With more time spent interacting with phones rather than humans nowadays, people follow virtual influencers on social media just like real humans.
Rozy, South Korea's first virtual influencer, is estimated to fetch its owners more that Rs 6 crore this year. An emerging social media personality of the country, she reportedly has 8 exclusive contracts as well as over 100 sponsorships. Rozy joined the world pretending to be a real 22-year-old woman in December 2020. She will never age.
Earning crores of rupees, virtual influencers are on the cusp of going mainstream. Propelled by the COVID-19 pandemic, these digitally created avatars are now overtaking real social media influencers.
Brands are spending tons of advertising money on campaigns involving these virtual humans. Artificial intelligence powered influencers created by third party now set beauty standards for their customers. They are tantrum-free models which prove more cost-effective for brands compared to human counterparts.
Why brands are moving towards virtual influencers?
With more time spent interacting with phone screens in comparison to humans nowadays, people tend to follow virtual influencers on social media platforms just like real humans. In fact, its not easy to tell the difference. Moreover, such computer-generated humans focus on perfect visual quality to match the authenticity of real people. Experts suggest that virtual influencers can see 10x more engagement than an average human influencer on platforms like Instagram.
How are they humanised?
With an emphasis on visual quality, virtual humans are computer graphics created via precise mathematical modelling to manipulate curves and surfaces and sculpt figures. It is a challenging skill which needs great flexibility and precision involving analytics and modelling. Virtual humans are constructed using vast amounts of data on human appearance and what structures attract more people.
Top virtual humans in the world
With the pandemic limiting people to homes, virtual influencers have become big. The global virtual influencer market is reportedly expected to touch Rs 87,000 crore in the next five years. Like Rozy, another top virtual influence Lil Miquela is reportedly bringing home to its creator over Rs 85 crore this year. Japan's first virtual model imma was involved in an ad for Calvin Klein alongside supermodel Bella Hadid.
In the gaming world, the create of famous e-sport League of Legends, Riot Games uses a virtual influencer called Seraphine to engage its 8 million regular users daily.
Virtual humans also have virtual stories, like the digital supercouple Blawko and Bermuda, who have an on and off relationship. India’s first virtual influencer joined social media in around mid-2020 as a 20-year-old woman called Nila.
In July 2021, Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), became the world’s first body to regulate virtual influencer market with guidelines. A self-regulatory body, ASCI’s guidelines are not binding by law and are followed by its members. They also serve as the unofficial industry standards.
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 "DNA Explainer: Who are virtual influencers? The fake humans earning crores")
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