One video gained a million followers. Can Liu Yexi and others get the "ticket" to the Metaverse?

With the development of technology and the advent of the Metaverse, digital humans have begun to become the "new" traffic password. This article will tell you the blue ocean of digital humans' development in the Metaverse and the shortcomings of digital humans' own development for everyone to read and learn.

When digital humans become a business, we are more concerned about how they make money and what this means?

1. After the explosion of "Liu Yexi"

I don’t know if you still remember that on Halloween, October 31 last year, a virtual beauty blogger emerged on TikTok and gained over a million followers within 24 hours of releasing her first work.

She is "Liu Yexi", a virtual beauty expert who can catch monsters. As of press time, she has 864.1W fans and 3673.3W likes. Her first video that made her famous received 360.6W likes.

After a year, the increase of 7 million followers is not amazing, but his total 26 videos have received more than 35 million likes, and the daily video likes data still ranges from tens to 2 million, which is enough to show the high fan stickiness of "Liu Yexi" and the breadth of the content market.

According to Weiguojiang's observation, "Liu Yexi's" current monetization method is still mainly based on advertising, such as the short drama videos in cooperation with Jidu Auto and Xiaopeng Auto, and it also appeared on the cover of the fashion magazine "Men's Wear", and there is no shortage of big-name collaborations.

As a digital person, "Liu Yexi" has characteristics that are closer to the metaverse, which is consistent with the intelligence of new energy vehicles. At the same time, "Liu Yexi"'s positioning as a beauty expert allows her to naturally integrate into the fashion and beauty fields. Virtual idols who will not collapse are obviously more pleasing to advertisers.

Although everyone knows that "Liu Yexi" is a digital person, what exactly a digital person is still confusing many people.

In the "Digital Human Industry Development Trend Report (2023)" released at the 2022 Tencent Global Digital Ecosystem Conference and Tencent Cloud Intelligence Special Session some time ago, there is such a definition:

Digital human refers to a virtual character that exists in digital space in digital form and has anthropomorphic or real-life appearance, behavior, and characteristics. It is also called virtual image, digital virtual human, virtual digital human, etc. The core technology of digital human mainly includes computer graphics, motion capture, image rendering, AI, etc. In this regard, digital human is essentially a virtual character with anthropomorphic appearance, behavior, and personality created by computers through learning graphics, motion capture, image rendering, AI, etc., and exists in digital space.

2. Are “Liu Yexi” and others the trend of the metaverse, or the future of content?

The presence of digital people in our lives may be far stronger than you think.

In a broad sense, from some of the cartoons we are familiar with to the virtual characters that can now be compared with real people, they are all in the category of digital people. And this is the development of digital people in the technical dimension, from 2D to 3D, and finally relying on the support of technology to realize nearly realistic characters, so as to enter real life.

Source: Digital Human Industry Development Trend Report (2023)

In the process, digital humans also undergo development in functional dimensions, which depends on people's needs for the roles that digital humans play.

In the beginning, digital people were just a part of the work, appearing in content forms such as animation and movies. As we all know, when the content accumulates to a certain amount and has enough fans, the corresponding IP will be formed. Therefore, digital people have become the carrier of content IP, conveying the cultural core through simulated words and deeds. At this time, digital people are more like IP symbols.

For example, Hatsune Miku, the Japanese virtual singer born in 2007. In March 2010, as the first virtual idol to hold a concert using holographic projection technology, Hatsune Miku's concert tickets were sold out instantly, and more than 30,000 fans paid to watch the live broadcast of the concert that night.

At the 10th minute of the concert, the 3D virtual character of Hatsune Miku appeared, which aroused cheers from the audience. The 3D image was played through a 2.5D semi-holographic transparent screen, and the stage was adjusted to be completely transparent, leaving only the image of Hatsune Miku, allowing the audience to immersively experience Hatsune Miku performing in front of their eyes.

Image source: Artist Asahima

With the continuous development of technology, digital humans have begun to play the role of functional services, that is, they have begun to have intelligent interactive capabilities and can respond according to user instructions.

This functionality is not difficult to understand. It can be compared to the Siri, Xiaodu or Xiaoai that we "teasing" in our daily lives. After recognizing your keywords, they will give corresponding answers. Loading such interactive capabilities on digital humans is the imaging of digital humans at this stage.

In addition to the virtual customer service that we encounter from time to time on various platforms, the virtual bloggers that we occasionally see on short video platforms are also representative. For example, "Momojiang" who has 4.778 million fans on Douyin is eloquent in the live broadcast room, can basically interact with everyone smoothly and bring goods, and has the functions of an anchor.

