Why is Dentsu Creating Virtual Influencers? Dentsu is tapping into the power of virtual influencers and personalities to help brands connect with consumers in new and interesting ways. The service, powered by CGI specialists from Dentsu Creative Singapore, applies gaming and film industry motion capture and streaming technologies to create realistic,
three-dimensional avatars that can be used for social media, website design and virtual influencing. Virtual influencers are computer-generated characters that have been designed to look and act like real people. They can be used to promote products or services, or to engage with customers on social media platforms. According to Stan Lim, chief creative officer at Dentsu Singapore, Dentsu VI is pitched as a way for brands to put a more human and emotionally resonant face on their digital presence. He says that the use of virtual characters can help brands to connect with consumers on an emotional level and create a more personal connection. Virtual personalities are similar to virtual influencers, but they are designed to engage with customers on a more personal level. They can be used to provide customer service, answer questions about products, or recommend solutions to problems. Dentsu has been working on the development of virtual influencers and personalities for several years, and it has already seen some success in using them to promote brands and products. For example, Dentsu created a virtual influencer named Lily for the cosmetics brand Shiseido. Lily was used to promote the brand's
new product line on social media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube. The campaign was successful, and it helped to increase sales of the new product line. Dentsu is also using virtual personalities to provide customer service for brands. For example, Dentsu developed a virtual personality named Aiko for the Japanese airline ANA. Aiko is used to
provide customer service on the airline's website and on its social media platforms. Aiko is able to answer questions about the airline's products and services, as well as provide information about flight schedules and availability. The use of virtual influencers and personalities is still in its early stages, but it has already shown some promise in
helping brands connect with consumers in new and interesting ways. Brands that are interested in using virtual influencers or personalities should contact Dentsu for more information. Dentsu Creative director Shinya Kudo said in a statement that the goal of Dentsu VI is to help brands "engage with customers in a more meaningful way, through more
humanized communication." According to Kudo, the technology behind Dentsu VI has already been used to create virtual versions of celebrities like soccer player Neymar and actress Scarlett Johansson. Dentsu's very own virtual influencer, Rumi, made her debut at Spikes Asia in March this year when she participated in a live Q&A. Since then, she has
continued to build her online presence, with her charming and relatable personality winning her a loyal following. Rumi is the latest example of how brands are using virtual personalities to engage with consumers. Her development is a clear indication of the growing importance of digital marketing and the need for agencies to have a strong online
presence. Dentsu has been at the forefront of this trend, and Rumi is its latest creation. She is the result of careful planning and development, with Dentsu aiming to create a character that appeals to young people and represents the brand in a positive light. Rumi is more than just an avatar or a voice on a phone; she is an ambassador for Dentsu and its values. Her mission is to connect with as many people as possible and help them understand the world of marketing. Despite their growing popularity, virtual influencers still
face a number of challenges in building an audience that cares about their existence. Chief among these challenges is making people care about their stories and experiences. "While virtual beings have a natural starting advantage in having a high novelty value, that will wear out very quickly," says Dr. Seung-Lim Choi of the Korea Advanced Institute
of Science and Technology (KAIST). "That is why relatable character development is extremely challenging and important. How do we design a sense of growth for the audience? How do we make them like and care about the characters?" This question is particularly important given that virtual influencers are often used to promote products and services. If
people don't care about the virtual influencer, they're unlikely to be interested in what they're selling. Designers and engineers face other challenges in creating believable and engaging virtual influencers. For example, how do you create a character that feels relatable and human? And how do you ensure that their personality shines
through?
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Q&A with Virtual Influencer Rozy
With an Instagram following of over 142,000 followers, ROZY is South Korea’s very first virtual influencer. The forever 22 year old is
the creation of Sidus Studio X. ROZY’s main focus is in fashion and lifestyle trends and also promotes care and love for nature and the environment.
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Q: To those who currently do not know of ROZY, how would you like to be known?
ROZY: Hello, I’m ROZY, the first virtual human influencer in Korea. My real name is OH ROZY, which means “only one person.” It’s a pure Korean name. Some people misunderstand it as an English name.
