Virtual influencers are making waves in mainland China, where their market value can reach up to 200 billion yuan (US$31.26 billion), exceeding that of real social media stars.

Virtual influencers refer to digital characters created by computer graphics, along with other technologies such as speech synthesis and artificial intelligence. Hatsune Miku created by Japanese firm Crypton Future Media in 2007 is arguably the first generation of non-human influencers.

The latest generation of digital influencers are active on social media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram. The Japanese data technology company User Local found that there were over 13,000 VTuber across the world in 2020. The most popular ones have millions in subscribers.

As the industry matures, virtual influencers are set to overtake real social media stars in terms of their ability to advertise products, promote the online economy and create related merchandise.

A 2019 report by Chinese streamer Iqiyi found that 400 million users in China are following virtual influencers, with a market penetration rate as high as 64% among those born after 1995. The market value reached 200 billion yuan, double that of 2018.

Luo Tianyi, the first Chinese Vocaloid created in 2012, began live streaming in May last year. She attracted 2.7 million viewers at one point and engaged two million users. To hire Luo for an appearance on the Chinese e-commerce platform Taobao reportedly requires 0.9 million yuan, more than 10 times that of other popular influencers.

Some virtual influencers can earn up to 0.6 million yuan per minute. Lil Miquela, an avatar created by Los Angeles firm Brud, has three million followers on Instagram and has represented luxury brands including Chanel, Prada and Supreme. According to an estimate, she earned US$11.7 million for its creators in 2020.

Virtual characters are also known for their ability to induce sales and now hosting their own shows. Woshibubaichi, the character for an anime on food, starred in a TikTok livestream last April, where the sales reached 8.67 million yuan. Tech giant Bilibili held China’s first live concert starring virtual entertainers in December last year, attracting over 10 million audience members.

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