Virtual influencers – through the audience's lens
(This article authored by me, first appeared in Campaign India) Click here to Read on Campaign India Does the growing pull of virtual influencers point at a fadin g appeal in authenticity? Even as a lot of brands grapple with the mechanics of social media influencer marketing, the ecosystem is already undergoing a system update. We are now talking about digitally created virtual characters as influencers on social media. An invention of artists and tech companies, virtual influencers are being touted as the biggest thing since sliced bread. Or should I say, since the loudspeaker, in the context of marketing? Virtual influencers eliminate the limitations of humans in social media marketing. Remember Charlie Chaplin’s ‘ Modern Times ’? The 1936 satirical comedy was a comment on the distress created by the efficiencies of the machine over manual labour. Approaching 2023, the relentless winds of modernity continue to sweep us off the ground. These digital characters with...