Virtual influencers are reshaping digital marketing, offering businesses a fresh, highly controlled way to engage audiences. These AI-generated personalities, designed to look and behave like real people, are gaining traction globally—including in Singapore. Brands are leveraging virtual influencers in Singapore to enhance their marketing strategies, tapping into their 24/7 availability, consistency, and adaptability.
Understanding how virtual influencers fit into the local digital landscape is essential for business owners and marketers. This article explores their potential, challenges, and how brands can effectively integrate them into their campaigns, covering cost-effectiveness and audience engagement.
Key Takeaways
- Virtual influencers provide cost-effective long-term branding opportunities but require high initial investments. While engagement rates are often high, consumer trust and authenticity remain challenges.
- Comparisons with human influencers highlight key trade-offs—virtual influencers offer complete brand control but may lack emotional connection, while human influencers bring authenticity but pose reputational risks.
- Ethical concerns around transparency, AI bias, and impact on real influencers must be addressed. Clear disclosure and inclusive representation are essential to maintaining brand credibility.
- Brands should strategically assess their goals before collaborating with virtual influencers, ensuring alignment with audience expectations and industry fit for optimal marketing impact.
What are Virtual Influencers?
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Virtual influencers are computer-generated characters designed to resemble real people, operating on social media platforms to engage audiences and promote brands. Unlike traditional influencers, these digital personas are entirely crafted by designers and programmers, allowing for complete control over their appearance, personality, and actions.
This control enables brands to maintain a consistent image and message, reducing the risk of unpredictable behaviour associated with human influencers.
The Rise of Digital Personalities in Marketing
The appeal of virtual influencers lies in their ability to captivate audiences with hyper-realistic visuals and curated content. They can operate around the clock, engage with followers in multiple languages, and adapt quickly to emerging trends. Brands increasingly leverage these digital personalities to reach tech-savvy consumers who appreciate innovation and novelty in marketing strategies.
Additionally, virtual influencers can be tailored to embody idealised traits, resonating with specific target demographics and enhancing brand relatability.
History of Virtual Influencers
The concept of virtual influencers has evolved significantly over the past few decades:
- 1980s: The origin of virtual idols can be traced back to Japan’s anime and idol culture, with characters like Lynn Minmay from “Super Dimension Fortress Macross” gaining popularity.
- 1995: Kyoko Date, one of the early attempts at a virtual idol, was introduced in Japan, though it faced challenges due to technological limitations.
- 2007: The introduction of Hatsune Miku, a Vocaloid software voice bank developed by Crypton Future Media, marked a significant milestone, leading to global virtual concerts and a massive fanbase.
- 2016: Kizuna AI debuted as one of the first virtual YouTubers (VTubers), coining the term and paving the way for a new genre of digital entertainers.
These milestones highlight virtual influencers’ growing sophistication and acceptance in mainstream media and marketing.
Relevance to Singaporean Businesses
Understanding the evolution and potential of virtual influencers is crucial for Singaporean business owners and marketers. Singapore’s digital adoption rate is fertile ground for innovative marketing strategies. Embracing virtual influencers can offer your brand a unique opportunity to engage with audiences in fresh and controlled ways, aligning with the country’s reputation as a technology and innovation hub.
By integrating virtual influencers into their digital marketing strategies, Singaporean businesses can stay ahead of the curve and capitalise on the novelty and precision these digital personas offer.
Benefits of Using Virtual Influencers
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Social media marketing has evolved rapidly, with brands constantly searching for new ways to engage audiences. One of the latest innovations making waves is the rise of virtual influencers designed to interact with followers just like human influencers. These digital personas have gained global traction, and businesses in Singapore are beginning to explore their potential.
From fashion brands to financial institutions, companies leverage virtual influencers to drive engagement, enhance brand storytelling, and reach younger, digitally native consumers.
Unlike traditional influencers, virtual influencers offer brands a high level of control over their messaging, aesthetics, and behaviour—reducing the risks associated with real-world personalities while maintaining a strong emotional connection with audiences. These digital characters can be programmed to align perfectly with brand values, never suffer from fatigue or controversy, and can engage audiences 24/7 without limitations.
