Welcome to our rundown of the most-watched branded YouTube videos of the week.
We’re publishing this snippet of a larger Gospel Stats Weekly Brand Report in order to analyze sponsorship trends in the creator economy. Any video launched in tandem with an official brand partner is eligible for the ranking.
And – as the name up above would imply – all the data comes from Gospel Stats. If you’re interested in learning more about Gospel – and which brands are sponsoring what creators on YouTube – click here.
One week later, Jimmy Donaldson is still involved in the most-watched branded video, but the clip in question was not uploaded on his record-breaking channel. Instead, MrBeast showed up as a guest star alongside Airrack, who has gotten more than seven million views with footage of an epic “transformation.”
Have I set the stage well enough yet? Let’s get on with the first video in the ranking:
When it comes to challenge videos, MrBeast and Airrack are two of YouTube’s biggest names, so it’s no surprise that they drew millions with a contest of strength. Both creators attempted to shape up their doughy bodies as much as possible over a fixed period. The result: A showdown between the two at an actual bodybuilding contest. Airrack’s dedication to his stunt is a show of personal discipline, and the same could be said about his relationship with sponsor SoFi. Airrack talked financials on SoFi’s Richer Lives podcast as part of his pact with the brand.
Michael Reeves is one of YouTube’s premier builders of stuff that’s flat-out weird and impractical. That description definitely applies to Reeves’ latest creation: A car that has scooters-for-hire as its wheels. I can’t say I want to ride in that monstrosity myself, but then again, I’m already sheepish about Lime scooters in general. Don’t be surprised if Reeves himself throws caution to the wind. If you’re attending Open Sauce in the Bay Area this week, please report back on the car Reeves is driving. I want to know if he’s willing to take this beast out in public.
Ground News has emerged as a reliable sponsor for channels that support its mission of clear, unbiased news. The outlet previous showed up in our ranking attached to videos from Kurzgesagt and others, and it is now backing a clip that brings viewers back to September 11, 2001. Neo‘s cinematic output put viewers in a set on Air Force One as the events of that ignominious day unfold. The exacting, precise nature of the video makes it a perfect complement to Ground News and its middle-of-the-road approach to news reporting.
The past decade and change has been a long, winding arc for PewDiePie, the gamer who once ruled YouTube as its most-subscribed creator. Felix Kjellberg has undergone a lot of growth since, you know, all of that stuff, and he seems to have settled down into a life of fatherhood. The latest chapter in that story brought him, his wife Marzia, and their baby Bjorn to Japan, where the youngest member of that trio was born. Perhaps trips to PewDiePie’s ancestral Sweden or Marzia’s native Italy are up next — will wallet maker Ridge back those videos as well?
For all the buzz #BookTok gets, marketers must keep in mind that YouTube is still a premium platform when it comes to literary content. A recent video from bookworm Alexandra Roselyn shows the potential for YouTube-based lit partnerships. Roselyn supported the subscription service Book of the Month in a recent clip that showed off one of her massive reading hauls. My only complaint is that Roselyn bought her books at Barnes & Noble. Maybe next time an indie bookshop can get a sponsorship alongside Roselyn’s other backers.
…and there’s a lot more data where that came from. If you’re interested in learning more about Gospel – and which brands are sponsoring what creators on YouTube – click here.
Filed under: Articles, Brands, Featured, Homepage Feature, News by Joshua Cohen Comments Off on Top 5 Branded Videos of the Week: Airrack gets ripped to support prudent financial habits
TikTok is assembling a task force to address the use of generative AI in creative marketing. At the annual Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the ByteDance-owned app unveiled the Symphony Collective, a group of creators and brand representatives who will explore the potential advantages and hazards of AI-produced ads.
According to TikTok, the inaugural members of the Symphony Collective range from “a diverse range of content creators” to “thought leaders” affiliated with brands like Mondelez, Wendy’s, and the NBA. Agencies like OMD, Tinuiti, and VaynerMedia will be represented in the Collective as well.
As outlined in a TikTok Newsroom post, the goal of the Symphony Collective is to “facilitate important discussions around the development and responsible use of AI in creative marketing.” TikTok will incorporate feedback from its AI advisors as it rolls out more products inspired by emerging technology. The creators involved in the initiative will also get opportunities to test and hone new AI-derived features as TikTok rolls them out.