Technology is still evolving, and digital humans have reached the stage of "virtual avatars", which means more users will be involved. The gradual popularization of VR has gradually turned science fiction into reality.

For example, when watching an online concert, it was not very enjoyable to watch it through the screen. If we use VR and other devices, the immersive experience is not out of reach. It is equivalent to having our own virtual avatar and enjoying the concert more immersively.

In this development process, digital humans gradually become the entrance to the metaverse, narrowing the distance between ordinary users and the metaverse, and experience is the key.

Just like the "Liu Yexi" we mentioned earlier, although she currently still only exists as an IP, her style, content, and image allow users to perceive the existence of the metaverse to a certain extent.

As the "duck prophets" of every change, brands have long kept pace with the times, and creating digital humans and building the metaverse have almost become common hot words in everyone's speeches.

McDonald's and KFC, the "enemies", are also competing with each other in the layout of digital people. Their digital people "Happy Sister" and "Colonel Sanders" are both derived from brand culture. The former is the store brand ambassador, and the latter is the incarnation of the founder and logo.

They all chose to abandon the original "uncle" and "grandfather" settings, and coincidentally turned into a young lady and a male god with abdominal muscles. The difference is that McDonald's still uses a 2D cute style, while KFC uses technology to synthesize a realistic character.

Watsons, which also favors 2D, launched its first AI brand spokesperson "Wilson Qu" in 2019, positioning it as a "cultivation idol". After his debut, Wilson Qu can be seen in Watsons' offline stores and online platforms such as mini programs. He is well-behaved and can also capture the hearts of 2D users, killing two birds with one stone.

"Tianxuanji" of digital brand ASUS has its own video account and official account, which can provide a one-stop service for new product recommendations and reviews. She is also capable of singing and dancing, and can seamlessly connect with young people.

Compared with 2D digital humans, 3D digital humans have attracted more attention in recent years and are also more popular.

Zoe, the virtual spokesperson for Nestlé Coffee Hong Kong, is based on the Japanese singer Anonymouz and was created using CG and motion capture technology, making her lifelike.

The representative of the beauty industry is the new domestic brand Hua Xizi, whose virtual image of the same name is the first hyper-realistic digital person to showcase Chinese makeup and oriental beauty to the world.

At this point, it is not difficult to see that brands are basically creating digital humans with the goal of targeting younger people, and the target is of course the young people who are more receptive to new things.

The current generation logic and characteristics of digital humans are also surprisingly consistent.

First, we start by building a specific image, either by capturing the expressions of real people or by pure technical synthesis, and finally form an anthropomorphic image, that is, the appearance of the digital person. Then we carry out character positioning and cultural filling. Singing and dancing idols are almost standard, and the rest depends on the needs of brand marketing. The brand style is likely to determine the personality of the digital person.

Having skin and flesh is not enough. Digital people need an identity to integrate into society. Both the brand’s virtual image and spokesperson play such a role.

It can be said that the development of digital humans represents the progress of the underlying technology of the metaverse, and also allows us to vaguely glimpse the prototype of the metaverse.

3. Digital people become the new “traffic password”

It is not groundless that digital humans have become the new “traffic password”.

In May 2021, the digital person "AYAYI" appeared on Xiaohongshu, and the first note published received nearly 3 million views and 100,000 likes. Subsequently, AYAYI, who is positioned as a fashion expert, appeared on the cover of a magazine with Jing Boran, took a close photo with William Chan at a fashion event, signed a music contract with Modern Sky, and unlocked the identities of Tmall Super Brand Digital Manager and Alibaba's first digital employee.

Currently, AYAYI has 79,000 followers on Douyin and 127,000 followers on Xiaohongshu, and his content is mainly about exhibitions and fashion. At the same time, because of his digital identity, AYAYI has become an excellent entrance to the fashion metaverse.

AYAYI's business resources are also considerable. It has a dream collaboration with GAC Honda Accord, has become the "navigator" of Moody's metaverse concept colored contact lenses, and has also cooperated with skin care brands such as Wansu and Chando.

It is not difficult to guess why brands choose AYAYI. With its youthful image and novel concept, it is simply a ticket for brands to enter the circle of young people. At the same time, digital people can break through the limitations of real people, maximize the fit of brand needs, and allow brand culture to have more diversified expansion. For example, when interpreting the metaverse, digital people have an innate advantage over real people, making it easier for consumers to understand the brand's marketing concept.

