Can Virtual Influencers Represent a Solution for Municipalities Management Models? A Content Analysis to Explore How Digital Transformation Pushes Toward Social Change

This research explores virtual influencers' use in municipalities' place branding strategies. Virtual influencers have succeeded in various sectors, but their potential in municipal branding still needs to be fully understood. The study offers a content analysis of 262 cases from multiple sources to shed light on the role of influencers in the business model of municipalities. The research identifies flexibility and innovation as advantages and production costs and authenticity as risks. Furthermore, the analysis classifies virtual influencers as hyperreal capital, going beyond the traditional classification of tangible and intangible. The findings contribute to digital communication strategies for municipalities