Types of Influencers that have not officially appeared in Vietnam

Context: Read this piece as a record of how the market and the featured case were understood at the time. IMVN has preserved its original direction without presenting older names or figures as a current shortlist.

Influencer types in Vietnam is the focus here, viewed through a specific case and audience context rather than a formula for every campaign.

Influencer Marketing has exploded since the end of 2014, leading to the diversity of KOL types. From famous stars to hot profiles on social networks, they can also become an Influencer channel. But compared to the world, the Vietnamese Influencer market is still lacking some forms of KOL as follows:

Pets

Vietnam also has no shortage of accounts dedicated to pets and receiving special attention from a large community. But at the time of original publication almost no brand uses this channel as a KOL.

Vietnam also has no shortage of accounts dedicated to pets and receiving special attention from a large community. But at the time of original publication almost no brand uses this channel as a KOL.

Bu is a cat that has become a sensation on Facebook with over 240k followers and a YouTube channel with 21k subscribers. Bu’s owner always shares interesting stories about Bu through beautiful and funny pictures. A cat is nothing special, but when it meets an owner who knows how to photoshop and writes thoughtful content, that cat can become an “influencer” in the community of animal lovers.

Robots and artificial intelligence

 Robots cannot replace humans in everything, but social media influencers are no exception. Robots combined with AI (artificial intelligence) are encroaching on the field of Influencer Marketing.

Lil Miquela is already a familiar face to the world’s fashion community. She is a combination of a robot and artificial intelligence with more than 1.3 million followers on Instagram. Lil posted a photo with a hat and shirt from Coach and received 71,000 likes with thousands of comments about the brand. That shows that Lil’s appeal is not inferior to any real fashionista. But it is simpler for brands or agencies when working with her, they will not have to deal with “star personality” or other unusual requirements.

In Vietnam, this is still a new trend, no brand or company has pioneered the creation of a robot to build a celebrity. However, it is not impossible in the future, when KOL is becoming a billion-dollar profession.

Leaders

Putin – the long-time leader of Russia has always been considered an ideal model for many gentlemen, from what he wears to everyday items such as golf clubs and snowmobiles, all are sought after. Of course, not every leader can become a brand ambassador and have influence like Putin. Due to differences in law and culture, leaders are still relatively distant people for Vietnamese people. But when TV shows like Shark Tank take off, the images of leaders become more popular on social media, their cooperation with brands will be a matter of time. However, it will be difficult for brands to approach and find a leader with the right image, cost, and ability to interact on social networks. The cost of cooperation with leaders is also very high and not every brand can afford it.

Related: Hot Profiles: An Effective Influencer Marketing Channel for Low-Budget Projects.

If your shortlist is growing but the decision is not getting clearer, IMVN can help define creator roles, verify audience fit, and turn the list into a workable campaign plan. Talk with the IMVN team about the market and outcome you are targeting.