On the other hand, the application of digital humans also lies in selling goods.

In the past Double 11 promotions, many brands have used virtual anchors. Driven by AI, they can broadcast live 24 hours a day if the program is set in advance, relieving the live broadcast pressure of real anchors in the late night. According to Kaibo Finance, most of these virtual anchors go online after 12 o'clock in the evening.

Real anchors are limited by their bodies and energy. However, even if there are only a few consumers who watch live broadcasts late at night, they are still customers that brands do not want to lose. The emergence of virtual anchors can solve this pain point. Digital workers who work diligently and tirelessly can truly bring goods all the time, and may be the most ideal "social animals".

Image source: "Kaipiao Finance"

In addition, digital humans are an important part of assisting in building the metaverse.

As the entrance to the metaverse, digital humans play a leading role.

Although the metaverse is very popular, it is still as far away from ordinary users as the real universe. However, digital humans are different. Whether it is 2D animation or 3D simulation, they can be seen everywhere from small to large, and the threshold for understanding is much lower.

As ordinary users interact with digital humans, they will inevitably enhance their understanding of the metaverse, and to a certain extent, they will be able to touch the door of the metaverse. With the development of technology, users can even have their own virtual avatars and participate in the gameplay and construction of the metaverse.

When cognition and technology deepen simultaneously, the metaverse will be able to move from concept to reality.

At the same time, digital humans can empower richer forms of content, such as music, digital collections, etc.

Digital humans can rely on technology to realize most of the ideas, and singing and dancing are almost the basic skills of most digital humans currently.

For example, on December 12, Tencent Music Entertainment Group's first signed hyper-realistic virtual idol Lu Xiaoxi LUCY officially debuted, and is expected to create "Z generation music" with music fans in the metaverse. On the day of her debut, nearly 20 brands participated in the support, and Lu Xiaoxi also quickly received two new song invitations and will participate in two concerts created by international brands, which can be said to be living up to expectations.

NFT forms such as digital collectibles are also more suitable for digital people.

On May 20 this year, Xiaohongshu's virtual idol "Chuan" released two digital collections, "Scentless Rose" and "Rose Shadow and Rose Face". Buyers can use AR to shoot romantic blockbusters, and can give them to others as gifts within the first hour of purchase. Currently, the limited edition of 100 "Scentless Rose" is sold out.

It has to be said that this "川CHUAN" understands metaverse marketing. He has dabbled in AI singles, digital avatars, and virtual space.

In addition, digital humans with a certain technical foundation are more suitable for developing into digital avatars, which can further realize the metaverse.

In addition to participating in online concerts as mentioned above, you can also immerse yourself in shopping, window shopping, and entertainment in metaverse spaces such as Taobao's "Future City" and "Mantaworth", and the "Coca-Cola Fan Festival Metaverse Fan Block" launched in cooperation between Coca-Cola and Tencent Music's virtual world platform TMELAND.

So, are digital humans perfect? ​​The answer is no.

Although today's digital humans have entered a highly involutionary stage and have even become a standard for brands entering the metaverse, there are still many common problems.

The first thing to be affected is the serious hollowing out.

The essence of digital people is a realistic person synthesized by technology, which needs to be filled with content later. Its sustainable development is also based on the vitality of content. If there is only a human form but no cultural core, digital people cannot gain real resonance from users. Therefore, brands should still tell good stories and give digital people a continuous source of content vitality.

The second is that the character is floating.

Digital people are virtual in nature, and users’ perception and recognition come more from their settings, which means that the digital people’s personalities must be down-to-earth. Therefore, when brands create digital people, they should connect their identities with the brand itself and the lives of ordinary users.

The third is insufficient technology.

The movements of some digital humans are jittery, their expressions are stiff, and they can only be viewed in static images. There are even embarrassing moments of clipping through the model during interactions. This is mostly due to poor technology, and it is one of the reasons why the Metaverse has not yet been fully implemented and why the public feels distant from digital humans.

Fourth, there are still barriers to application.

Although digital humans are widely used, market education is not yet complete, technical support is not yet mature, and the industrial chain has not formed a closed loop. The application of digital humans remains at the stage of reserving content. The lack of subjective and objective conditions has led to the current situation being more like a solitary carnival on the B-side.

In summary, digital humans do have a broad blue ocean, but the actual application still needs to be deepened. However, the dividends that brands get from seizing the layout first are not deceptive.

Author: Chen Chumu

Source public account: Weiguojiang (ID: wjam123456), focusing on the forefront of new media and insights into new consumer fields.