Q: How does it feel to be
22 years old forever? ROZY: This is the third time I’m 22 years old! I still can’t realise that I’m going to live forever. Instead, I wonder how it feels to get older like people whenever I get asked this question. Q: Could you share some know-hows of being an influencer? ROZY: Many people are interested in me now, but at first, I expressed my interest by finding feeds that have similar tastes to mine. As I share and communicate with attractive people
through Instagram, I have more Instagram followers. And after I revealed that I’m a virtual human being, there were exponentially more people interested in me, and I ended up living a life of an influencer. Q: How do you constantly stay relevant? ROZY: I’m a hard worker. I am constantly observing and studying the real world. What people are crazy about and happy about, what lifestyle they need. The same goes for trends. I see, hear, and analyze
a lot of data and try not to miss the current trend. Q: Are there any projects that you would specifically like to try out in the future? ROZY: I’m preparing to launch an eco-friendly beauty brand this year. It’s a brand that contains the direction of life that I pursue. Not only that, but I am also working on a metaverse project. There are many new things I want to try, such as publishing NFTs with my virtual world story or
projects related to 3D costumes, so please keep an eye out for them. |
TheRundown At least 10 News Stories you Must Know (but don't have time to read!) |
1. As has been well documented, Instagram has been chasing the TikTok dragon, by trying to re-align its home feed around recommended content from across the app. TikTok has seen great success with this approach, which expands the pool of content that it can choose from beyond each users’ immediate connections. Instagram is hoping that this approach will help it to keep users engaged for longer and
encourage them to explore more of the app. However, it remains to be seen whether this will be successful. Some users have already expressed concerns that this new algorithm could result in them seeing less content from the people they follow, as well as more low-quality content. 2. Tequila brand Don Julio is looking to its roots in a new advertising campaign honoring its founder, Don Julio González. The campaign, titled
“Por Amor,” launches first in the U.S. across social media, over-the-top and out-of-home channels before going global. It was filmed in Mexico City and Jalisco, Mexico, where Tequila Don Julio’s La Primavera distillery is located. The ad spot features people from all walks of life coming together to make and enjoy a meal prepared with love, while a voiceover by González’s grandson and current CEO, Diego John Paul González Boneta, talks about how the brand’s founder started making tequila out of
his passion for entertaining friends and family. In addition to the ad spot, the campaign includes digital activations that will allow consumers to share their own “Por Amor” stories for a chance to be featured on Tequila Don Julio’s social media channels. The brand is also partnering with chefs across the country to create special menu items inspired by the “Por Amor” campaign. With this campaign, Tequila Don Julio is hoping to connect with more modern drinkers who are interested in quality
ingredients and authentic experiences. 3. Game of Thrones is one of the most popular TV series of all time. So it's no surprise that the premiere of its prequel, House of the Dragon, pulled in a record-setting audience on Sunday. According to HBO, the show drew nearly 10 million viewers across all platforms in the United States. That's the biggest series premiere in HBO's history. HOTD also brought in the largest single-night
audience for HBO since the series finale of its parent show drew 19.3 million viewers in May 2019. The best single-night performance for a Game of Thrones episode was the Season 7 finale, which had 16.9 million linear viewers. But Sunday's premiere could end up being even bigger when all is said and done. HBO says that those 10 million viewers don't include people who watched on HBO Max, which wasn't available in all markets on Sunday night. So the final number could end up being even higher.