Whether you’re a brand looking to stand out or a marketer seeking innovative engagement methods, understanding the role of virtual influencers could provide a competitive edge in today’s dynamic digital landscape. Here are the benefits of using a digital influencer:
Brand Consistency
One significant benefit is the ability to maintain unwavering brand consistency. Unlike human influencers, virtual counterparts are meticulously designed to embody specific brand values and aesthetics, ensuring that all content aligns perfectly with the brand’s identity. This level of control minimises risks associated with unpredictable human behaviour, allowing for a cohesive and reliable brand representation across all platforms.
Extended Reach and Engagement
Virtual influencers have demonstrated the capacity to engage diverse audiences effectively. For instance, the virtual influencer Lil Miquela has amassed over 3 million Instagram followers, collaborating with renowned brands like Calvin Klein and Prada. Her digital nature allows her to interact continuously with followers, transcending time zones and geographical limitations, enhancing global reach and engagement.
Uniqueness and Innovation
Incorporating virtual influencers into marketing campaigns signals a brand’s commitment to innovation and modernity. This unique approach differentiates brands in competitive markets, capturing consumer interest through novel and futuristic engagements. For example, the fashion brand, Balmain, introduced a virtual model army in its campaigns, showcasing a forward-thinking image that resonates with tech-savvy consumers.
Virtual vs Human Influencers
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Understanding the distinctions between virtual and human influencers is crucial for business owners and marketers evaluating influencer marketing strategies. Below is a comparison of engagement rates, cost implications, and brand safety.
Engagement Rates
- Virtual Influencers: These digital personas often achieve high engagement due to their novelty and unique content. For example, virtual influencer Lil Miquela has garnered over 3 million Instagram followers and collaborated with brands like Calvin Klein and Prada.
- Human Influencers: Engagement rates can vary widely based on the influencer’s authenticity, niche, and follower demographics. While many human influencers maintain strong connections with their audiences, they may face challenges such as fatigue or overexposure.
Cost Implications
- Virtual Influencers: Developing a virtual influencer involves initial investments in technology and design. However, once created, they can be more cost-effective over time, eliminating the need for ongoing fees and reducing the risks of contract disputes.
- Human Influencers: The cost of an influencer can vary depending on their reach and niche. Additional include agency fees and managers’ expenses. Campaign length and exclusivity clauses can further impact the overall budget.
Brand Safety
- Virtual Influencers: Brands ultimately control virtual influencers, minimising risks associated with unpredictable behaviour or scandals. This control ensures consistent alignment with brand values and messaging.
- Human Influencers: While many uphold professionalism, there’s an inherent risk of actions or statements that could negatively impact a brand’s reputation. Instances like celebrity endorsements gone awry highlight these potential pitfalls.
When choosing between virtual and human influencers, brands must weigh engagement potential, cost, and safety. Virtual influencers offer controlled environments and innovative engagements. In contrast, human influencers provide authentic connections and relatability. Aligning these factors with brand objectives will guide an effective influencer marketing strategy.
Are There Virtual Influencers in Singapore?
Singapore has embraced the rise of virtual influencers, with several notable digital personalities impacting the marketing and social media landscape. These AI-driven influencers offer brands fresh engagement opportunities, blending creativity, consistency, and brand safety.
Here are some of the top virtual influencers in Singapore:
1. Rae (21K followers)
Created using CGI technology and artificial intelligence, Rae is known for her hyper-realistic, cyberpunk-inspired look. Her futuristic aesthetic and engaging online presence have made her a favourite among brands looking for innovative ways to connect with digital audiences.
She has collaborated with prominent names such as Prada, Gucci, and Samsung and has been featured in campaigns for Audi and L’Oréal. Her Instagram account has gathered a dedicated following of over 20,000 users, with consistently high engagement on her posts.
2. Ava (836 followers)
Ava combines AI-driven engagement with modern lifestyle content, often featuring fashion, beauty, and technology-related posts. While she remains a relatively new entrant, she has quickly gained traction by collaborating with luxury fashion and beauty brands. Unlike traditional influencers, Ava’s content is powered by AI, ensuring consistency in branding and audience interaction.
