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Why the phenomenon of virtual influencers is growing in France

2023-02-10T17:39:07.305Z


Coming from Japan, V Tubing and its lucrative economic model is spreading to France, seducing influencer agencies and brands.


"Why film yourself with a webcam when you can be a fish, a robot, a toaster, an alien?"

, jokes Arvi the fox.

They are called Sam, Arvi or Rose.

Like the blue fox, they all have a Twitch or TikTok account followed by millions of subscribers where they stage themselves in videos, react to lives, etc.

Not bad for videographers who only exist on screen.

Behind these avatars of manga or rabbits, hide actors, community managers or enthusiasts.

“It is enough to use software which captures the movements so that each of my expressions is copied by my character”

, simplifies Ponoki Chan, French VTubeuse for four years.

“There were already virtual influencers on Instagram

,” notes Jean Sabouret, CEO of the influence agency Fram55.

But these 2.0 avatars remained at the stage of a simple image embedded in real sets.

If the techniques to set these characters in motion were already on the market, they remained confined to the cinema, for lack of means.

“Today, a higher step has been taken.

The technologies are more efficient and accessible at a lower cost.

As a result, more and more individuals or companies are getting into the niche.

»

Coming from Japan, the phenomenon has gradually started to make its mark in France over the past year.

On Twitch, the word “VTuber” was one of the most searched for in 2022, while on Instagram, the hashtag #Vtubeurfrance has accumulated several million views.

“The community of content creators is mainly filled with enthusiasts

,” notes Arvi, the French virtual influencer with two million subscribers.

But the environment tends to professionalize.

Because more than ever, creators 2.0 have many advantages.

Starting with their unlimited lifespan.

"While a traditional influencer will necessarily stop making videos one day or another, everyone can slip behind the features of an avatar"

, notes Jean Sabouret.

“In short, they are forever.”

These characters are also available 24/24 and,

"a priori, they are not going to cause scandals"

, he jokes.

Their words and actions being controlled by an armada of

community managers

, they are unlikely to find themselves involved in scandals.

Virtual character, real earnings

These computer-generated videographers can pay off big.

Their sources of income, similar to those of traditional streamers, are divided between advertising fees on platforms, derivative products, donations, etc.

Last year, the platform's nine channels that generated the most revenue worldwide through YouTube's donation system were owned by VTubers.

They receive up to 1.5 million euros in donations annually, according to the data analysis site Playboard.

Twitch subscriptions constitute a significant part of the income of these 2.0 avatars.

Ironmouss, a virtual content creator, is the third channel on the platform with the largest number of subscribers (170,000).

Enough to bring its creator 500,000 dollars per month, just in subscription.

Read alsoTo professionalize the sector, influencer agencies are launching their Federation

Attracted by this very real financial windfall, VTubers agencies are springing up like mushrooms.

This is the case of Nijisanji and VShojo in Japan or Hololive, recently established in the United States.

In France too, projects are being set up.

Like Kol me Iconic, a firm specializing in virtual influence launched a year ago, or Fram55.

Jean Sabouret, CEO of the agency, aims to create a studio of virtual creators.

Both

"tailor-made ambassadors who embody a brand and bring it to life on social networks"

, like Kellogg's which has just launched its emblematic tiger on Twitch, and

"content creators, brought to forge partnerships with different signs”

, as Squeezie would do.

Brands on the lookout

"Brands had never been interested in virtual influence because until now, it wasn't profitable

," notes Arvi the fox.

Today, brands no longer hesitate to collaborate with these new generation content creators.

This is the case in France with Sony, the Ministry of Labor and even Monoprix.

The French distributor has entered into a partnership with Arvi the fox.

In September, the French VTuber proposed to its 2 million subscribers to rename five objects of the brand.

The winners received a 100 euro gift card.

An operation deemed

"very conclusive"

by Irène Leibovitz, director of Monoprix.

“10.9 million views, 190,000 interactions and thousands of names submitted”

, she argues.

These digital creations get almost three times more engagement than their living counterparts, according to research by HypeAuditor.

Read alsoPartnerships with brands, the main source of income for influencers

However, virtual influencers are not intended to replace their flesh-and-blood counterparts.

“Being a VTuber doesn't immediately make you funnier, more interesting, smarter,”

says Arvi the fox.

“Substance always counts more than form.”

Source: lefigaro

All life articles on 2023-02-10

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