Marks & Spencer is the first UK retailer to introduce a Virtual Influencer with their own Instagram account
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Virtual Influencer complements the expansion of M&S’ long-standing influencer programme ‘M&S Insiders’
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Part of retailer’s focus on experimenting with emerging trends and new technologies
M&S has today announced an expansion to its popular Insider programme with the arrival of five new Insiders – one of which is a first of its kind for UK retail; a virtual persona named Mira [Marks & Spencer, Influencer, Reality, Augmented] that has been developed using a combination of photography, cutting-edge CGI and computer vision.
‘M&S Insiders’ launched in 2018, and is made up of M&S colleagues – from store assistants and stylists to buyers and designers – who share style inspiration and product finds with their followers. There are now 13 Insiders, and they often produce some of M&S’ best performing social content – returning, on average, 30 per cent higher engagement than external influencer programmes.
Mira will join the Insiders in showcasing M&S’ latest collections, trends and style tips as 1 in 4 people in the UK say they are influenced by social media to buy clothes*. Through the introduction of a virtual character, M&S will be able to experiment by responding to trending conversations at pace and be agile with how and when content is captured. Creating a Virtual Influencer also gives M&S the opportunity to connect with a younger audience and build a community with those that are interested in this new form of technology.
M&S is the first High Street retailer to experiment with its own digital character and it is the latest example of M&S testing and trialling new technology to reach and inspire customers.
Anna Braithwaite, Director of Marketing for Clothing & Home, said: “We are excited to welcome Mira – UK retail’s first Virtual Influencer – to our M&S Insider family. Her introduction is the just latest example of how M&S is testing and learning with emerging technology and trends to inspire our customers – whether that’s our Live Shopping events or our expert online consultation services such as digital bra fit. A virtual influencer means we can be more fleet of foot in responding to trends and conversations and opens possibilities in both the physical and virtual world in the future.”
Mira was created in collaboration with creative tech agency, Happy Finish. Whilst Mira is a virtual character, her content will play out in the real-world and will be managed by M&S’ in-house team.
Jeremy Yates, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Happy Finish, said: “It’s brilliant to see our latest project with M&S launch today. Marks & Spencer are real leaders when it comes to strategic use of cutting-edge technology to engage existing and new audiences. A big part of our work for M&S focuses on helping the brand unlock new ways to bring its product ranges to life and enrich customer experience. Creating Mira to complement the existing M&S Insiders team is set to do both. We look forward to many more innovative projects with the amazing team at M&S.”
In addition to Mira, four other Insiders are set to join the programme. This includes a Menswear Stylist (@marksandspencer_dan) and, for the first time, two Insiders who will focus on engaging their audiences on M&S’ Kidswear offering (@marksandspencer_sharon and @marksandspencer_jodie) and an Insider focused on Beauty (@marksandspencer_bethany) as the retailer focuses on evolving the category through the introduction of dynamic third-party brands, including Clinique and Benefit Cosmetics, and developing its own-brand products, including Apothecary which has grown to a £20m brand in just two years.
Leveraging digital technologies to inspire customers
Today M&S also launches its first dedicated live shoppable Christmas series on M&S.com which will feature guest presenters covering a different theme each week, including dressing the home for Christmas, great value gifting and a what to wear guide. The show streams live every Thursday at 6pm.
M&S first launched Live Shopping in January to give customers the opportunity to join a completely shoppable live broadcast, hear more about a product range and pose live questions to a M&S expert. It taps into a growing trend that’s expected to account for 10-20% of global e-commerce by 2026**.
Other digital-first initiatives implemented over the last 24 months, include the launch of M&S’ new digital Click & Collect format with 1 in 2 M&S.com orders facilitated through the service, and the introduction of online video consultations for customers browsing furniture, menswear and lingerie on M&S.com. Through a partnership with Emplifi Live Commerce, M&S has been able to facilitate consultations with more than 60k customers and 86% of those surveyed said they would use the service again.
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For further information, please contact:
M&S Corporate Press Office: +44 (0)20 8718 1919
Notes to editors:
*Source: M&S State of the Nation Research
**Source: McKinsey research.
About Mira
Mira, 32 commutes to her office in West London where she works at the M&S Support Centre as a Digital Designer. Mira is charged with designing updates for M&S website and app, helping to drive innovation on these platforms, with her expert knowledge of AR and VR. She is super excited to be showcasing all of M&S’s must have buys across the seasons. She describes her style as chic and classic with the occasional bold print thrown in for good measure. She loves discovering new trends but making them her own so she can wear them again and again. Mira’s top picks for Autumn is the printed floral co-ord, which she can’t wait to wear together or as separates, and the red velvet suit.
About M&S Insiders
The M&S Insiders programme launched in January 2018 and continues to expand. With the additional five, there is now 13 Insiders on the programme. Six with a focus on Womenswear (Mira, Caley, Sam, Nicola, Jenny, Emma) two with a focus on Menswear (Dan and Rob), two for Home (Lydia and James) one for Beauty (Bethany) and two for Kids (Sharon and Jodie). All of the Insiders work for Marks and Spencer in some capacity from store assistants, to store visual stylists, to Womenswear and Beauty buyers and Kidswear designers. Each of the Insiders gets an allowance each month to purchase product to then promote on their dedicated Instagram accounts. The Insiders continue to be some of M&S’ best performing content with some of their videos getting over a million views.
About Happy Finish
Happy Finish is a global creative tech production agency working at the intersection of content design, emerging technology, and immersive storytelling. We craft digital twins of physical artefacts, people and spaces, from the most exquisitely rendered key-visuals to high quality content delivered at scale.
Happy Finish works with clients to create content and experiences that are at the forefront of what is possible, right across multiple channels, touchpoints and verses. As a 2021 recipient of an Epic Mega Grant, and an early member of Microsoft’s Mixed Reality Partner Program, and with hundreds of ground breaking XR projects under our belt, HF is a recognised pioneer in this space.
With 5 Locations in London, Portland, Verona, Milan and Amsterdam, and a team of 75+ to share and accelerate projects, we help brands and agencies connect with their audiences in ways that are authentic, meaningful and relevant.
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