“TikTok has been a pioneer in providing creative tools that allow me to effectively collaborate with brands and create lasting, long term brand relationships,” said David Ma, a creator who is part of the Symphony Collective. “I’m honored to be a part of The Symphony Collective to help test and build their new creative AI solutions– to help myself and other creators find efficiency in our creative processes while maintaining our artistic voices.”
The Symphony Collective takes its name from TikTok’s suite of AI products, which it discussed at its annual product symposium TikTok World. At Cannes Lions, a few upgrades have been added to the TikTok Symphony toolkit. There’s a new AI dubbing feature that sounds a lot like the translation tools offered by YouTube. (The Google-owned hub has also assembled its own group of AI-conscious creators.)
Another TikTok Symphony product discussed at Cannes Lions is reminiscent of Meta’s AI-inspired efforts. Symphony Digital Avatars, which TikTok describes as “generative AI avatars of real people,” will give brands new options for their TikTok campaign mouthpieces. A set of fully licensed Stock Avatars are available. For brands that want to go even deeper, Custom Avatars can be developed out of partnerships with real-world creators.
With all of these new generative AI solutions in place, the Symphony Collective’s work becomes even more important. Here’s hoping the assembled voices are eager to tackle the complex problems they’ll encounter across the AI industry.
Filed under: Articles, Featured, Homepage Feature, News by Sam Gutelle Comments Off on TikTok taps creators, brand reps for an AI advisory board called Symphony Collective
The official in charge of public health policy in the U.S. wants to warn Americans about the dangers of social media. In a New York Times op-ed piece, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy proposed warning labels on social media apps as a means of addressing the “emergency” posed by the youth mental health crisis.
Murthy’s op-ed outlines the mental health consequences of excessive social media usage. The Surgeon General cited several studies; one report found that adolescents who spend more than three hours per day on social media are twice as likely to develop anxiety and depression symptoms. Murthy also noted the connections between social media and body image issues. Several platforms have already launched their own solutions to address that particular point.
Despite the efforts made by tech companies, Murthy believes that social media apps need a general warning. In his words, that message would remind users that “social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents.”
“One of the worst things for a parent is to know your children are in danger yet be unable to do anything about it. That is how parents tell me they feel when it comes to social media — helpless and alone in the face of toxic content and hidden harms,” Murthy wrote. “It doesn’t have to be this way. Faced with high levels of car-accident-related deaths in the mid- to late 20th century, lawmakers successfully demanded seatbelts, airbags, crash testing and a host of other measures that ultimately made cars safer.”
Murthy wants to combat the “urgent and widespread” dangers of social media with the same approach that has been used to address harmful substances like tobacco and alcohol. The U.S. Surgeon General’s op-ed references tobacco studies that show the efficacy of warning labels on packs of cigarettes. Murthy also cited a recent survey in which 76% of Latino parents said labels on social media would spur them into action.
Social media labels would require Congressional approval, and Murthy urged his governmental compatriots to act on his proposal. Congress already has its hands full with a bill that could force a divestiture or sale of TikTok. President Biden signed that bill into law in April, and multiple legal challenges have followed since.
Murthy understands that labels alone won’t solve the youth mental health crisis. He has put forth other recommendations and has proposed several policy shifts. He urged companies to share health-related data with independent scientists and the public, and he also stressed that teachers and parents should set up phone-free experiences for children.
Even as he raises the alarm about the dangers of social media, Murthy must understand that these platforms can have positive effects as well. In 2022, he helped President Biden promote a vaccine rollout with an appearance in the Commander-in-Chief’s BeReal.
Filed under: Articles, Featured, Homepage Feature, News by Sam Gutelle Comments Off on The U.S. Surgeon General wants to put an official warning on social media apps
During a recent conversation with a creator, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy called out his platform’s biggest rival. The boss of the Amazon-owned hub said that Kick made a “complete mistake” by prioritizing high-profile streamer signings over “long-term stable” growth.
Clancy’s comments came during an interview with NateGentile7, who invited Twitch’s CEO onto his stream on June 13. On the subject of Kick, Clancy pointed to a strategy he believes to be counterproductive. By promising creators that its streams are paved with gold (and paying them huge lump sums), Kick was able to recruit big names like Amouranth and xQc.
Those signings built buzz for Kick during its early days, but Clancy wondered about the moves Kick wasn’t making as it brought in those high-profile stars. “I think it is a complete mistake to say, ‘The live stream market is fixed, I’m just going to take what the other guy has,'” Clancy told NateGentile7.
