Virtual Influencers: What Are They & How Do They Work? [2024]

Robots taking over the world is a concern that formerly arose from sci-fi cinema that got people thinking. Now it has gone from a far fetched notion to a feasible reality thanks to fundamental advancements in science, engineering and artificial intelligence.

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While humans are probably still several years away from walking among robots on the street, running into them in the gym, or dining next to them in a restaurant, social networking is one location where H2R (Human 2 Robot) contact is expanding at a rapid pace. Millions of people across the world are going to Instagram to follow and engage with a new crop of online personalities: virtual influencers.

What Are Virtual Influencers?

Virtual Influencers: What Are They & How Do They Work?

By definition, virtual influencers or CGI influencers as they can also be termed, are fictional computer created ‘people’ who have the realistic qualities, features and dispositions of humans.

They are becoming a genuine force to be reckoned with in the influencer marketing sector, with more of them sprouting on Instagram every week and more brands queuing up to get involved with this futuristic way of marketing.

How Do They Work?

Of course virtual influencers don’t actually ‘exist’ by the usual understanding of the word, so how do they work? Behind each of them are brilliant designers – brands and individuals with a strong eye for technology – who remain invisible. They are the ones responsible for establishing their Instagram accounts and turning these virtual personas into the internationally acknowledged influencers they are soon becoming.

The creators pick the way they look, dress and act. They also determine who they hang out with, date, fall out with and work with on Instagram. Best of all, they get to retain the money these influencers make from their brand relationships.

These creators then Photoshop these influencers onto any backdrops they like. So, if they have produced the type of influencer who likes to travel, then all they need is a high-res backdrop image of some far flung location and the virtual influencer can mark it off their bucket list.

How Do Brands Benefit?

Still with us on this? It’s ok if you’re not – it’s a fairly strange thing to wrap your head around. However, it is something that we all need to know about as these types of influencers will be featured in more and more of our favourite firms’ marketing campaigns in the future.

There is nobody that has to be more aware of this trend than the brands who are wanting to remain ahead of the curve and reach out to a whole new type of audience.

Some of the most prominent virtual influencers have already hit well over the million follower milestone as people all over the world continue to be enamored with their ‘lives’. In fact, 54% of all UK customers found virtual entities intriguing on some degree.

So just like ‘real influencers’, firms who choose to collaborate with these virtual faces will be opened up to massive audiences and a full range of benefits. Flexibility for brands is another draw worth considering. Virtual Influencers will allow marketers more control over their relationships. For example, if a real life influencer makes a mistake it may be tough to fix often needing to re-shoot and a result, the campaign’s debut can get delayed.

When it comes to virtual influencers, the mistake can be erased and quickly remedied within a matter of minutes. Like most things in life, it takes someone to test the water before others leap in and the same has happened with the virtual influencer trend.

Some firms have started to dip their toe into this futuristic form of marketing. Global car giant Renault have established their very own virtual ambassador, Liv, who was presented to us in their current television promo – a pioneering move that many are sure to copy themselves shortly. Dior, Coach, Balenciaga and OUAI are just a smattering of the designer heavyweights that have already teamed with rising virtual stars.

How To Succeed With Virtual Influencers?

New brands are as skilled at creating relationships with their customers as influencers are. When working with human influencers, brands have to give up some control. And that’s usually a good thing since product managers would otherwise be inclined to stifle the inventiveness and authenticity that gives influencers their persuasiveness.

When brands establish their own virtual influencers, they may misuse their control and defeat their own goals. that far, Prada has been discrete with Candy, but not every brand will be that fortunate.

Brands that wish to experiment with virtual influencers must pay considerably more attention to implementation. Focus not simply on pixels but on good storytelling. Ensure your target audience will find the influencer relatable and align your content to the influencer’s personality and values rather than the other way around.

A virtual influencer campaign can be more cost-effective, but don’t do it on the cheap. Because virtual influencers do not age, you may continue to work with them for years, even decades. Invest as much as necessary upfront to establish a successful personality.

The Top 3 Virtual Influencers to Follow

Okay, so enough about who they are and what they do. Let’s meet the top five individuals sending the digital world into overdrive.

1- Lil Miquela – 1.6 million followers

Half Brazilian, half Spanish, Lil Miquela was one of, if not THE first virtual influencer to be developed. The 19 year old is the brainchild of LA based start company Brud who specializes in artificial intelligence and robotics.

As the OG of virtual influencers, Lil Miquela has racked up a staggering 1.6 million followers on Instagram to whom she promotes her current fashion trends as well as the new music she has produced. This summer has seen the virtual influencer release tunes Money and Sleeping In on Spotify.

She has also partnered with Samsung as part of their 2019 #teamgalaxy campaign, joined up with real-life super model Bella Hadid for a Calvin Klein advert and has even been named inside The Times’ ‘Most Influential People on the Internet’ in 2018.

2- Shudu – 185k followers

Shudu is the brainchild of photographer Cameron James-Wilson. Looking exceedingly realistic, there was great conjecture when Shudu emerged on Instagram

In March 2018, despite Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty brand not knowing whether Shudu was a genuine person or not, the company reposted her posts on their own networks and exposed her to over 8.1 million followers.

Since she was brought to life, Shudu has gathered an army of 185k fans, acquired a modelling contract with digital supermodel agency TheDiigitals.com and joined the Balmain family as one of their latest models.

3 – Bermuda – 150k followers

A former Trump supporter that has subsequently altered her political beliefs, Bermuda is one of the most contentious virtual influencers on the internet. She is thought to have been built by Cain Intelligence, leaders in machine learning and artificial intelligence.

It seems trash-talking fellow influencers is what makes her so entertaining to follow – and her 150k Instagram followers agree.

Her followers were interested by her inter robotic relationship with another influencer Blawko and have been following her journey since their divorce (we still can’t quite believe we are writing this) earlier this year.

She is represented by the same PR business that manages the press partnerships for the likes of Frank Ocean, Grumes and Björk.