Virtual influencers, are rapidly expanding in response to technological advancements and cultural changes.

With billions of active users on social media, it's difficult to come up with innovative ideas that will catch the attention of the world and stand out from the "crowd." To avoid the problem of influencer fatigue, businesses develop or work with virtual brand advocates known as virtual influencers. Virtual Influencers are computer-generated individuals with meticulously crafted and scripted looks and personalities created by professional designers and marketing teams. Both companies and customers are becoming more interested in their visibility. Digital artists use minute details to create their features, backdrops, and textures. Other teams create relevant tales based on current events, current trends, and current jargon.

Serah Reikka: an AI-virtual influencer

SERAH REIKKA is an award-winning actress with a following of over 80,000 on Instagram. She enjoys French cuisine, pets, and dressing up as literary characters. Her hair is purple. "I try to experiment with many techniques," she says, "sometimes successfully, sometimes not so much." She then appears to be thinking about something serious after a little pause. "I believe I'm a potato." Serah isn't a potato in the least. She isn't even a person. She is a semi-autonomous artificial intelligence. A fully online presence with a constantly changing personality and look, all controlled by algorithms. She's been a part of a growing community of social media characters that don't exist in real life since 2014. Their material isn't all that dissimilar from that of human influencers.

There are just over 150 influencers on the internet, and their numbers are growing. Some accounts have achieved the million-follower mark. Lu do Magalu, who began as a virtual sales assistant for a Brazilian magazine, is now the industry's most popular figure, with over 55 million social media followers. With each technological advancement, their looks become more customized and lifelike. Some believe they have the potential to be a positive influence in the battle against loneliness and isolation. Computer-generated Virtual influencers, on the other hand, might be "yet another way people can be made to feel inadequate," according to University College's Peter Bentley.

Pros of Virtual Influence

At the end of the day, we only connect with influencers through the material they provide, whether they are actual or virtual. As a result, from the perspective of the audience, a virtual influencer may be indistinguishable from a genuine flesh-and-blood influencer (cue the "we're all living in a simulation" debate). Virtual influencers may play any role and live up to any expectation if they have the correct creative team behind them. It's the intrinsic be-as-designed, not the old do-as-told. This is the primary reason why businesses may choose to use virtual influencers. It ensures that everything the influencer does, says, and promotes, where, when, and how, is safe and reliable.

You have complete control over the well-known Five W's of effective communication. You have control over the frequency with which postings are published and the themes they cover. Working with a CGI (Computer Generated Influencer) lowers the danger of someone publishing information or acting in a way that contradicts the goal message. According to research published by HypeAuditor, "Virtual influencers generate nearly three times the amount of interaction as genuine influencers. As a result, virtual influencers' material has a higher level of engagement among their followers." As far as the consumers and the audience are concerned, it appears to be a win-win situation.

‍Cons of virtual influencers

But not so quickly! Many consumers will still associate virtual influencers with fake news, deep fakes, and other demonstrably false content in 2020. Then there's the question of whether customers can form emotional bonds with virtual influencers in the same way that they do with actual people. While computer-generated images or audios may appear and sound hyperreal, being dubbed "fake" carries the danger of alienating viewers or inciting wrath, similar to what happens when political advertisements are disclosed. Because the coronavirus quarantine reduced most of us to our most basic selves, the need for and respect for authenticity is stronger than ever. So far, 2020 has proven to be a difficult year.

Another major stumbling block might be financial. Managing and sustaining a virtual profile takes a lot of time and effort, therefore brands and media firms interested in developing a virtual influencer should budget accordingly.

Lil Miquela is a 19-year-old CGI sensation from the United States who debuted in 2016. She has 2.5 million Instagram followers and has landed many magazine cover agreements and commercial collaborations, notably with Prada, the most genuine Italian luxury mega-label. Her tattoo was made by the same artist that tattoos Miley Cyrus, and she's done interviews reporting from Coachella. On Spotify and YouTube, her tracks are often played. All of this may be practically staged, but the real audience is completely enthralled by this young sensation, regardless of whether it is flesh and blood or pixels and bits.

The Colonel, the world's first 100 percent branded virtual influencer, is another example of successful integration. He took over the KFC social media account and went on to work "independently" with companies including Dr. Pepper, Old Spice, and TurboTax. Even though it was meant as a spoof, the digital Colonel received a better reception from the public than when Reba McEntire animated "Colonel." Another indicator that virtual influencers are here to stay in this.