Rather than targeting the top 1% of streamers, Kick should institute policies that prevent those stars from coming “right back” to Twitch when their contracts expire, according to Clancy. The Twitch CEO pointed to platforms like Mixer and YouTube, which handed out exclusive contracts to streamers but struggled to retain that talent. Some Kick stars, such as BruceDropEmOff, have already returned to Twitch after previously signing big deals.
“As soon as [Kick] stops paying them, they’re going to come right back,” Clancy said. “That happened with Mixer, that happened with YouTube. They were paid, and then they came right back.”
Ironically, many of the big names that signed with Kick did so because they felt that Twitch wasn’t adequately serving their career goals. Twitch’s clashes with creators drove signups on Kick, and the latter platform did follow up that surge by attempting to serve the long tail of its creator community. Its Creator Incentive Program has served as a vehicle for investing in homegrown talent.
Despite Clancy’s claims, streamers may be returning to Twitch because of its own improvements rather than Kick’s faults. Twitch’s investment in creator products have included new formats, landmark deals with music labels, and platform-wide tentpoles. Clancy’s personal charm offensive has also helped win back some favor among streamers of all sizes. A more detailed rundown of Twitch’s 2024 plans can be found in a roadmap Clancy published at the start of the year.
Filed under: Articles, Featured, Homepage Feature, News by admin Comments Off on Twitch CEO: Kick made a “complete mistake” by poaching top streamers
Orca has announced a pair of new hires. The ecommerce company has brought in Sarah Pennaas the Senior Vice President of its creator team and tapped Khudor Annousas its Senior Vice President of Client Success.
Penna’s digital media experience most recently included a stint at Patreon, where she served as the Head of Creator Partnerships. Her deep experience in the influencer marketplace will be a valuable asset for Orca, which operates studio spaces where creators can host shoppable live streams.
Annous will bring his own wealth of experience to the client side of Orca’s business. He most recently worked at the Branded Entertainment Network, where staffers were recently hit with a large round of layoffs.
Orca, co-founded by Max Benator and Lauren Stevens serves as an official social commerce partner for brands like e.l.f. and Estée Lauder. In that capacity, the company has become one of the top sellers on TikTok Shop.
As Orca has steadily expanded its leadership team, it has looked to individuals with long histories in the creator economy. Earlier this year, the ecommerce firm promoted Chris Miller to Head of Orca Studios while hiring Haodong Yin, who previously worked for the prominent Chinese social app Xiaohongshu.
With this wave of hires, Orca is bringing in leaders who worked in the creator economy before that term was even in use. Both Penna and Annous played pivotal roles during the multi-channel network era of web video history. Penna was the Co-Founder of the influential network Big Frame, while Annous spent about three years at leading MCN Fullscreen.
Over the years, Penna and Annous have connected with Orca’s Co-Founders. “I’ve known both Sarah and Khudor for over a decade. They’ve each built world-class businesses in the creator and brand marketing industries,” said Benator, who serves as Orca’s CEO, in a statement. “Their leadership, experience and strategic direction will bring immediate, meaningful value to our brand partners and the 10,000-strong creator community that we work with every day.”
Orca has already hit the ground running with several new initiatives. It recently launched Bleu Beauty, a boutique based around social commerce and shoppable streams.
Filed under: Articles, Featured, Homepage Feature, News by admin Comments Off on Social shopping firm Orca adds Patreon, Fullscreen vets to executive team
Welcome to Streamers on the Rise, where we find streamers who are growing their channels, content, and audiences in extraordinary ways. Each week we’ll talk with a creator about what goes into livestreaming–both on and off camera.
Three years ago, HappyHappyGal thought she’d missed her chance to do something she really loved.
Now, she has nearly 150,000 Twitch followers to prove otherwise.
Happy grew up a gamer, with titles like Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Donkey Kong, and Pokemon, and then, as a teenager, got into first-person shooters like Call of Duty with her sister. Her antics in these games matched her IRL attitude: “My whole life, I’ve been very energetic and silly, always wanting to generate that happiness and make people stay,” she says. “The natural course of that is, you get to senior year and everyone’s going to college. I’m not alone in saying this, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do or be, or what was the next step. You just go where life takes you. Then years go by.”
She was in a full-time “standard office job, very little room for creativity, that typical restrictive, show up, do your job, go home kind of thing,” she says, when she began leaning more into gaming as relaxation with her husband. They played things like Apex Legends together for hours, and it was during one of those gaming sessions that Happy brought up how she thought it was cool people manage to stream as a career.
