‘Human’ influencers not right for your brand? Rather go ‘virtual’

“So, if relationship and trust are core, how on earth can a virtual influencer pull that off? Can one really trust a robot to have a real, authentic, engagement and build a meaningful relationship?” she says.

Miller continues: “One thing that is for sure is that consumers follow influencers primarily because they have interesting ideas or are entertaining. 

Form or size doesn’t necessarily matter

“In terms of trusted influence, it seems that form or size doesn’t always matter. Consumers will continue to follow influencers as sources of information and inspiration as long as they can identify with them and feel that trust is part of the value proposition.”

Knowing this, creators of social media content design these ‘people’ with purpose in mind. They choose what their virtual influencers look like, how they dress, act and what they love. They decide who to hang out with, date, fall out with, and which brands or individuals they collaborate with on Instagram and other social channels.

And what are the marketing benefits of opting for a ‘pretend’ influencer rather than a ‘real’ one? Miller thinks she has at least some of the answers.

“Virtual Influencers give brands more control over their collaborations. For example, if a real-life influencer makes a mistake, it can be difficult to resolve on the spot – often having to re-shoot and, as a result, the campaign’s launch can become delayed. When it comes to virtual influencers, the mistake can be erased and simply amended within a matter of minutes,” she explains.

“For travel brands, marketers can easily edit their influencers on whatever backdrops they want, with a backdrop image of the destination/location they want to promote, and have the virtual influencer tick it off their bucket list.”