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- Jellysmack Creator Startup Lays Off 30 Staffers, Restructures
- Meta Launches Tools To Facilitate Links Between Talent and Talent Managers
- Amazon Studios Makes Play For Gen Z Audience With 100 Million Dollar MrBeast Deal
- Video View Booster Lures TikTok Users To Post Horizontal Videos Over 60 Seconds
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Great Reads
Amazon Studios Makes Play For Gen Z Audience With 100 Million Dollar MrBeast Deal
Seeking to broaden its content portfolio beyond prestige titles, Amazon Studios is rumored to be finalizing an agreement for an unscripted competition series with 25-year-old YouTube phenom MrBeast (real name Jimmy Donaldson). With over 233 million YouTube subscribers, Donaldson is the most followed individual creator on the platform. Known for his stunts, contests, and giveaways, the new show will allow fans to compete in various challenges on a global scale. The series will premiere first on Donaldson’s massively popular YouTube channel before becoming available exclusively via Prime Video.
While full contractual terms have not yet undisclosed, the deal symbolizes Amazon’s push into more mainstream, youth-oriented entertainment fare under studio head Jen Salke. It also provides an opportunity for Amazon to leverage Donaldson’s brand partnerships, which help finance his videos’ extravagant budgets. The collaboration aligns with Amazon’s recent investments in shoppable video, social content, and influencer marketing as it looks to capture the next generation’s attention, even as youth viewership declines across traditional TV.
How YouTuber Doug DeMuro Built A Platform For His Community To Sell Rare Cars
YouTuber Doug DeMuro, known for showcasing rare cars on his channel with 4.8 million subscribers, has created Cars & Bids, an online auction platform for unique and collectible vehicles. Launching in mid-2020, the site focuses on rare cars from the 1980s to the 2000s, including luxury models. DeMuro's initiative addresses the challenges of selling niche vehicles by providing a targeted marketplace for enthusiasts. Cars & Bids emerged as a response to DeMuro's desire for independence from YouTube's algorithm, offering a controlled revenue stream. Co-founded with Blake Machado, the platform gained immediate success, receiving over 900 car submissions on its first day.
With a 4.5% buyer's fee, Cars & Bids has become a significant player in the market. DeMuro's reputation as a trustworthy car enthusiast has positioned Cars & Bids as a preferred choice for selling and buying rare vehicles. The platform also features a shipping service, handling the delivery of sold cars, adding convenience and expanding the scope of transactions. In early 2023, The Chernin Group invested $37 million in Cars & Bids, propelling its growth and expansion beyond DeMuro's fanbase. With Rogelio Choy as CEO, the company is scaling up to become a leading marketplace for unique cars in North America. This venture illustrates a new trend in influencer-led initiatives, where services, rather than products, are offered to meet community needs, emphasizing the evolution of influencer marketing.
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Campaign Insights
Seeing a viral pro-Biden TikTok? A PAC might have paid for it
Priorities USA, a Democratic super PAC, is investing $1 million in a creator program to support President Joe Biden's reelection campaign by enlisting influencers to post pro-Biden content on social media. The initiative targets younger voters in battleground states, using influencers to address issues like Biden's age and policy stances. The program includes both local and national influencers, blending micro-influencers with larger profiles to amplify messaging across platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
This effort reflects a shift in political campaigning, recognizing the influence of social media in shaping voter opinions and the importance of reaching younger audiences where they are most active. It also illustrates the increasing reliance on paid support in campaigns, a departure from the organic backing of previous election cycles. The strategy includes a focus on topics like the economy, abortion access, and democracy. The PAC's approach, however, raises questions about platform policies and federal regulations regarding paid political content on social media. Platforms like TikTok have strict policies against political advertising, highlighting the challenges and complexities of navigating digital campaign strategies in today's fragmented media landscape.
Beauty Brands That Ruled TikTok in 2023
Online destination Cosmetify released its 2023 report on the hottest beauty brands and influencers across TikTok. Analyzing followers, likes, views, and more, Huda Beauty clinched the top beauty brand spot with 8.7 million followers. The Ordinary led skincare labels with 13.3 million likes. The rankings reinforced TikTok's importance for emerging and indie brands versus Instagram. Celebrity labels like Rare Beauty and Florence by Mills also attracted huge followings. Skincare enthusiasts drove The Ordinary and CeraVe's success. Gen Z and Gen Alpha's obsession with high-performance products on a budget aligned with those brands' offerings.