Her growing follower base on Instagram highlights the increasing acceptance of virtual influencers among social media users in Singapore.
These virtual influencers and platforms highlight Singapore’s growing presence in digital marketing and AI-driven content. As businesses increasingly seek controlled, engaging, and scalable influencer marketing solutions, virtual influencers offer a unique alternative to traditional human influencers.
Their ability to provide consistent branding, reduced risks, and highly customisable engagement strategies makes them an attractive choice for forward-thinking marketers in Singapore.
Should Your Brand Collaborate with a Virtual Influencer?
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As virtual influencers gain traction in Singapore’s marketing landscape, businesses are beginning to explore whether partnering with these digital personalities is a worthwhile investment. While they offer brand control, consistency, and innovative audience engagement, they also present unique challenges compared to traditional influencers.
Before deciding, brands must consider key factors such as cost, engagement impact, and alignment with their marketing strategy.
Brand consistency and control are among the most compelling reasons for collaborating with a virtual influencer. Unlike human influencers, who may post off-brand content or face reputation risks, virtual influencers can be entirely scripted, designed, and managed to align with a brand’s values.
This level of control ensures that every post, message, and interaction adheres to the company’s guidelines. Additionally, virtual influencers do not age, change personal opinions, or become unavailable, making them a long-term branding asset rather than a short-term partnership.
From a financial standpoint, working with virtual influencers can have advantages and drawbacks. Initial setup costs can be high, as brands may need to develop a unique digital persona or collaborate with an existing virtual influencer managed by an agency.
However, over time, the cost-per-engagement could be lower than that of human influencers, especially for brands investing in a long-term virtual ambassador rather than continuously hiring new personalities.
For instance, a human influencer’s cost per Instagram post in Singapore can range from SGD 500 to SGD 10,000, depending on their following and engagement rate. In contrast, a virtual influencer campaign might require a more significant upfront investment but offers unlimited scalability without the unpredictability of human influencers.
Engagement rates are another crucial consideration. While virtual influencers generate curiosity and novelty, their engagement levels can vary depending on audience perception. Some users find them engaging and futuristic, while others struggle to connect with an AI-driven persona in the same way they would with a real person.
A survey by HypeAuditor found that virtual influencers often have higher engagement rates than human influencers—up to three times higher in some cases—because of their uniqueness and storytelling potential. However, this engagement may not always translate into trust and relatability, which are key consumer behaviour factors.
Brand identity and target audience fit are also critical. Virtual influencers work best for fashion, beauty, technology, gaming, and entertainment brands that embrace digital innovation. However, they may not be as effective for industries that rely heavily on authentic human experiences, such as healthcare, financial advisory services, or social activism.
A brand must assess whether a virtual influencer’s futuristic and controlled nature aligns with its customer base and messaging strategy.
Ethical Considerations in AI-Generated Personas
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As virtual influencers become more integrated into marketing strategies, ethical concerns surrounding their authenticity, transparency, and impact on consumer trust have been scrutinised. While these AI-generated personas offer brands full creative control, their existence raises questions about misrepresentation, consumer deception, and the erosion of human influencer livelihoods.
Businesses leveraging virtual influencers must navigate these concerns carefully to maintain credibility and foster ethical engagement with their audiences.
One of the primary ethical challenges is transparency. Virtual influencers are designed to appear lifelike, often blurring the lines between reality and fiction. Some audiences may not immediately realise that these influencers are CGI creations or AI-driven personas, leading to potential concerns over honesty in marketing. To maintain consumer trust, brands should disclose the virtual nature of their influencers.
Regulatory bodies like the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS) encourage ethical advertising practices, meaning brands must ensure that audiences are not misled about the influencer’s digital origins. Clear labelling, such as hashtags like #VirtualInfluencer or disclaimers in bio sections, can help prevent deception while allowing creative marketing.