“I was like, ‘Isn’t it just crazy that people do this for a living? That’s wild.’ He’s like, ‘You would be so good at this.’ I was like, ‘Nah, what are you talking about? No,'” Happy says. Her husband kept encouraging her, and “One day, I just jumped into it. I don’t even know how I had the confidence to do it.”
Now, three years later, she’s found her home streaming Fortnite on Twitch, and over the last year has grown in leaps and bounds, with her average per-stream viewership going from 184 people in June 2023 to 1,888 people in June 2024. She also had her best month ever this past January, with all-time peak concurrent viewership of nearly 7,000 people, according to data from Streams Charts (which you can see above).
Check out our chat with her below.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Tubefilter: So I know this is your first interview, right?
HappyHappyGal: Yes.
Tubefilter: Super low-pressure. Like I said over email, I’m a fellow gamer. I am a fellow Twitch viewer. We’re chilling.
HappyHappyGal: Nice. What do you play?
Tubefilter: Right now my biggest thing is I’ve actually gone back to Red Dead Redemption 2.
HappyHappyGal: Okay, yes. Pretty popular game right now.
Tubefilter: For sure. My big one for the past few years was Apex.
HappyHappyGal: Nice. Apex is good!
Tubefilter: Dead by Daylight is another big one for me. All the big ones right now. What are you playing? I know you play Fortnite, but anything else you’re playing lately?
HappyHappyGal: No. I try to typically stay in one in one lane. I get confused. [laughs]
Tubefilter: Sorry, we’re going a little out of order with usual questions, but I’d love to hear, imagine somebody is reading this and they don’t know anything about you. Give me a little bit of introduction about you, where you’re from, and what you got up to before streaming.
HappyHappyGal: My name is HappyHappyGal. I’m from Florida. I’ve been born and raised my whole life in Florida. Then as far as what I did before streaming, I just worked that normal office job nine-to-five, bounced around, did a couple of jobs. The job I was in for the longest before this was, like I said, just a standard office job, very little room for creativity, that typical restrictive, show up, do your job, go home kind of thing.
Tubefilter: How did you find Twitch in the first place?
HappyHappyGal: We started out streaming on Facebook Gaming. Facebook Gaming was relatively new, at least. It was doing a really good job. Their algorithm was. We had grown to about 10,000 followers over there before we had realized they lacked, I don’t know, long-term vision. We were noticing numbers drop and viewers drop. We’re like, “Okay, well, we love doing this. This isn’t long-term, so what do we do next? Where do we go?”
We knew we loved Twitch, ideally, but we knew their algorithm for beginners was very lackluster. It’s just a pool of creators. It’s really hard to…How do you stand out? Because I think we started out there with such a base, when we made that shift to Twitch, it was very easy to almost already have a community to say like, “Hey, come watch us over here now. This is where we’re going to be at.” Even still, we only averaged about 30 to 40 viewers over there.
Tubefilter: Yes, that’s totally normal. Something a lot of people talk about is the struggle with discoverability on Twitch. How did you grow your audience? Did you notice that there was anything that did help you grow beyond those early numbers?
HappyHappyGal: I think the shift definitely happened when we went to Fortnite. We started out streaming Apex. Then when we moved from Apex to Fortnite, it fit like a glove. It was where I was meant to be the whole time. We started out with Apex because my husband and I, that’s what we played, just at home. We were like, we love it so much, we’re very passionate about it. Then, when I finally got on the Fortnite train, I was like, “Whoa, this is me.” It embodied my personality and everything I like to do. When we made that change, you could really see it in the numbers as well.
And the same with TikTok. We went and started a TikTok and going live on TikTok as well. It just flourished everything. It went crazy.
Tubefilter: Who was your Apex main?
HappyHappyGal: Horizon or Octane. Octane is a lot of fun. My husband loves Pathfinder, but I can’t use that grapple.
Tubefilter: I feel like Octane is still underrated despite his popularity. He’s one of my favorites in lore.
HappyHappyGal: Yes, he’s a lot of fun. It’s fun to get in, get out, push…without your team…
Tubefilter: [laughs] Oh, I see, a true Octane player. I was a big Revenant main before the revamp.
HappyHappyGal: Oh, yes. He’s a lot of fun.
