Wednesday, September 9th, 2015

YouTubers Are Positioning Themselves Above Traditional Stars

Jonathan Blum

As the entertainment industry continues to evolve, changes in consumption trends among audiences are becoming increasingly evident. It is particularly noticeable among teenage audiences as their preference for social networks and web content grows by quantum leaps.

In recent years, one of the most significant changes in this area has been in the figures adopted by teens as influencers or role models. In just one year, YouTubers (usually bloggers who distribute their content via YouTube) have managed to oust celebrities such as Bruno Mars or Taylor Swift in terms of their positioning as “trend setters in the teen market”.

A recent survey carried out by Variety with support from Jeetendr Sehdev, attributes this to the viral nature of YouTube content and the loyalty this segment has to the platform and its stars. In fact, it is projected that within five years, they will fully replace traditional stars.

It is clear that in today’s world, digital positioning is a must. While traditional celebrities do have their YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram channels, young people tend to perceive them as being over-produced, unlike the more spontaneous content they can find with YouTubers. Finding strategies that present traditional celebrities as real people will be vital for keeping them on the top of young people’s minds.