similarly to human influencers, they will have carefully curated feeds that portray their ‘lives’, including who they hang out with, what they like and dislike and what causes they may support.
Brands are increasingly becoming involved with these types of influencers, while consumers also seem to be taking a keen interest in this futuristic marketing technique.
According to a recent survey, 58% of respondents follow at least one virtual influencer, and 35% of consumers said they had purchased a product promoted by a virtual influencer. In this digital age, brands must consider this new strategy to reach larger and newer audiences, or they risk falling behind and losing their audience’s attention.
How can brands best collaborate with virtual influencers?
Brands can partner and collaborate with virtual influencers in the same way they would with human influencers. When approaching a partnership, they’d need to understand costs or how to collaborate in a way that is mutually beneficial to both parties. It’s important to remember that virtual influencers will have likes and dislikes and will use these to dictate the campaigns and brands they choose to work with.
Unlike with their human counterparts, virtual influencers give brands more creative control over the entire process. In addition, if anything were to go wrong with the campaign or content, this can be easily amended as everything is done virtually, as opposed to needing to reshoot and delay the content going live. This will likely turn many brands and marketers to wanting to work with a virtual influencer in the future.
Ensuring authenticity when working with virtual influencers
When it comes to virtual influencers, there are conflicting views on whether or not a fictional, computer-generated ‘human’ is relatable to a human audience. First and foremost, brands have to openly disclose working with a VI for any of their campaigns. This is the first step to maintaining authenticity.
Marketers should also ensure that they build credible relationships with other creators and present authentic relationships, as they would with a human. After all, there is still a person behind the virtual influencer, so as long as they stay true to human characteristics and maintain strong connections with their followers, they will be seen as more authentic.
In addition, creators of virtual influencers should be realistic with the characteristics and personalities they assign their creations, so that their audiences will have something to relate to.
Another consideration is how creators communicate. Creators should be authentic in the way they speak to their audiences by being transparent about the brands they work with and the products they promote. Ultimately, open communication will allow marketers to build loyalty and trust among their audience, and establish their virtual influencer as a leader in their space.
What impact do virtual influencers have on traditional marketing techniques?
Virtual influencers can be meticulously crafted to embody specific brand values and personas, ensuring consistency and alignment with marketing objectives. Additionally, they are not bound by real-world constraints, such as availability or conflicting endorsements, providing markets with more flexibility. This will typically mean they are more appealing for many brands to work with.
They are particularly popular in the fashion, beauty and technology industries, as they are able to showcase different styles and aesthetics more seamlessly. These industries are popular amongst Gen Z, who have an affinity for keeping up with new trends and technologies. That being said, industries such as healthcare or finance, where individuals value personal connections, may not be as convinced by the virtual influencer. Older generations are also less receptive to virtual influencers, and may prefer traditional forms of marketing and communications.
As such, while virtual influencers reflect contemporary culture and trends, brands and marketers should assess how they would best benefit from working with one. Not all audiences will be as receptive to the idea of a virtual influencer, so traditional marketing techniques may still take precedence. Ultimately, if you do choose to work with a virtual influencer, it’s important to understand how best to curate the right persona for your brand, how to best collaborate and how this will benefit your marketing strategy.
By Tatiana Sokolova, Marketing Lead at Alpha Affiliates
