Virtual influencers are the new ‘in’ thing in the world of the Internet. The concept may well be on its way to becoming a global rage now but luxury fashion brands had already established the foundation some time back. Italian fashion powerhouse Prada for instance had roped in US-based virtual influencer Lil Miquela with as many as 2.9 million followers on Instagram to promote its Fall 2018 autumn/winter collection on social media, particularly Instagram. More recently, virtual model Hauli headlined British brand Ralph & Russo’s digital autumn/winter 2020 couture show.

India has been late to experiment with the trend but is fast catching up. Kyra, touted as the country’s first meta-influencer is already gaining market reception—local D2C eyewear brand John Jacobs has partnered with her late for a marketing campaign. The virtual influencer space in India is only set to grow with the entry of new creators; SETVI (Sony Entertainment Talent Ventures India), a talent and metaverse advisory company from the house of the Sony Entertainment Group has signed (exclusively in India) Polar, an 18-year old virtual avatar who has garnered the attention of the virtual world with her expertise in music. Polar is a virtual pop star; like many other creators, the Chinese app TikTok carved the way for her rise to fame. “I started pretty much the same way as everyone else on TikTok. I write the lyrics and put out the songs together with my team. When we released the first video, it became really popular. My career really took off from there,” Polar tells Fortune India in a Zoom interaction. Polar has amassed 1.6 million followers on TikTok, 9.98 lakh on YouTube and another 25,000 on Instagram.

A virtual influencer is basically a digital character that is created using technology. Such creators are also often described as computer-generated fictional characters in sectoral parlance. Unlike in the real world, the creators or architects of virtual influencers have the power and the liberty to lean on their own creativity to shape up the avatars. They can be programmed into, say, embodying superpowers or getting equipped with skills such as dancing, singing or performing any other art form.

As Namrata Singh, head of metaverse and digital at SETVI says, “Today a meta-human or a virtual influencer looks as real as a human and does not have the biases, the conditioning, the family upbringing and the education..all these barriers that we put on each other as humans, they don’t apply to a virtual influencer. It’s a figment of someone’s imagination and it transcends your own limitations as humans.”

Polar, for instance, has been created by Anastasiia Vinogradova, the executive producer at Cyprus-based media company TheSoul Publishing. “The creators of Polar are Scandinavian but we are co-creators now. Tomorrow, there can be one creator from Africa or Europe. Polar will have all of these nationalities and cultures built into her. Polar is endlessly malleable."

"The virtual influencer economy is pushing the envelope when it comes to narratives and stereotypes..this is the global culture going forward,” says Singh. Polar says that there is not much difference between a real and a virtual influencer as far as their professional roles are concerned. “We just find other ways to connect with new audiences. Some use music, some use videos and some games. One way or the other, we interact with fans who are devoted to our virtual environment, creating their avatars, taking part in challenges, playing games and just hanging out. The way I see it, it’s the same rules but in a new reality,” says Polar whose distinct mark of identification is her masked face.

The size of the global virtual influencer market was estimated at some $4.6 billion in 2018. It is projected to record a CAGR exceeding 26% from 2019-2025, according to international reports. “We do see brands already putting their money aside to do campaigns with virtual influencers. Polar is speaking to multiple brands in FMCG and other categories. She is an 18-year-old girl, she will connect very well with young audiences. Brands want to use this relatability to sell products when it comes to new categories,” says Singh.

She explains that when working with virtual influencers, the production process can be a lot more controlled and the ROI (return on investment) is better. “Polar ends up delivering more value today as there’s a novelty factor attached to her and young people can relate to her better,” says Singh.

Going ahead, SETVI plans to onboard more virtual influencers and bet big on the space. “You will also see us convert a lot of celebs into virtual characters. We are already working on someone like Prachi Desai becoming a meta-human,” says Singh. In India, fans can expect Polar to participate in music festivals and sing originals in local languages like Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.

For those who are not aware, Polar has tapped into her skills in music to promote the Vijay Devarakonda and Ananya Pandey starrer-Liger on social media. “Of course, we can do things that live influencers can’t but we also have our own limitations. For example, we can’t go out and hug fans or sign autographs. On the other hand, I never get tired and can be everywhere all the time. That’s what I like most about the virtual world..it’s a world without boundaries,” says Polar.

The evolution of technology with the rollout of 5G and a young generation that feeds on the internet will fuel the growth of the virtual influencer economy in India, believe market experts. “If you look at any kid today, even a five-year-old knows how to do video calls..the child may not know the language, how to read or write but will know how to do a video call, click a selfie, play a game. So, it’s a non-verbal generation which is looking for non-verbal ways or more expressive ways to emote or to connect. This is their language..so, the language is different and this is very normal to them compared to us who were very stuck by words. This generation is expressive and they will use more sophisticated tools to express themselves..it is a creator’s economy..everybody is a creator. This is where also the virtual influencers come in. This is just the progression of technology. This is your internet for the next 10 years by default,” says Singh.

Virtual Influencer

Conversation with 'Polar'--the virtual influencer!