Have you ever heard of “lu” in Magalu? Would you be surprised to know that Lou is a 100% computer generated woman with over 32 million active followers on her social media profiles? When I first heard about her many years ago, of course I was.
Lu is a fully virtual brand ambassador for leading Brazilian retailer Magalu, who (yes, she has) has one of the most influential and innovative branded social networks in the world today.
That’s the simple premise of her work… Brand mascots don’t have to be new, right? However, over time, platforms have emerged, media has changed, and interests have changed. And yet, many of yesterday’s favorite brand mascots have stuck in their own ways… and for some reason, with the advent of social media, they’ve been left behind.
Instead, they are kept in canned corn while saying superficial phrases like, “They’re great!” Because of social media managers, they also get stuck in their processes, partnerships and budgets.
To be fair, I have to acknowledge companies like GEICO who refuse to fall for the alluring formulas and instead reinvent Gecko over and over again, innovating and creating new platforms.
However, a new crop of brands and artists has grown without any of these outdated commercial figures. We grew up online and find solace in prominent online personalities. Our friends stand out, our family members stand out, video creators stand out, and thoughtful advertising stands out.
When modern creators are challenged to develop an innovative online brand presence, modern creators take inspiration from social media, influencers, game characters, video creators, digital artists, and more.
This has led to the birth of a new medium… the reinvention of brand and influencer mascots in one fell swoop: the branded virtual influencer. A virtual influencer is any digital character with a first-person social media personality.
Take a character, a brand mascot, a virtual spokesperson—call it what you want—and bring it to life on social media with self-referential content. It’s a simulation of an influencer, and people are immersed in it.
Lou’s huge success on social media has a lot to learn, so I reached out to the COO to get the information straight from the source. Today I had a rare opportunity to look behind the scenes and speak with the Magalu Senior Social Media Manager responsible for bringing Lou to life: Pedro Alvim.
Hi Pedro, thanks for taking the time to chat. First, could you tell me a little about yourself and what you do at Magazine Luiza? It was great for me to be able to talk to VirtualHumans.org. I’m a real fan! It’s hard for me to talk about myself (*laughs*). I live in Brazil and have been working in Magala for the last 10 years. Magalu is the nation’s largest retail technology platform with nearly 1,500 stores and a strong multi-channel operation, with over 34 million monthly active users and over $10 billion in revenue last year.
I lead the team responsible for building the largest social media retail and market brand around the world, making Magalu CGI brand ambassador “Lou from Magalu” Brazil’s first virtual influencer and the most followed in the world with over 32 million fans. I am an advertising graduate with a graduate degree in Content and Digital Influence. I have over 13 years of experience in digital, content and social media, leading creative and strategic teams, as well as being a speaker, mentor and teacher training creators. and our industry’s marketing leaders.
I was selected by Ecommerce Brasil as Professional of the Year, RD Station as one of 10 mind-changing marketers and Locaweb as one of 100 people who made an impression on the Internet in my country. I love avatars and social networks. I’ve been working on it for the last ten years.
This is the perfect introduction. Were you interested in virtual influencers before taking this position? Or is Lou the first person you meet? In fact, when I started creating this character, she was not a virtual influencer. She is our virtual assistant helping our clients on our site. We have not had other benchmark cases where we were able to grow Lou into a virtual influencer within the brand.
So, at that point, I started researching some cases around the world and found several independent figures developing this social media strategy. It is interesting. I fell in love with Lil Miquela, Shudu, Noonoouri, Hatsune Miku and others. However, growing virtual influencers within a brand comes with different challenges than growing them independently.
I personally know this pain! How has Lou’s presence on social media changed since you joined the team? Lu means Magala. Our social media strategy has kept pace with the evolution of the brand over the years. I believe that my most valuable contribution to this project is not the number of subscribers, reach or engagement. It’s about building a strong team that is diverse and representative, aligned with our culture and values, capable of autonomous dialogue in real time and not afraid to make (and learn from) mistakes.
Social media is all about constantly testing and learning about people’s behavior, and the courage to make quick decisions. For me, not only algorithms or numbers become relevant in social networks. Lou is relevant and our industry recognizes her. Lou’s case won the Golden Lion at this year’s Cannes Lion Festival. This is very important for the project.
charming. How do you see Lou’s future? Lou’s next move is kept secret. But I can tell you that our virtual influencer will get bigger and expand its reach.
We have previously explored Brazil’s impact on the virtual influencer industry. Why do you think virtual influencers like Lou are so popular in Brazil? Lou is a pioneer who defined how Brazilians interact with virtual influencers. Working with Lou over the past few years, I realized that the community wants to be a part of her story. They know that she represents the brand and can give them the opportunity to buy something on sale. Although, that’s not the point.
I can really see that they enjoy being part of Lou’s life. Most virtual characters in Brazil come from brands because it requires a huge investment. But there’s an important point: just because you create or own a character doesn’t mean you have an influencer and an engaged community. Influence is built, not created.
How do you see the virtual influencer industry changing or evolving in the next few years? I see a huge impact after 2020 due to the pandemic situation. In Brazil, many brands are investing in their own avatars in an attempt to create “virtual influencers” like Lou. And this year, creators and celebrities are investing in virtual versions of themselves. Some themes, such as Web3, will drive these changes in our industry and help bring new virtual people into our lives. The trend is not only in Brazil, but all over the world.
What advice can you give to others who are currently running or running a virtual influencer? Building influence is hard and not easy. The emphasis should be on storytelling, diversity and boldness. We need characters who represent who we are and what we believe in, and who are not silent about what is happening in the real world.
Can you tell us about any upcoming events or projects with Lou? No spoilers. Follow Lou on social media (@magazineluiza or @magalu).
As a longtime leader in innovative virtual characters, what does the word “metaverse” mean to you? For me, the word “metaverse” means that we must continue to understand the behavior of new generations and consider the possibility of doing this in a decentralized world.
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Christopher Travers founded, built, maintains and writes for VirtualHumans.org and beyond. He enjoys creating unparalleled experiences, pursuing ambitious growth strategies, and creating magical and memorable moments for others.
Post time: Dec-19-2022