Influencers are undoubtedly a hot topic in advertising. In last month’s edition, we covered why influencers should be considered a worthwhile marketing channel within a balanced media plan. However, this strategy applies directly to human influencers, overlooking the emerging cohort of AI influencers now being leveraged for marketing purposes.
AI influencers are not human influencers within the field of AI, but rather AI generated ‘content creators’ who do not exist in real life. Until recently a niche concept, this group has become increasingly relevant to the advertising industry over the last few years.
We are still early in the life cycle of AI influencers, yet some have already amassed millions of followers on social media and command eye-watering fees for sponsorships. One of the most prominent influencers within this virtual cohort, Lil Miquela, has partnered with brands as well-known as BMW and Calvin Klein, and brands who wish to join this list can expect to fork out as much as $73,920 per post. For context, that figure stood at $10,000 in 2023. The AI Influencer market is burgeoning, and it proves lucrative when executed well, benefitting both the team behind the profile and the partnering brand.
There is no template for a successful AI influencer partnership, however. As with any emerging forum, brands are experimenting. Some partner with existing AI influencers, while others create their own. Others still utilise AI influencers without fully disclosing their methods. Lil Miquela’s unique selling point is the fact that ‘she’ owns being fake, while other AI influencers such as Mia Zelu and a recent German Vodafone influencer skirt the margins of reality. In both instances, many consumers are led to believe that the figures on their screens are real people, as evidenced by the replies to such posts.
This poses an ethical risk for brands. When Vodafone, in response to a comment, admitted the character was fake, some consumers reacted negatively to the lack of transparency shown.
While online buzz around AI influencers has grown by 50% year-on-year, a significant proportion of this is negative press. This poses a challenge for brands wishing to collaborate. The boundaries of acceptable behaviour for AI influencers are far less clear than for their human counterparts. An influencer being shown in both New York and London on the same day may be permissible, but the same influencer being shown as a cancer patient as part of a charity partnership may cross a line for some consumers.
In the current risk-averse media landscape, where the cost of dull has never been more detrimental for brands, it is commendable for brands to experiment with such new technologies. However, the risk of reputational damage, likelihood of divided consumer sentiment and the high costs of partnering with the few AI influencers to have cut through so far mean brands should exercise caution. As always, look to add to your marketing toolkit, but first consider the power of human influencers for your brand.
