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CGI-Created Virtual Influencers Are the New Trend in Social Media Marketing

With more than 1 billion people using social media all over the world, its more difficult than ever for brands to stand out from the crowd. Thus, the rise of the influencer, which has been one of the most significant changes in marketing in the last decade.

Some creative marketers have decided to to find an alternative to the typical approach to influencers and instead create their brand ambassadors themselves using artificial intelligence. Thesevirtual influencers arecomputer-created fictional characters whose personalities are entirely fictional. Theyre paired with animated images from digital artists to accurately re-create the subtle features ofhuman faces. Some companies are building their owninfluencers from the ground up, creating their own character that they can control every aspect of.

Instagram users have already seen creations like 19-year-oldLil Miquelareleasemusic while going through a carefully scripted drama that kept her 1.6 million followers riveted.Lil Miquela, created by the L.A.-based firm Brud, can be said to have started the CGI influencer phenomenonin 2016, whenshe blew upon Instagram. Now shes a regular face in fashion magazines and fronts a wide range of luxury brands.More than 80,000 people stream Lil Miquelas songs on Spotify every month. Shehas given interviews from Coachella and shown off a tattoo designed by an artist who inked Miley Cyrus. Until her creators revealed her true provenance, many of her fans were convinced she was a flesh-and-blood teenager.

Just like Lil Miquela, Blawko wascreated by Brud. Sporting streetwear style and tattoos, hedescribes himself as a "young robot sex symbol."Hes perhaps the most mysterious of all the virtual influencer stars due to the mask that covers half of his face. He has become popular among users for his laid-back nature and on-off relationship with Bermuda, another CGI-created influencer.

Intended to parody the lifestyle of Instagram influencers, KFCs virtual Colonel shows the ridiculously good-looking Colonel Harland Sanders living his best influencer life. The uncannily human character posts from KFC's official account, which has 1.3 million followers. Itidentifies him as a virtual influencer who is chasing the dream, selling chicken and based out of Louisville, the company's headquarters. He sports the Colonel's signature gray hair, black-rimmed glasses and white suit, butinstead of a pudgy old man, this version is a modelesque hipster, complete with a torso tattoo that reads "Secret Recipe for Success."He frequently collaborates with other brands, includingDr Pepper, Old Spiceand TurboTax.

In fall 2018, French luxury fashion house Balmain launched a campaign starring three digital models. Two of the models are exclusive to the Balmain brand, while the third,Shudu Gram, is a free agent popularly known as the world's first digital supermodel. British fashion photographer Cameron-James Wilson created Shudu, whohas more than 200,000 followers on Instagram and blursthe line between digital and reality. She cant talk, nor is she artificially intelligent, but with Wilsons help, she shares her message of empowerment and diversity in the fashion industry.

"Only a few years ago, the idea of social media influencers was in its infancy, so their popularityis a sign of how quickly the trend took hold of the publics imagination," saysphotographer and online marketerKaterina Leroy. She saysusing virtual influencers benefits brands because it gives them full control, saves time searching for the right human influencers and reduces the risk od negative feedback. On the other hand, it could be another marketing experiment that fades away, "not one that will alter the course of influencer marketing," she says.

Harry Hugo, co-founder of the Goat Agency, says virtual influencers will be unavoidable in the next 12 months. They can be available 24/7 and have a personality molded to be exactly what you want. They can literally be whatever you want them to be. These things are massive plus points for brands because they make the perfect ambassador.

According toHypeAuditor,"Virtual Influencers have almost three times more engagement than real influencers. That means that followers are more engaged with virtual influencers content." The piece suggests that novelty is a key element in their current popularity, and as digital models become more commonplace, they'll lose some of that interest. But will they? Will we even know who's real and who's not in future? The stats here would suggest that it's likely to become a bigger point of discussion.

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CGI-Created Virtual Influencers Are the New Trend in Social Media Marketing - CT Post