Tubefilter: He is. I think you’re the first streamer I’ve spoken to who started on Facebook Gaming. Have you always been a gamer, or was this something that you got into as a couple, or…?
HappyHappyGal: I don’t know if I would say gamer. To me, yes, but when you compare it to others, no. Growing up, I played Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Donkey Kong, Pokemon on the Game Boy, just here and there games, Sims.
Then my sister and I started playing Call of Duty, Call of Duty Zombies. We loved doing zombies. I could feel it’s ingrained in my brain, remembering like, “Wait. There’s no beating it? You just keep going? You just keep getting attacked?” That was really where I started out. Then, I got away from it a little bit like I wasn’t heavy into it. Then when we met, we started gaming more and more together. Then that’s where we connected through with Apex.
Tubefilter: What really appeals to you about Fortnite?
HappyHappyGal: Like I said before, it’s just everything about it just fits who I am as a person. I’m very energetic. I’m very silly. I feel like that is what Fortnite is. It’s got all these crazy skins that can really embody a characteristic or personality. There’s funny, silly, girlypop ones. The emotes is something that’s really unique to our stream, at least. They constantly are coming out with emotes, but we do something called a like goal. It’s where we ask our communities through TikTok to get us to a like goal or that challenge, that number. When we hit it, I will get up and do that in real life emote with my character.It’s really fun to be able to get up and do that for them and dance and be silly.
Just Fortnite in a whole, every week they’re changing their game, they’re updating it, they’re adding new aspects to it. They’re always keeping it fresh. That, to me, speaks volumes to them as a company and as a game. It’s like they’re trying to always keep their community happy, despite what the community says. They’ll still be like, “You didn’t give it to us. Change that.”
Tubefilter: Unfortunately. Tell me about your current stream schedule.
HappyHappyGal: We actually, I don’t know everybody out there and what they create, but our stream schedule is, we don’t have one. We go live just about every day except for Sunday, but sometimes we will. We’ll switch between Sunday or Saturday. We really drive our community to be a part of our Discord. Then we’ll let them know in there, “Hey, we’re going to be live at this time today.”
Our goal isn’t to be like, “Meet us Monday to Friday from 8:00 to whatever.” It’s, I want to be able to reach and meet everyone’s schedule, in a way. A lot of people watch me while they’re at work, or a lot of people want to watch me after work, before bed. Some people want to watch me in the morning. We pride ourselves on the fact that like, “Hey, we’re going to be here whenever you need us to. Maybe today you won’t be able to catch our stream, but tomorrow you will.”
I think that shows too that in community we have family. We have them here in the United States, in Canada, in England, in Australia. We have them just everywhere, all over the place. I think it’s because our schedule’s all over the place.
Tubefilter: I think that’s totally valid. I do think there’s an approach to being on at random hours and not sticking so strictly to one frame.
HappyHappyGal: Our normal stream is about four to five hours long, but then we’ll do something called a double, and we’ll do eight hours, maybe nine, depending.
Tubefilter: Interesting. How did you end up settling on the structure of your streams?
HappyHappyGal: Our plan from the beginning was to create a space where people can come in and just feel joy and be okay with being reminded you can be silly at any age, in any stage of life. Come in and have a good time. I’m not a professional gamer. I’m not here to drop 20 bombs, 30 bombs, win every Cash Cup. I’m here to create joy and create a space that people can come in, and have fun, and connect.
There’s only a certain amount of time that I physically can even do that. I wanted to make sure that we’re maximizing on that time. If I can go hard for four or five hours, maybe eight, and give and generate the best content for them, I’m not going to stretch it out just for the sake of it. You don’t want to be on there for, again, 12 hours for just the heck of it, and then your viewers are dropping and you’re just there to be there.
You just create that good content that you can, and then you come back and you do it again when you’re ready, whether that’s maybe take a two-hour intermission and come back, or come back the next day. It’s just always about creating the best, I think, the best content for them, and give a piece of yourself.
Tubefilter: I wanted to ask you, do you play Fortnite off stream? Is it purely an on stream thing for you?
HappyHappyGal: I’d say it’s like fifty-fifty. It depends, because it doesn’t seem like you’re gaming that much when you say, like, “I’m on for four hours.” I feel like I go so hard for the four hours that when I’m off, I’m like, “I need to go touch some grass.” [laughs] Lately, my husband and I have been playing a little bit more ranked. If I am off stream, typically we’re thinking more so about, how can we make the next stream good, what ideas can we bring in?