On the influencer side, Kylie Jenner unseated the formerly dominant James Charles. ABI Roberts and Meredith Duxbury won fans spanning music, comedy, and beauty interests. Their wider appeal beyond cosmetics signaled consumers following creators with multifaceted talents. TikTok Shop also boosted beauty commerce, with related hashtags tallying billions of views. As brands leverage features facilitating product discovery and direct sales, TikTok solidifies its influence driving consumption trends. For labels across price tiers, the platform provides invaluable exposure thanks to addictive short video content.
How FYPM used Instagram Stories and thirst traps to raise $275K
Lindsey Lee Lugrin, founder of Fuck You Pay Me (FYPM), a platform likened to Glassdoor for influencers, has raised $275,000 for her company in a novel way—through Instagram stories, without a traditional pitch deck. Targeting her broad creator economy audience on Instagram, Lugrin shared key metrics, financial needs, and terms directly through her posts, occasionally boosting reach with "thirst traps." This strategy attracted notable angel investors like Derek Schlicker, Jessica Lee, and Sophia Amoruso.
FYPM, addressing payment transparency issues in the influencer industry, began as a response to Lugrin's experiences as an underpaid model and influencer. It functions as a searchable database for influencers to review brand collaborations and share payment data. Facing scalability challenges, the newly raised funds will aid in the platform's overhaul to include talent managers and brand representatives, ensuring transparency in monetary offerings. Lugrin's fundraising approach exemplifies a unique merger of personal branding and business acumen, offering a fresh perspective to influencer marketing professionals on leveraging social media platforms for financial growth and entrepreneurial ventures.
Influencer Predicts This Will Replace The Stanley Cup Trend
TikTok influencers are now highlighting the Owala water bottle as the next big thing, set to replace the popular Stanley Cup. Influencer Andra (@hopeyoufindyourdad) discussed the potential shift, noting that when an item becomes mainstream among a wider demographic, such as mothers, it often signals the end of its trendiness. The Owala water bottle, praised for its colorful design, spill-proof lid, and efficient insulation, has gained traction on social media, especially among nurses who value its practical features.
With over 424,000 views on a related TikTok video, the Owala is receiving positive feedback from users who have praised its design and functionality. This shift in trend from the Stanley Cup to the Owala water bottle exemplifies the dynamic nature of influencer-driven markets and the speed at which new products can gain popularity. For influencer marketing professionals, understanding these trends is crucial for staying ahead in a rapidly evolving industry where consumer preferences are increasingly influenced by social media personalities.
Inside the TikTok cruise partnership between Marc Sebastian and Atria Books
TikTok influencer Marc Sebastian's collaboration with Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, highlights a novel approach in influencer marketing. Despite claiming to dislike reading and cruising, Sebastian's sponsorship by Atria Books for his participation in Royal Caribbean's "Ultimate World Cruise" has generated over 500 million views on TikTok. This counterintuitive pairing has successfully doubled Atria's TikTok following. Sebastian's initial post humorously announcing the partnership quickly garnered attention, leading to a significant increase in brand awareness for Atria among Gen Z consumers.
His content during the 18-day cruise involved humorous, unscripted videos, including a mock book club session. These videos not only entertained his 1.6 million followers but also engaged a broader audience on TikTok. The campaign's success can be attributed to Atria's willingness to allow Sebastian creative freedom, resonating with his audience's preferences for authentic and entertaining content. This partnership showcases the potential of influencer marketing when brands trust creators to deliver their message in a unique and relatable manner.
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Interesting People
Missy Chanpaibool: An Influencer's Tale
Missy Chanpaibool's journey as a TikTok influencer highlights key insights for the influencer marketing industry. Starting in 2020 with humorous videos, Missy rapidly gained over 476k followers. Her initial success with a viral pregnancy announcement video posed a challenge in overcoming typecasting, which she addressed through consistent creativity, evolving to original content like history sketches.
Chanpaibool's choice of TikTok over platforms like YouTube and Instagram was strategic, leveraging TikTok's environment that valued spontaneity and originality. Her approach to content creation emphasizes the ease and accessibility of TikTok, which she believes levels the playing field for new creators. A crucial aspect of Missy's strategy is balancing authenticity with commercial engagement. She focuses on integrating products into her content organically, aiming to present herself relatably to her audience. This approach underscores the importance of influencer-brand partnerships where creative freedom is respected, advocating for content tailored to specific audiences.
A Conversation With CEO Ted Murphy: Introducing IZEA's FormAI Mixers
At Creator Economy Live in Las Vegas, IZEA unveiled FormAI Mixers, a feature allowing users to train AI models using their images. Ted Murphy, CEO of IZEA, highlights the simplicity and accessibility of Mixers, emphasizing its potential to democratize advanced digital tools for a broader range of creators. With a user-friendly interface and a cost-effective credit system, Mixers offer an inclusive platform for creators to experiment with AI technology. Despite its current limitations in creating photorealistic representations, Murphy sees Mixers as a foundational step towards more advanced future applications.
