Virtual Fashion Influencers: The New Face of Your Brand?

By Hyesim Seo and B. Ellie Jin

Virtual influencers have emerged as a new digital marketing tool in the fashion industry. With their human-like appearance, virtual influencers are intentionally made in the form of computer-generated imagery or animated digital avatar (Bringé, 2022). Despite not having a physical presence, they live in the real world, being featured in various advertisements or interacting with audiences on social media platforms. 

Virtual influencers’ marketing activities are similar to human influencers. Once a virtual influencer has established a solid fan base, brands can increase their brand awareness by partnering with the virtual influencer. Virtual influencer followers often recognize new brands or recall brands that are promoted by the virtual influencer (Lou et al., 2022). In a survey about virtual influencers conducted by the Influencer Marketing Factory in 2022, it was found that 58% of participants follow at least one virtual influencer, and 35% of consumers reported buying a product promoted by a virtual influencer (Bringé, 2022). To leverage the potential, many fashion brands are in the process of experimenting with the power of virtual influencers for digital communications.

One of the most renowned virtual influencers is Lil Miquela who has over 2.8 million Instagram followers (Cruz, 2022). As an influencer, model, and social activist, she has worked with fashion brands such as Prada, Dior, and Calvin Klein (GA Agency, 2021). According to an analysis published on Bloomberg, the 19-year-old robot girl is estimated to earn over $10 million for the company called Brud that created her (Petrarca, 2020). Not just hiring existing virtual influencers,  retailers and luxury fashion houses created their own virtual ambassadors. For instance, in 2021, Prada introduced its digital muse “Candy” and had Candy appear in a print campaign, short films, and social media platforms to promote a Candy fragrance collection (Chitrakorn, 2021). 

Then, why are they doing so? What makes virtual influencers more beneficial than human influencers to fashion businesses? First, it can save costs and time to work with virtual influencers for digital marketing activities. Unlike human models, virtual influencers do not require expenses for makeup and styling teams, travel, and accommodation during photoshoots (Ekşioğlu, 2021). This can reduce the time and money spent on such tasks. Additionally, the costs of hiring virtual influencers and negotiating for commercials would be more reasonable than those for real-world celebrities. Second, virtual influencers are less likely to be involved in scandals as they do not have personal lives. Instead, companies that created the influencers or brands will have control over the virtual influencers’ personalities, words, and behaviors, enabling them to create lifestyle images that fit the brand. This can minimize reputational risks caused by scandals and gossip about their virtual ambassadors. Lastly, brands can make creative ads and campaigns using virtual influencers. As digital creations, they can wear any kind of style, go anywhere, or make any poses for advertisements.

Despite their immense advantages, brands may encounter potential challenges. When brands create in-house virtual ambassadors, they can be troubled by deciding how realistic the ambassadors should be. Research revealed that consumers may feel uncomfortable when an artificial figure exactly looks like a human being in appearance or behavior, which is known as “the uncanny valley effect” (Lou et al., 2022). Besides, virtual influencers are unable to physically use or wear the promoted products themselves and to share real experiences (Lou et al., 2022). This may lead consumers to perceive virtual influencers and their marketing activities as disingenuous and untrustworthy.

In summary, the distinctive advantages of virtual influencers include scandal-free and time and cost saving with its capabilities of enhancing brand image and awareness just like human influencers do. If the potential challenges (e.g., consumer discomfort and distrust toward virtual influencers) can be alleviated, virtual influencers may be more preferred than human celebrities. Over time, virtual influencers can become an effective resource for marketing communications.

Reference 

Bringé, A. (2022, October 18). The rise of virtual influencers and what it means for brands. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2022/10/18/the-rise-of-virtual-influencers-and-what-it-means-for-brands/?sh=73718d3c6b56 

Chitrakorn, K. (2021, December 7). What influencer marketing looks like in the metaverse. Vogue Business. https://www.voguebusiness.com/technology/what-influencer-marketing-looks-like-in-the-metaverse 

Cruz, S. (2022, August 18). Virtual influencer Miquela is Pacsun’s newest ambassador. Hypebae. https://hypebae.com/2022/8/virtual-influencer-miquela-pacsun-newest-ambassador-partnership-details 

Ekşioğlu, S. (2021, April 13). The rise of virtual influencers – How do they work? Inflow Network. https://inflownetwork.com/the-rise-of-virtual-influencers-how-do-they-work/ 

GA Agency. (2021, July 9). What are virtual influencers and how can they help your future brand awareness? https://ga.agency/en/what-are-virtual-influencers-and-what-they-mean-for-your-brand/

Lou, C., Kiew, S. T. J., Chen, T., Lee, T. Y. M., Ong, J. E. C., & Phua, Z. (2022). Authentically fake? How consumers respond to the influence of virtual influencers. Journal of Advertising,  https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2022.2149641.
Petrarca, E. (2020, November 2). Sorry, Lil Miquela Could Make How Much This Year??? The Cut. https://www.thecut.com/2020/11/lil-miquela-makes-millions-per-year.html