Another issue is authenticity and emotional connection. Traditional influencers resonate with audiences because of their personal stories, opinions, and relatability. Virtual influencers, however, lack genuine human experiences and are instead shaped by marketing teams and AI-generated narratives.
While some consumers appreciate the uniqueness and consistency of virtual influencers, others may perceive them as lacking sincerity, which can affect their ability to influence purchasing decisions.
Another ethical concern is the impact on human influencers and content creators. As brands allocate more marketing budgets to CGI-driven personalities, real influencers may face fewer opportunities, potentially affecting their livelihoods. This shift is especially relevant in Singapore, where influencer marketing is a multi-million-dollar industry.
Brands must balance the use of virtual influencers for brand consistency and scalability with the engagement of human influencers for authentic storytelling and real-life experiences.
Additionally, brands must consider the ethical implications of AI bias in creating virtual influencers. Many virtual influencers are designed with idealised beauty standards and Western-centric aesthetics, which can reinforce unrealistic representations of diversity and inclusion.
Businesses should ensure their virtual influencers reflect inclusive and culturally relevant portrayals, avoiding the risk of promoting unrealistic beauty norms or social stereotypes.
Businesses in Singapore considering virtual influencers must ultimately decide on marketing goals, audience fit, and budget considerations. If the aim is to create a futuristic, highly controlled, and scalable brand ambassador, virtual influencers may be the ideal choice.
However, traditional influencers still hold an advantage if the goal is to build deep, personal connections with audiences. Brands should assess their priorities and experiment with hybrid strategies, integrating human and virtual influencers to maximise reach and engagement.
Ready to Work With Virtual Influencers in Singapore?
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Virtual influencers are redefining the digital marketing landscape, offering brands in Singapore a fresh, innovative way to engage audiences.
Because they can maintain brand consistency, generate high engagement, and operate without human limitations, they present exciting opportunities for businesses looking to stay ahead of the competition. However, ethical considerations, audience fit, and campaign objectives must be carefully evaluated to ensure success.
If you’re ready to explore the potential of virtual influencers in Singapore, MediaOne can help. Our digital marketing experts specialise in influencer marketing, AI-driven campaigns, and strategic brand positioning. Contact MediaOne today to craft a virtual influencer strategy that aligns with your brand goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the highest-paid virtual influencer?
Lil Miquela is widely regarded as the highest-paid virtual influencer, earning millions through brand collaborations with top fashion and tech companies. While exact figures vary, she reportedly makes over US$10,000 per sponsored post, partnering with global brands like Prada and Samsung. In Singapore, virtual influencers like Rae and Ava also secure major brand deals, showing the growing profitability of AI-driven personalities.
How do you make a virtual influencer?
Creating a virtual influencer involves 3D modelling, AI technology, and strategic content development. Designers use software like Blender or Unreal Engine to create realistic avatars brought to life through AI-generated scripts and voice synthesis. A strong branding strategy, engaging storytelling, and a well-managed social media presence are essential to making a virtual influencer appealing to audiences in Singapore and beyond.
Do virtual influencers make money?
Virtual influencers earn money through brand partnerships, sponsored content, and advertising campaigns. Companies pay for endorsements like human influencers, but virtual influencers offer greater control and consistency. In Singapore, brands increasingly work with virtual influencers for digital campaigns, leveraging their unique appeal to engage audiences.
Why do people like virtual influencers?
People are drawn to virtual influencers for their futuristic appeal, unique storytelling, and flawless branding. Unlike human influencers, they are always on-brand, controversy-free, and available 24/7, making them ideal for controlled marketing campaigns. In Singapore, tech-savvy audiences appreciate their novelty, while brands see them as a risk-free alternative to human influencers.
Who is the most realistic virtual influencer?
Virtual influencers like Aitana Lopez, Shudu Gram, and Imma are among the most realistic, featuring highly detailed CGI and AI-driven interactions. In Singapore, Rae is a notable example, blending hyper-realistic features with local culture, making her one of the most engaging AI influencers in the region. Advances in AI and deep learning continue to push the boundaries of realism, making virtual influencers increasingly lifelike.
