China going virtual... the rise of homegrown virtual influencers

Homegrown virtual influencers have been picking up speed in China since recent years. Virtual idols have been popular for quite some years with for example Luo Tianyi, a young girl singer, selling out full stadiums and it took not long before she became brand ambassador for famous brands such as KFC or Vitasoy.

The immense digitization of retail in China has brought a lot of human influencers so the market has skin in the game for what is expected from virtual influencers. It is not just about hyper-real ‘copies’ but about triggering an array of emotions and trust. Chinese virtual influencers have their own characteristics, designed by consumer needs and expectations. Some of them cartoonish or heroic while others so recognizable and comfort-giving. Triggering senses of fantasy, imagination, reflection and desires. Virtual influencers do not ‘just’ sell; they are a mirror, a friend, a lifestyle.

#artificialintelligence, #bigdata , #5G and high-tech all add up for a potential explosion of Chinese virtual influencing in coming years for e-commerce, social media, and lifestyle. The virtual world is expected to grow massively, and not just for example for shopping or gaming. Just imagine living in 2 worlds, even with two separate identities (linked by one identity card and number). Digitization has just begun and we just know most of us cannot grasp a glimpse of the full impact yet.

Adding to that, people mention on social media getting tired of human ‘faking’ influencers, a virtual influencer at least drops the pretense of being genuine 😊

A very dynamic, powerful trend to follow which might influence future society to a disrupting extent !

#newretail#ecommerce#china#chinesesociety