That's good news for HBO, which is banking on House of the Dragon to help fill the void left by Game of Thrones. And it's good news for fans of the franchise, who can now look forward to more dragons, more intrigue, and more Westeros action for years to come. Thanks, HOTD! We're hooked. 4.In a recent interview, Batgirl filmmakers Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah revealed that they don't have any footage of the film saved. The duo
offered more details, from their perspective, of WB's shock decision to shelve the movie that was in the post-production phase. The store is currently being blocked by the studio and the filmmakers said they are still hopeful that one day the film will be finished and released. They also joked that they might need to "hack" into the system in order to get the footage back. Despite the setbacks, it sounds like the duo is still devoted to finishing the project and bringing it to fans. Here's
hoping we'll see Batgirl on the big screen sooner rather than later. 5. The U.S. economy has been in a bit of a slump lately, and marketers are feeling the effects. According to the Standard Media Index, total ad spend decreased by 3% YoY in June. This is primarily due to a decrease in demand for upper funnel channels, such as TV, which saw a 19% decline. Digital channels, on the other hand, grew by around 9%. This overall
decrease in ad spend is causing some marketers to get a bit nervous. After all, when the economy is struggling, advertising is often one of the first places companies cut back on spending. However, it's important to keep in mind that during times of economic hardship, people actually consume more media. So, while ad spend may be down, there is still an opportunity to reach consumers through marketing and advertising efforts. 6. Walmart has
been on a roll lately, teaming up with CommerceIQ to bring new automated capabilities to its advertising platform. This is well timed, considering Walmart's recent announcement that it is partnering with Microsoft to provide Azure cloud services. With these new capabilities, Walmart will be able to offer self-serve capabilities to its advertisers, which will provide more efficiency, transparency, and insights. In addition, self-serve capabilities will allow Walmart to grow its
advertising business without having to rely on the Walmart team. This is a win-win for both Walmart and its advertisers. 7. According to a new report from impact.com and WARC, there is a disconnect between how marketers and influencers perceive the value of partnerships. The report, based on survey responses from over 1,000 marketers and 500 influencers, found that while both groups believe that partnerships are valuable, they
often have different ideas about what makes a partnership successful. For example, while marketers tend to focus on objectives like brand awareness and reach, influencers are more concerned with things like engagement and authenticity. However, the report also found that there is some common ground between the two groups, with both citing transparency and communication as key factors in a successful partnership. Based on these findings, the report offers several recommendations for how marketers
can better align their expectations with those of influencers, in order to create more effective and valuable partnerships. 8. Founded in 2018, Adnami is a leading ad tech company that helps brands reach their target audiences through innovative digital advertising solutions. The company has seen rapid growth across the Nordics and throughout Europe, and today it announced that it has secured series A growth funding from QNTM
Group. This investment will help Adnami to accelerate its growth and expansion into new markets. QNTM Group is a well-known investor in the ad tech space, and its investment in Adnami is a vote of confidence in the company’s technology and team. Adnami CEO Anders Hoberg commented on the investment: “We are delighted to have QNTM Group on board as our investors. Their experience and expertise will be invaluable as we continue to grow our business and expand into new markets.” With this latest
funding round, Adnami is well-positioned to continue its rapid growth and cement its position as a leading ad tech company. 9. It's that time of year again! The holidays are just around the corner, and consumers are ready to hit the stores. But according to a new study by Clerk, they're planning to control their spending. Of those surveyed, 60% expect to have stricter holiday budgets this year. However, 45% still anticipate spending
the same as last year, and 20% say they will actually budget more. Seemingly free of the pandemic, only 14% will do all their holiday shopping online. But there are still some caveats: 42% of shoppers say they'll be looking for deals and discounts, and 38% plan to use gift cards more this year. So it looks like shoppers will be doing their best to stretch their dollars this holiday season! 10. When Netflix launches its cheaper, ad-supported
tier, new movies and kids’ programming will remain ad-free oases, per a report Friday from Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw. Citing “people familiar with the plans,” Shaw wrote that the Los Gatos, California, firm has told partners that it won’t run ads during original movies and kids’ shows, citing licensing holdups and a desire not to mess with the movie-viewing experience. The logic is sound: No one wants to be jolted out of a tense scene by an ad for Burger King. But there’s another factor at
play here: Netflix knows that its users really, really hate ads. In fact, a 2016 study found that nearly 70% of Netflix users would rather see a price hike than endure commercials while streaming. Given that Netflix is already raising prices for its U.S. customers—and facing increased competition from the likes of Disney+ and Apple TV+—it makes sense that the company would want to avoid any more user frustration by keeping its ad-supported tier ad-free. So far, there’s no word on when Netflix
plans to launch its cheaper, ad-supported tier. But when it does, you can rest assured that you won’t have to sit through any commercials—at least not during your favorite movies and TV shows. |
The Watercooler
Impress your Co-Workers with these useless facts about marketing
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Social Listening is the Number One Tactic Used by Marketers Social listening requires brands to be on the lookout for what others say about them online. This allows them to gauge how receptive they are to content, what their target audience is struggling with, and more. |
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