Influencer marketing has become a powerful tool in the drinks industry for driving engagement and brand awareness. Micro-influencers are proving particularly effective, as their smaller, more engaged followings foster a sense of authenticity and trust. 

Drinks brands are increasingly leveraging these influencers to promote various aspects of their products, including product launches, behind-the-scenes content and mixology tutorials.

However, speculation is sweeping the industry that virtual influencers are the next big thing in drinks. And that raises a lot of questions about consumer trust.

The world that influencers parade on social media is already a concoction. While influencers’ TikTok and Instagram feeds make it look like they’re having heaps of fun at events, the reality is that it’s often more work than play. They are so busy orchestrating perfectly staged photos and videos that enjoyment can take second place.

But the world that AI influencers are showcasing doesn’t exist at all. That hasn’t stopped millions of consumers following them on social channels and a full-blown industry springing up around them. There are whole agencies and companies dedicated to creating and managing virtual influencers, with some earning millions annually.

Lil Miquela, for example, has attracted 2.4 million Instagram followers since her 2016 debut and has appeared in ad campaigns for brands including Givenchy, Chanel and BMW.

Meanwhile AI influencer company The Clueless has amassed a huge followings for its creation, Aitana. Despite her bio clearly stating she is an AI, she has been invited to events and even has high-profile celebrities wanting to meet her.

“With artificial intelligence models, we don’t depend on enormous logistics, not even on whether it rains or doesn’t rain or if that person is not available that day,” Clueless Co-founder Diana Núñez told ABC News.

Is this the first virtual drinks influencer?

Could the drinks industry be the next frontier for virtual influencers? During Wimbledon, people had their tennis knickers in a knot after being fooled by an AI-generated influencer called Mia Zelu (below).

As IBM’s Karl Haller noted on LinkedIn: “Mia Zelu went viral this week, with the influencer posting all over Wimbledon. She was in the stands, on the grounds, attending a special Pimms event and generally looking fabulous. 

“Where it gets interesting from a brand perspective is that a Google search for “Mia Zelu Pimms” (technically “‘Mia Zelu’ Pimms”) turns up 400 results, and the Google Trends index for Pimms is 60% higher this week than its Wimbledon peak.

“It makes me wonder if Diageo had anything to do with orchestrating this whole virality. And if not this time, how long until a big portion of influencer marketing spend is going to AI influencers.”

Haller also pointed out the error AI made when generating one of the images – the woman circled below with a wonky hand …

Mia’s first post dates back to March 15 and she now has more than 165,000 followers But why has she been created and what will she do with her rapidly growing influence?

The identity of Mia’s creator remains a secret, with one of the influencers latest posts was a cryptic one.

“When a concept doesn’t fit the usual narrative, it’s easy to misread the intention. The real story tends to unfold over time,” she said.

Watch this space … And keep an eye out for wonky hands …