A Digital Avatar – Every Marketing Function Ought to Have One By Tali Hasanov

Key Trends YOUR Business Can Leverage

Web3 is the next revolution of the web. Although the biggest part of Web3 is about decentralizing the internet, which basically means that users have more control over their data. Artificial intelligence and interactive websites are also part of this evolution. Digital avatars are making their mark in marketing as a way to engage with users and to build a brand in Web3.

What Is a Digital Avatar?

In the computer world, avatars are a representation of an online user. Many of the first multiplayer role-playing games let gamers create custom characters. Millions of people created Yahoo avatars, as a cartoon or pictorial representation of themselves while engaging in instant messaging or playing games in the Yahoo portal.

Today, many industries are embracing digital avatars: fashion, healthcare, automotive, and more. Advertising or marketing avatars can help a business build online relationships with customers. Gen Z is spending more time in virtual worlds than their predecessors. As this new generation moves into adulthood, digital marketing on their terms is a powerful way to connect with them.

Trends in Digital Avatar Marketing

It’s estimated that the average consumer is exposed to 4,000 to 10,000 ads each day. There comes a point when consumers start to ignore messages that aren’t relevant and/or engaging. Businesses can no longer rely on traditional marketing, even to Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials. Modern consumers want personal experiences with brands they trust. A digital avatar can bridge the gap between technology and a human experience, giving your brand a face and a less formal communication channel.

Provide Excellent Customer

Service Having much more capabilities than a chat bot, an avatar lets consumers relate better to your brand. Although the basic technology behind avatars is AI, an avatar has human characteristics. The avatar is animated and can be designed to match facial expressions to their words. Emerging technology helps avatars recognize speech to respond more personally than older chat boxes that are written to a particular script. Customers are more likely to engage with avatars than chat bots.

Expert Solutions Through Connections to Customers

Digital avatars have the capability to connect with customers on a more personal level, which allows your business to tailor the web experience to the customer. It makes for a more effective experience on your website as the avatar helps the customer through the sales funnel. Instead of interacting with a pushy sales bot, the customer is joined by a character guide on their purchasing journey.

A Softer Face for Your Brand
Brands have used mascots for generations as a way to connect with their audience. Who doesn’t think of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes when they see Tony the Tiger? Digital avatars are the next iteration of those beloved ambassadors and they take your customers to a virtual world and make the experience more personal.

Virtual Showrooms

Customers can now create their own avatar to represent themselves in the digital world, which translates into the real world. The new marketing landscape under Web3 is transforming how people purchase. Fashion and beauty brands are using digital marketing in innovative ways to interact with shoppers. Gucci Open is a tennis game in which customers can compete against each other while wearing their best Gucci look. It gets customers interested in fashion, letting users create their own experience.

Gain Customer Loyalty

Digital avatars create customer loyalty. Your customer feels connected to your brand, which makes them want to return. Customer retention has a much higher ROI than customer acquisition. Using digital marketing as a way of creating loyalty can help you maintain a solid customer base that knows and trusts your brand. Getting likes and shares on social media through customer loyalty is marketing that you cannot buy.

Responsible Marketing

Even before Black Lives Matter and #MeToo, customers were beginning to expect the brands they purchase to be sustainable and supportive of certain causes. Ethics and values are playing a bigger role in consumerism. It’s no longer enough to be “green.” Businesses must be a force for good. Consumers and employees want to choose brands that align with their own goals in the world. This is a trend that businesses need to be aware of as they go forward with their digital marketing strategy.