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Great insights Scott. I’ve been monitoring the rise of the vlogger influence factor for over 2 years now, both personally as a fan and professionally as someone who has spent years doing PR connected with celebrity partnerships between products, charities and pharma companies. I totally agree that YouTube has spawned a generation of influencers whose reach and relatability are game changing in for brands and causes in today’s “post-truth” world.
My one concern is exalting these people to ‘celebrity’ status; though I see it partly as inevitable, it could be a double-edged sword. As you noted, it’s the relatability of these vloggers, along with their authenticity, that makes them influential in the first place. Consumers, particularly younger audiences, identify with these people in a way they don’t with celebrities. Yes, Kim Kardashian has seemingly huge social media clout, but all you need to do is run a basic Twitter audit on her to see the cracks in the veneer of her “huge” online following. Moreover, while she is indisputably influential, the average teen or 20-something is not relating to her one-on-one. They admire/worship her, but they know they’re never going to be her. But these same consumer segments interact with some of today’s hottest YouTubers, not as fans, but as friends. They feel a common bond and that’s what propels their loyalty to that vlogger.
As the stakes get higher, and the crossover between YouTube and mainstream media increases (ala the Neistat/CNN deal), and brands and causes seek to maximise on sponsored content deals with these vloggers, it’s going to become increasingly difficult for them to maintain that air of relatability and authentic trustworthy with their viewers. The minute sincerity starts to smell like sell-out or everyday characters start to sound/act like elite celebrities, this entire platform could fold like a house of cards. It’s a challenge that both YouTube creators and marketers are going to have to address because it would be a shame to see this vital, fresh and exciting medium turned into just another venue for commercials.
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Meg – thanks so much for taking the time to read and comment.
Absolutely online influence is fast approaching an inflection point. They need brand money to keep working but to re-use your line, which I love, the minute sincerity starts to smell like sell-out they’re sunk. These influencers influence because of the close relationship they’ve built up with their audience. One whiff of shilling too much product and they’re sunk. The audience will move some place else.
Re celebrity: Social media has given us all both voice and choice. A choice to choose who to celebrate in celebrity. A choice to turn ourselves into celebrities.
It used to be that fame was heaped upon us. Now fame is something we do.
David Weinberger, co-creator of the Cluetrain Manifesto, and its reprise: New Clues, wrote back in 2012 “The people we make famous and sometimes rich are usually people like us. They’re flawed. They make spelling errors when they tweet from their mobile phones. They treat us with a rough but real respect”.
We love YouTube ‘stars’ not despite their flaws, but because those flaws show that they are one of us.
But now top YouTubers have professional & personal managers, stylists, accountants and lawyers. They’re accruing the trappings of big business. This moves them out of the world that their audiences relate to and is expensive to upkeep. It’s a beast that must be continually fed. Which, in turn, makes it more likely that the influencer will take on brand money to keep feeding it.
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