The document discusses personal branding and the rise of social media personalities. It notes that the most popular YouTube channels are dominated by comedic and entertainment content from individual creators who have built large followings. These YouTubers have established personal brands and achieved a form of celebrity status through cultivating their image and personality online. However, their fame relies on continual endorsement from subscribers who help shape their persona through comments and feedback. While social media lowers barriers to fame, it also makes YouTube celebrities' status precarious since it depends on maintaining community support.

1. SOCIAL VIDEO & PERSONALITY BRANDS
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2. PERSONAL BRANDING

6. most popular YouTube channels

7. Pos. Channel Country Language Subscribers (m) Genre
1 PewDiePie Sweden English 54 Comedy
2 HolaSoyGerman Chile Spanish 31 Entertainment
3 JustinBieberVEVO Canada English 27 Music
4 YouTube Spotlight United States English 25 News
5 RihannaVEVO Barbados English 24 Music
6 elrubiusOMG Spain Spanish 23 Comedy
7 Smosh United States English 22 Comedy
8 TaylorSwiftVEVO United States English 21 Music
9 OneDirectionVEVO United Kingdom English 21 Music
10 KatyPerryVEVO United States English 21 Music

8. Pos. Channel Country Language Subscribers (m) Genre
11 EminemVEVO United States English 21 Music
12 Fernanfloo El Salvador Spanish 20 Games
13 VanossGaming Canada English 20 Games
14 nigahiga United States English 19 Entertainment
15 TheEllenShow United States English 19 Entertainment
16 JuegaGerman Chile Spanish 18 Games
17 whinderssonnunes Brazil Portugues
e
18 Comedy
18 Yuya Mexico Spanish 17 Howto
19 VEGETTA777 Spain Spanish 17 Games
20 JennaMarbles United States English 17 Comedy
as of March 24th 2017

10. “egocentrism among social media users as a result
of their empowerment and control in the social
media landscape
- C. P. Chen (2013: 334)

11. “where amateur individuals understand and
experience themselves as subjects
- C. P. Chen (2013: 334)

12. “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of
the business we happen to be in, all of us need to
understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of
our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our
most important job is to be head marketer for the brand
called You.”
- Peters (1997, 83)

13. brand
organisation
product
person
symbol
Aaker, 1996

14. brand
organisation
product
person
symbol
extract
express
exude
Arruda, 2003

15. extract
express
exude
personal brand statement
Arruda, 2003

16. “personal branding is an art
impression management
projecting a desired impression
consumed and affected by external others
L. Shuker, 2010

18. Consumer-Brand Relationships
vs

22. THE CHANGING NATURE OF
CELEBRITY

23. ➤ THEN
➤ celebrity is often described as a natural and innate ‘star quality’ or
‘presence’ (Turner, 2014)
➤ the result of an individual’s ability to differentiate their own
personality from others (Boorstin, 1961)
➤ NOW
➤ ‘not a property of specific individuals. Rather, it is constituted
discursively, by the way in which the individual is
represented’ (Turner et al., 2000: 11)

24. ascribed
achieved
attributed
lineage
talent/skills
deemed noteworthy
by cultural
intermediaries

25. achieved/attributed
promotion and commoditisation of aspirational
glamour, allure and personality

27. ‘renown’

28. Turner (2006: 158) argues that the ‘demotic
turn is not producing democracy’
•commercialisation
•self-interest
•manipulation

29. 7 prominent UK YouTubers over 2 year period:
➤ Zoe Sugg
➤ Tanya Burr
➤ Louise Pentland
➤ Estée Lalonde
➤ Fleur Bell
➤ Alfie Deyes
➤ Marcus Butler

31. “Without followers’ continued and active social deconstruction and
endorsement of their authorial intent, simulacra and self-
presentation, YouTubers’ personalities could never be realized and
confirmed, thus forever negating the presence and operation of
charisma
-Cocker & Cronin, 2017: 7

32. Your personality is what brought me
here and kept me watching,
‘so true I started watching because of
your personality!’

33. ‘She’s THANKING US in a really
great way. How many other
YouTubers throw a party for their
subscribers, much less
acknowledge them? Instead of
being appreciative of Essie, most
people are complaining about how
“she’s changed”. Quite frankly, I
still see the same cheerful,
intelligent and genuine Estee I
saw years ago.’

34. ‘Tanya – you are the
happiest, most
positive woman I
have ever seen. ( . . . )
I love how involved
you are with you [sic]
viewers and I am a
proud BurrBear.’

35. You seriously have the most
beautiful subscribers! And what’s
super cute is that I can tell they’re
inspired by you in some way with
either their sense of style or hair
or makeup. It’s really sweet.

36. “Aloha Sprinklerinos”

37. No more “hello everybody” facing the camera? I mean, this looks like a reality show, we
just would like to see candid talks to the camera. Nothing too crazy fancy. Makes me
uncomfortable.
I like it when you start your videos by saying Hellooo I feel like you don’t do it as much
and idk I just really liked it and I’m just giving you my opinion idk if anyone agrees with
me or not but that’s how I feel.

38. DANGERS?

41. ➤ demotic celebrity status based on attributed renown
➤ community as co-creator of status
➤ precariousness of minor celebrity fame?