Possibilities and Challenges of the Emergence and Development of Virtual Influencers on Social Media in Afghanistan

Abstract

With the rapid growth of Internet technology and its related tools, the level of interest in and engagement with the virtual space has increased, and, among other things, marketing communication has undergone significant changes. This space has provided a favorable opportunity for influencers to produce and present the content they intend to use to influence decision-making and gain the trust of audiences. However, the rapid advancement of marketing and content production has led to the emergence of a new type of influencer in the Internet space, referred to in the literature of advertising and communication as “virtual influencers” or human-like influencers. Their activities include advertising, marketing, guidance, and entertainment in the Internet space, particularly on social networks. Despite the global expansion of this type of influencer, there is a noticeable lack of activity and research concerning them in Afghanistan.Therefore, the main question of this study is to address the possibilities and challenges of creating and developing virtual influencers in the Afghan context. Through in-depth interviews and semi-structured questions with seven journalists, marketing professionals, and public relations specialists, the opportunities and challenges of creating and developing this type of influencer in Afghanistan were examined.The findings identify the creation and activities of virtual influencers at the intersection of four major themes within the context of Afghan social networks: challenges, contexts, audiences, and professional ethics. According to the participants, due to the lack of educational and academic resources in the fields of digital marketing and studies of new technologies, there is still a considerable gap between social networks and the development of virtual influencers in accordance with global standards. However, if this type of influencer is established and promoted, the priority of the people of Afghanistan will be the promotion of the values of dialogue, participation, education, and tolerance.