Imma Is An Instagram Influencer. Imma has 300,000+ Followers.
Imma Is NOT Real.
The Matrix was right. The machines are taking over. Just not in the way we expected.
Imma is a virtual influencer created by art studio — ‘Aww Inc’.
She has brands partnerships, & viral videos on Tiktok worth 5.6 million views.
(Aww Ink just raised $1million from investors)
Brands will spend $15 billion annually on Influencer marketing by 2022.
And virtual influencers may out-earn humans.
While humans are stuck at home in the pandemic, Seraphine, a digital influencer, is promoting music in Shanghai. Her brand pulls in 8 million users daily.
Another avatar — Lil Miquela, earns $8,500 per post, & has partnered with leading fashion brands — Calvin Klein, Prada, etc, making $11.1 mn this year.
Despite being fictional, these ‘avatars’ somehow appeal to Gen Z. And they’re a huge market — a 2.5 billion population, & increased spending capability, it’s a highly lucrative market.
I personally struggle to understand why someone would follow a virtual avatar. But perhaps it’s like asking “why do we watch movies, when we know they’re not real.”
In the end, perhaps it’s all about storytelling.
And that’s what makes them lucrative for brands. They’re cheaper than human influencers, completely controllable & don’t age or die.
Do you follow any virtual influencers? What are your thoughts on this trend?
References & further reading —
https://happymag.tv/virtual-influencers-are-making-more-money-than-ever/
