![]() ![]() Last year, Luo Tianyi made her first appearance on Taobao livestream, attracting over 2.7 million viewers. They are a marketing tool brands need to start paying attention to if they want to build a connection with the highly digitalized younger generation.” And as the virtual idol industry undergoes continuous development, iiMedia consulting analysts believe that the commercial value of digital celebrities will continuously grow. Gu continued, stating, “Virtual idols are an inevitable trend. Moreover, virtual idols were first produced in the two-dimensional world (“二次元”) and have a big influence in this arena, which is beloved by Gen Zers who show increasing interest in ACG (anime, comics, games) content. About half of them spend more than $78.50 (RMB 500) per month on virtual idols, and 37.6 percent express a willingness to spend an even greater amount. According to iiMedia Research, of the over 80 percent of Chinese netizens who follow celebrities online, 63.6. The rise of virtual influencers is no coincidence, considering the fruit of the digital environment we live in - 5G, AI, Blockchain, and NFTs. Gu observes that a “virtual spokesperson can be 24/7 present on multiple sites, providing the possibility to its followers to interact with them one-on-one.” And, while real people have limitations, the application scenarios of virtual idols are more extensive. Undisputedly, scandals and bad behavior are issues you rarely see from them. “An obvious advantage of virtual celebrities is that their image is controllable,” states Aslada Gu, product & innovation director at Gusto Luxe, which is helping to provide innovative marketing solutions to brands. Luo Tianyi, who has over 5 million followers on Weibo, celebrated her birthday in July with fans. Compared to real-life stars, virtual idols grow up on UGC (user-generated content) and - to a point - are malleable to fans. These creations have provided content and helped her develop a personality controlled by the creator. Luo’s fans have been writing songs, composing music, and drawing illustrations for her. The event was a huge success, attracting thousands of fans to the arena. In 2019, she had a holographic concert with China’s top pianist, Lang Lang. In the nine years since her “outset,” virtual singer Luo Tianyi has become a virtual celebrity. As such, Jing Daily investigates whether a new era of idols is here and exactly how these virtual influencers can benefit brands. Hangzhou-based C-beauty giant Florasis released its namesake AI ambassador, domestic haircare label Centaine announced the virtual KOL Ling as its brand spokesperson, and China jewelry maker IDO created the digital idol Beco. Since the beginning of 2021, several other Chinese companies have turned to the stability of these digital partners. When they are “born,” they only have a voice and appearance developed digitally by their creators. They make realistic facial expressions and body movements and mimic the actions of a real person. Virtual idols are fully AI-developed characters that bear a close resemblance to humans but are powered by advanced animation technology. These influencers present a safer alternative to traffic stars like Kris Wu, Zhang Zhehan, Zhao Wei, and Lucas Huang, all currently caught up in scandals. As idols continue to be a key marketing strategy to drive company sales in China, local companies are experimenting with digitally-created KOLs. Photo: Tmall’s WeiboĪyayi, who was created in May of 2021, is one of the many AI influencers in China’s virtual idol industry, which grew to a value of $540 million in 2020, an increase of 70.3 percent year on year, and is expected to reach $970 million this year, according to data from iiMedia Research. Ayayi partnered with Tmall Super Brand Day to release limited-edition NFT mooncakes and physical gift boxes for the Mid-Autumn Festival. ![]()
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