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The Pandemic has changed our lives without a doubt. People spending time on social media has increased as much as 20 percent, increasing average watch time going from 30 minutes to 1 hour. Ever wonder why people love it? Well, by definition social media platforms allow us to connect with like-minded individuals. This is where influencers come in as people who like to follow individuals who speak on their behalf to a larger audience. the followers or fans usually have the same ideology as the influencer and that's why they follow them. But I do believe we need to understand what we are being influenced by and if that matters whether that thing exists or not. if you haven't guessed it by now, it's in the title. virtual influencers, What are they? How do they work?
and Why does it matter? And are they real?
What are they?-
Well, they are virtual personas who have a digital skeleton generated by computer graphic software but are operated and run by an actual person or a voice. Or in other words, these virtual personas are real people but with a mask or a disguise, they put on camera enacting themselves as someone else they have been made to look like.
How do they work?-
Virtual influencers don't exist in the real world. but they would like to believe they do. making content alongside other normal social media influencers while trying to be just as appealing. usually, people think that there is Artificial intelligence running and dictating their every action. while that is a fun concept to buy into, it's simply not real. and we have not reached a stage where AI is that technologically advanced. Instead behind these virtual models are a bunch of skillful individuals who make these models and photoshop them into real-life scenarios to make them appear as they exist in the same world and another person handles and takes care of the personality and engagement towards their audience. But there exists another type of influencer who also have the same level of influence but a different approach.
The "Vtuber" scene-
What I had just described was what you can call a CGI influencer, where someone models and Photoshops the model into reality. But before there was a Lil Miquela, there was a breakout in popularity in one particular star known as "Kizuna Ai '' Way back in November 2016.
She was a Japanese YouTuber who had a virtual model mapped to her face and she made content using that public image. She maintains an active social presence, whether that be online or offline, and is popularly used to promote products that she is sponsored by. In Japan, she also regularly appears on billboards promoting products there as well. And from that, she laid the groundwork for other companies and people to follow in her footsteps. Now many such V-tubers do a wide variety of content whether that is vlogging, game streams, music videos, educational content; even unboxing and product reviews. Just as the same as real YouTubers do, This attracts a wide variety of audiences.
Why do people follow them?
A better way to understand it is, why do people watch youtube? well because they wanna be entertained. people also follow these influencers for the sake of playing along with their narrative, seeking entertainment to cure their boredom.
What does "Narrative" mean here:
Almost every virtual influencer if not all have a sort of granter narrative, a sort of skit they play along for the sake of entertainment and being able to distinguish themselves. An example of this can be Lil Maquila telling her audiences that she is a robot who is trying to live the life of a human but in fact, there is a real person who is behind what she says and what she does and who dictates her every move. She interacts with her fans on these social media platforms using this narrative and speaks out using this personality she created.
Why does it work?
It is the nature of people to want something different or new in today's age of digital saturation within the industry. For people, the Concept of suspending their disbelief and following these virtual influencers in their narrative while interacting within their community feels authentic in its own right. Thus there is a demand for it. And when there is demand for something, there is a market for it as well. Virtual influencers are earning up to millions through brand deals and sponsorships and V-tubers are earning just as much via ad revenue. they are a force to be reckoned with and will be leading in the social media influencing scene soon.
--- Sai Charan
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