He envisions Mixers facilitating streamlined collaborations between brands and creators, especially in digital marketing and content creation. The technology allows for unique interactions with virtual products or characters, enhancing the creative process. Murphy acknowledges the ongoing development challenges and IZEA's collaborations with partners like Stability and OpenAI to refine Mixers. He foresees the technology's transformative impact on the influencer marketing industry, particularly in fostering creativity and reducing production costs. This efficiency could lead to stabilization in sponsorship pricing, benefiting both creators and brands.
How @TheMillennialDecorator became fashion's insider for vintage shoes
Julia Rabinowitsch, known on Instagram as @TheMillennialDecorator, has become a sought-after influencer in the vintage fashion scene, particularly for her unique collection of vintage shoes. Starting in 2020 during the pandemic, Rabinowitsch's account transitioned from home decor to vintage footwear, attracting the attention of influencers and stylists like Negin Mirsalehi and Marianna Hewitt. Her business, which primarily sells shoes averaging $500 a pair, has grown significantly through 10-12 drops annually.
Rabinowitsch's success is rooted in her ability to fill a niche in the market. She began by selling a few personal vintage Chanel heels and quickly realized the demand for unique, inclusive vintage shoes. Her initial collection sold out on launch day, signaling a gap in the secondhand market. Rabinowitsch sources shoes from various outlets, including personal collections of her followers. Her business has expanded beyond individual sales, involving collaborations with stylists and fashion brands. For instance, she sourced shoes for Djerf Avenue's runway show at the Guggenheim and has participated in in-store showcases with LoveShackFancy.
The complicated lives and deaths of TikTok’s illness influencers
TikTok influencers with life-threatening illnesses are sharing their personal experiences, creating a unique subset of content that blends humor, vulnerability, and education. Madison Baloy, Erin Lennon, Amanda Tam, and the late Kasey Altman are examples of creators who have documented their journeys with cancer and ALS, attracting significant followings. Their content ranges from light-hearted takes on their conditions to profound insights into living with a terminal illness.
These influencers offer a contrast to traditional narratives around sickness and death, often controlled by non-patients like clergy or the medical industry. They provide an authentic perspective, sometimes clashing with societal expectations of how the sick should behave. For instance, Baloy's candid approach, including discussing her anxiety and favorite moisturizing products, has garnered both support and criticism. The trend underscores the evolving role of social media in shaping public discourse on sensitive topics like terminal illness. Influencers in this space face unique challenges, balancing the desire to share their stories with managing the emotional toll of their illnesses. Their content not only educates and resonates with others in similar situations but also challenges viewers' perceptions of illness and mortality.
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Industry News
Video View Booster Lures TikTok Users To Post Horizontal Videos Over 60 Seconds
TikTok has introduced a “Video View Booster” initiative to incentivize creators to post longer, landscape-oriented videos in an apparent bid to compete with YouTube for longer-form content. First spotted by user Candice Chapman, the program promises an unspecified boost in views from TikTok’s algorithm for videos over 1 minute shot in landscape mode, depending on factors like quality and follower count.
The move signals TikTok’s ambition to transform its perception as mainly an app for short viral clips and become an outlet for more long-form video. Landscape orientation refers to a wider horizontal frame reminiscent of traditional TV, which TikTok likely hopes will translate to increased time spent watching. To qualify, users need accounts older than 3 months and content adhering to guidelines around originality, advertising and lip-syncing. Government and political accounts are excluded. By drawing users to not just watch but create more content, TikTok aims to bite into YouTube’s dominance for video over 10 minutes.
Meta Launches Tools To Facilitate Links Between Talent and Talent Managers
Meta is launching new creator management tools within its Business Suite to facilitate connections between content creators and agencies. This move addresses the growing demand for centralized platforms to manage brand sponsorships and streamline the monetization process for creators across Meta's apps. The suite includes features for permission and access management, allowing agencies to efficiently handle creator pages. Additionally, it offers revenue linking, enabling agencies to direct monetization income (from sources like video ads and fan subscriptions) to their accounts.
The tools also allow for importing existing connections and terminating ongoing relationships, along with insights into creator page earnings to inform content strategies. This development is significant for the influencer marketing industry, where more than half of monetizing online creators earn less than $500 per month. By providing these management tools, Meta aims to enhance creators' earning potential and align top talent with its platforms. The suite offers valuable resources for creators who may lack marketing expertise, pointing to a trend where creator managers are increasingly crucial in the social media landscape.
