AI Influencers Are Taking the Stage

Virtual influencers are not new. Yet, a couple of years ago, the Instagram audience was admiring Miquela, an influencer, model, and singer who is a 3D character created by Trevor McFedries and Sara DeCou. Not to mention, she is one of the most famous influencers of that kind and even earned recognition from Time Magazine as one of the top 25 most influential figures on the Internet. 

Back then, virtual influencers were perceived as cutting-edge innovations, a pick of technological developments that created a wow reaction. Today, however, with advances in AI, no one is surprised by digital influencers. Moreover, every company can easily create them.

A rapid evolution of AI influencers

Apart from that, virtual influencers have become almost indistinguishable from real people! AI influencers made the whole path, starting from the static picture, like Aitana Lopez, to the hyper-realistic avatars that can move, speak, and interact with the audience.

Visiting Arcads’ website, you are welcomed by a video assistant who explains how their service with AI influencers works. It is important to mention that the assistant is also an AI model and is absolutely undistinguishable from a real person. This is truly impressive! The users can choose a person among the range of AI characters, write a text for them, and in a couple of minutes, the video for social media with an AI influencer is ready.

Advantages of Virtual Influencers

No doubt that virtual influencers have a wide scope of benefits before the real ones. Obviously, these digital personas do not demand the high fees that top human influencers might command for their services. For example, while a high-profile human influencer may ask for hundreds of thousands of dollars per post, a virtual influencer charges a more affordable rate. This cost difference makes virtual influencers an appealing option for brands seeking to maximize their marketing budgets while still engaging with large and diverse audiences. 

AI influencers can advertise any product and do it in any way the business wants. There is less chance of mistakes or biases from the influencer side. 

It is important to mention that there is a low risk that AI influencers will damage their reputation and spoil the impression of the products, as real influencers can sometimes do. Virtual personas have never had a bad mood or bad day, ensuring consistent and positive brand representation.

But don’t jump to conclusions so fast

Despite some benefits, the obvious truth is that virtual influencers can only compete with real people for some factors. Today, even the most famous AI talking heads cannot gain the same recognition as celebrities or large influencers.

Also, customers will certainly trust a real person more when choosing a product rather than a 3D dummy that says whatever its owners tell it to say. 

Remember ethical concerns. Using indistinguishable AI models seems like manipulating audiences through the use of non-human entities that can mislead people about their authenticity.

The future

Nevertheless, In recent years, large brands like Calvin Klein, Prada, Samsung, YouTube, and Balmain have used AI influencers. Moreover, 60% of marketers are already using or planning to use AI influencers in their marketing campaigns.

However, some brands have already declared their intolerance to AI influencers. Dove has decided not to use artificial intelligence to show women in its ads. The company promises not to change or improve images with digital tools, saying AI doesn't show real beauty properly.

Before AI went mainstream, we had way too many influencers. The harsh truth is that becoming an influencer that will generate high income has a low probability. A Wall Street Journal article from 2021 suggested that the chances of making enough money from TikTok to be an at least five-year career were less than 0.0001%. Now, with the ability to create your influencer, the value of real influencers may decrease; however, the value of top-tier influencers may increase, creating a big gap between micro and macro influencers. This will take the jobs away from the smaller influencers, which is not an ethical process.

Despite its affordability, the effect and ethical aspects of using AI influencers are in question. We do not discourage you from working with virtual influencers. However, that It's important to remember that relying solely on single-channel marketing, such as influencer marketing, may not be as effective as adopting a multichannel marketing strategy. Omnichannel marketing enables brands to communicate their message consistently to a wide audience. Building on the idea mentioned earlier, this approach fosters a long-lasting trust in the brand, thereby growing a larger follower base across numerous platforms. 

If you're looking to craft a distinctive multi- or omnichannel marketing strategy, Adello's team is ready to assist. They offer expertise in mobile advertising, digital out-of-home (DooH), and social media to help bring your bold marketing visions to life. Let's leverage the finest techniques in the industry to elevate your brand.