was at the British Fashion Awards in December. Her Instagram feed was immediately inundated with her head-to-toe in Prada outfits, followed by a morning after the night before (perfectly posed) snap of her enjoying breakfast in bed. The captio
Sure. Except Miquela Sousa is a hyper-realistic CGI animation. In other words, an avatar. She’s not real. But she’s also not your run-of-the-mill avatar (if that even exists). Lil Miquela boasts quite the impressive CV, with 1.5 million followers on Instagram, two singles on Spotify, a feature in Vogue, a campaign for UGG and a cover of Wonderland Magazine all under her digitally composed belt already. Feathers have also been ruffled recently as she was hired as contributing arts editor for DAZED magazine, all in her third year of existence.
Miquela’s account launched in April 2016 and it has been linked to Brud; a Los Angeles-based start-up that specialises in “robotics, artificial intelligence and their applications to media businesses”. An ongoing, and entirely fictional, feud between Miquela and the agency has meant that the narrative in which ties have been cut and then reformed has played out over the last year. Her 1.5m followers watch on avidly. Recently, Miquela moved back with her ‘old managers’ and through a series of diary entries on Miquela’s Instagram highlights, she described it as how she imagines moving back in with parents would feel. Her account account intentionally blurs the line between fantasy and fiction as she shares her thoughts and emotions, even directly addressing the ‘robot thing’ as some ‘creepy sci-fi stuff’ that she tries not to think about.
Adding this dimension of emotional intelligence allows for engagement through relatability. Audiences are able to connect with Miquela, forming a personal bond based on interest, trust and integrity. This type of connection between an influencer and a target audience is often utilised by brands as they guide purchase intentions through to repeat purchase, brand loyalty and ultimately, brand advocacy.
Time magazine named Lil Miquela as one of the 25 most influential people on the internet in 2018. Featuring next to the likes of Trump, Rihanna and Kanye West in regard to her ability to globally impact social media and drive trends and news. The emergence of these artificial influencers is set to disrupt the social industry as we know it; Forbes explained that integrating a bot who understands consumer likes and dislikes within a social strategy can prove to be very powerful for brands. They are able to direct the most relevant products at the most relevant time whilst removing the need for researching and sourcing the most appropriate bloggers and celebrities.
The inclusion of robotic influencers poses some important questions for PR and marketing professionals. Would including the likes of Lil Miquela in a long-term strategy position a brand as super hip and cool? Would it appeal to the Gen Z and millennial audiences that so many brands just aren’t quite sure how to target? Or would there be uproar as these dystopian characters start to replace those influencers that have worked hard to create engaging and sharable content for their organically generated audiences?
Delving deeper, the existence of artificial influencers could be a subtle nod to the superficiality of Instagram and the way the internet is developing. Does a review of the latest skin product from an artificial influencer carry the same authenticity as a paid for #ad or an honestly held review of the product? Only time will tell. The future of artificial influencers is all too new to predict, but despite the minor logistical details, it is important to acknowledge that these industry players are now very real.
Lianna McLean is account executive at W North, part of W Communications. Follow us @wcommnorth on Twitter and Instagram.