BeReal introduces influencer feature in bid to boost engagement
In an effort to boost engagement and address declining user numbers, BeReal, the French social media app known for its authentic, unfiltered content approach, is introducing influencer features under the names "RealBrands" and "RealPeople." Starting February 6, this initiative will allow notable individuals and brands to join the platform, offering fans less curated access to celebrities and influencers.
BeReal, launched in 2020 as an alternative to highly curated platforms like Instagram, encourages users to share spontaneous photos within a two-minute daily window. The introduction of influencer accounts marks a shift from its original concept, focusing more on unpolished and genuine content than on likes, comments, or brand promotion. Despite an increase in daily active users to 23 million, BeReal's growth has slowed, with a significant drop in user engagement. The app, which saw 53 million downloads in October 2022, faced a decline in daily active users from 20 million to 6 million by March 2023. This new feature could be BeReal's first step towards monetization, aiming to reinvigorate the platform and maintain its user base.
Airrack's YouTuber film school sells to VidIQ
VidIQ, a platform providing analytics support to over three million creators, has acquired Creator Now, a learning hub co-founded by popular YouTuber Eric ‘Airrack’ Decker. Creator Now, established in 2021 by Decker along with managers Zack Honarvar and Kate Ward, offers educational resources for burgeoning content creators, including a six-week online program. This acquisition, structured as a merger, allows Creator Now to operate as a standalone brand while expanding VidIQ's offerings to include more educational resources for novice videographers.
With the creator career path gaining popularity among younger generations, VidIQ aims to cater to the growing community of aspiring content creators. VidIQ's acquisition of Creator Now follows its 2022 purchase of Tim Schmoyer's Video Creators coaching business, continuing its strategy of investing in creator-founded educational services. This move demonstrates the increasing value placed on providing comprehensive tools and knowledge to support the development of professional content creators in the dynamic digital landscape.
YouTube Layoffs: Streaming Video Platform Cuts Staff
Google's video giant YouTube cut around 100 jobs this week in a major reorganization of its content and partnerships teams. As first reported by TubeFilter, YouTube chief business officer Mary Ellen Coe announced the changes in an internal memo on Wednesday. As part of the shakeup, YouTube will consolidate its sports, media, TV, and film partnerships under one group. Its music teams will also merge into one unit.
Meanwhile, YouTube's creator management teams will now report to leadership in their respective countries instead of through a global division. Coe explained the moves as necessary to keep pace with YouTube's changing creator ecosystem. She wrote, "our creator base is broadening and diversifying, from our most experienced creators to a new generation of casual creators posting on YouTube for the first time." YouTube's cuts come amidst a massive wave of layoffs across the technology and entertainment sectors. Just last week, Amazon confirmed it sliced jobs in its Prime Video and Twitch divisions. Other platforms including Spotify, Roku, Netflix, and Disney have made significant cuts over the past year as well.
Fansearch Launches To Address OnlyFans' Searchability Issues
Fansearch, a new OnlyFans-focused search engine, launched in November 2023 to address platform limitations around creator discovery. Led by founder and CEO Nina Sprenger, Fansearch features proprietary algorithms tailored to surface relevant OnlyFans accounts and help creators reach potential new subscribers. As OnlyFans exceeds $4 billion in creator payouts, Sprenger recognized lingering searchability issues for both models and fans. Fansearch aggregates creator data to enable improved matching based on interests. While fully independent, Sprenger welcomes future OnlyFans partnerships aligned with their mission.
Central to Fansearch is preserving user privacy. Beyond search, future launches will include formats like podcasts and newsletters to aid discovery. Sprenger believes creator-driven “passion economy” content will only expand across platforms, requiring tools to help amass global fan bases. Key goals include helping OnlyFans creators maximize earnings by improving discoverability. Fansearch plans to provide performance analytics dashboards and facilitate brand partnership opportunities. Ultimately, Sprenger envisions the platform as a multifaceted hub empowering the OnlyFans community.
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TikTok's sister app Lemon8 grew downloads by 160% in the second half of 2023, and it's now hiring influencers to build on the momentum - Insider
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is leveraging influencer marketing to boost its sister app, Lemon8, which has seen significant growth in downloads. Lemon8, described as a cross between Instagram and Pinterest, focuses on lifestyle content and features both "Following" and "For You" pages similar to TikTok. In recent campaigns, influencers on TikTok were asked to share content related to Lemon8's "100 Bucket List Ideas" feature, promoting the app through personal experiences and challenges.
This strategic move by ByteDance highlights the effectiveness of influencer marketing in app promotion. Lemon8's influencer campaigns have contributed to a 160% increase in global downloads in the latter half of 2023, with significant gains in the US market. Lemon8's rise in app store rankings, coupled with the increased visibility through influencer partnerships, underscores the growing interest in diverse social media platforms and the importance of influencer collaborations in driving user engagement. For influencer marketing professionals, Lemon8's strategy provides valuable insights into harnessing influencer partnerships for audience growth and market penetration, especially in the competitive social media landscape.
Investors Poured Millions Into Her Fashion Brand. Then It All Fell Apart. - WSJ
Arielle Charnas's fashion brand, Something Navy, once a promising venture in the influencer-led business space, has become a cautionary tale. Launched from Charnas's successful fashion blog and Instagram following, the brand initially flourished, securing partnerships with major retailers like Nordstrom. However, it faced a rapid decline, culminating in the closure of all stores in 2023 due to mounting debt, staff exits, and management issues. This downfall highlights the challenges influencers face when transitioning from digital popularity to sustainable business ventures.
Despite initial success, Something Navy struggled with product quality, marketing strategies, and business operations. The brand's inability to maintain momentum and adapt to the retail environment led to its eventual fire sale. Charnas's experience underscores the complexities of influencer branding, where maintaining consumer trust and balancing personal style with business acumen are crucial. It serves as a reminder to influencer marketing professionals of the importance of robust business models and quality control in turning a personal brand into a successful commercial enterprise.
Jellysmack Creator Startup Lays Off 30 Staffers, Restructures: Memo - Insider
Jellysmack, a creator economy startup, has recently laid off 30 employees in the US and France, marking its third round of layoffs in the past year. The company's cofounder and CEO, Michael Philippe, cited a contraction in monetization across platforms and volatility in the digital ad market as reasons for the downsizing. In an email to employees, Philippe detailed a new company structure focusing on technology and AI product offerings for creators. The restructuring aims to align Jellysmack's resources with areas of success, prioritizing technology development and high-performing creator partnerships.
The new corporate structure includes three business units: Jellysmack Entertainment, Jellysmack Services, and Jellysmack Technologies, each with specific objectives to enhance creator brand engagement and revenue. This move reflects the broader challenges facing the creator economy, where monetization remains uncertain and companies are adjusting strategies to navigate market fluctuations. For influencer marketing professionals, Jellysmack's restructuring highlights the importance of adaptability and innovation in a rapidly changing digital landscape.
Gen Alpha influencer marketing—how brands can work with young creators - Ad Age
A growing number of brands like Drunk Elephant and Jimmy John's are partnering with pint-sized "kid influencers" on social media. These Gen Alpha creators, aged 10 and under, attract huge audiences with videos reviewing makeup, filming morning routines, and unboxing toys. But regulations around these sponsorships remain unclear, making some marketers hesitate. While strict laws protect child actors and performers, no formal protections exist for kid influencers beyond a recent Illinois law mandating earning trusts.
Brands thus lean on internal guidelines about work hours, education, and getting parental consent. Still, the lure is strong of tapping into Gen Alpha’s $2.4 trillion in spending power through creators they trust. Platforms like YouTube provide some structure around advertising to children. And being an early backer of a young influencer can build lasting brand affinity. As Gen Alpha’s social media use balloons, marketers walk a fine line between meaningful partnerships and potential exploitation. But with care and parental involvement, advertisers can safely engage these young trendsetters who increasingly drive consumption for both kids and households.
TikTok Made Me Buy It: Inside TikTok Shop: Big Take Podcast - Bloomberg
TikTok made waves by launching TikTok Shop in the U.S. last fall. The feature allows users to shop for products within the app instead of being directed elsewhere. According to Bloomberg, TikTok has set the ambitious goal of growing TikTok Shop sales in the U.S. to $17.5 billion in 2024. But while TikTok users spend lots of time scrolling the app, the platform faces challenges in shifting their shopping habits.
Many still go to Amazon to actually purchase items spotted on TikTok. TikTok Shop will need to build trust and convince users to enter payment details directly within the app. TikTok is courting sellers through lower fees and incentives like free shipping. But creators also must master making entertaining videos that spotlight products organically. As fees eventually rise, maintaining seller enthusiasm may prove difficult. There are positive signs, like 5 million first-time TikTok Shop buyers over the 2022 holidays. But changing user behavior takes time. To meet its lofty financial goals, TikTok must strike the right balance between ramping up shoppable content without overwhelming its audience.
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