People come in and ask me all the time, “How do you not get tired of playing Fortnite? You play every day.” One, because Fortnite does make changes every week, so it is still fresh. Two, I think it’s because we are more creative-based than competitive. We’re always thinking of, how can we incorporate challenges or fun things for the community to be a part of? That’s where I think a lot of my time outside of being actually live goes, is that creative brainstorming of, how can I make the next stream even more fun for them? I’m not playing too much.
Tubefilter: I’d love to hear about some of the things you do with your community.
HappyHappyGal: Of course, the like goals are a big part of it. They love to be challenged and meet that challenge and then tell me to get up and do it. I’ll griddy around or I’ll do all the different silly dances that are in there. Then we have something anybody on Twitch can do, but they’re called predictions. Before we get into a match, we’ll be like, “Do you think Happy will get an odd amount of kills or an even amount of kills?”
Then in doing that, their attention is captivated throughout the whole game because they want to know if they got it right or wrong. If I get an even amount, they’re like, “Oh, please kill somebody else!” Their eyes are glued to the screen in a sense, at least you hope so, because they want to see what you can do. They then can get rewards with those points that they win from that prediction. We’ve got games that they can play with me.
I paint, so I will give those away to the community as well. Then we do different challenge streams where they can sabotage me and make me drop guns or walk backwards, get fall damage, all kinds of different silly stuff like that. Really, there’s always a healthy balance, I think, with this is my stream, but it is theirs too. You try to figure out how they can still be in control of some aspects, but where like you still feel in control as well.
Tubefilter: Yes, absolutely. That interactivity is the core of Twitch. Very cool. I don’t think we mentioned, when did you start streaming?
HappyHappyGal: It’s been three years.We started streaming March, 2021. I think that’s three years ago.
Tubefilter: Sorry, I’m going out of order of my questions.What ended up pushing you to start streaming? That’s pretty intimidating.
HappyHappyGal: Oh, 1000%. For me, my whole life, I’ve been very energetic and silly, always wanting to generate that happiness and make people stay. The natural course of that is, you get to senior year and everyone’s going to college. I’m not alone in saying this, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do or be, or what was the next step. You just go where life takes you. Then years go by.
My husband and I were talking while we were playing, I think, Apex. I was like, “Isn’t it just crazy that people do this for a living? That’s wild.” He’s like, “You would be so good at this.” I was like, “Nah, what are you talking about? No.” He’s like, “For sure. You could do it. You have this personality that I think people would really like love to be a part of.” We just did a bunch of research. One day, I just jumped into it. I don’t even know how I had the confidence to do it.
If you tune into a stream today, I can confidently say if you were to watch one from three years ago, it’s the same me. I was pretending like I was talking to thousands of people even then because I was just so excited. I think that ultimately it was just such a fit of who I am to my core and then having that ability to live in a lifetime of technology where you can reach people from your home and make a difference in their life. I don’t know. It just definitely met all those criteria of who I am and my purpose. It’s just really cool. I don’t know. I don’t know, though. You’re like, “It is intimidating.” I don’t know how I got here. It still feels unreal for sure.
Tubefilter: No, it’s huge to go into it with that sort of confidence where you’re like, “Yes, I am talking to 1,000 people.” That’s really helpful, actually.
HappyHappyGal: Hello, my mom, uncle, cousin, cat. How are you?[laughs]
Tubefilter: If you project that, then people stay. Clearly that’s worked for you. I do know you have some interesting product partnerships. I’m curious about that too.
HappyHappyGal: Doing this, it opens doors and opportunities to work with people, companies. We’ve had some really cool opportunities to work with Mountain Dew. That was really cool. Then we get to work with Epic themselves, actually, doing quite a few videos with them, TikToks and collaborations. I’m excited to see what kind of opportunities and doors open the more we grow.
I don’t know. It’s pretty wild if you think about it. I talk about it like that imposter syndrome of like, “Who am I, and how am I here?” Especially like, I’ve only been in Fortnite for a year, and the growth in Fortnite has been massive. Then to see all these other creators being stacked up against them, I’m like, ooh…
Tubefilter: I understand the imposter syndrome. But you’re definitely there. You’re doing it.
HappyHappyGal: Thank you.
Tubefilter: How much production time goes into your TikTok behind the scenes?
HappyHappyGal: When it comes down to creating the actual video, it’s little to none, to be honest, you’ve got to hit record, delete, record, delete, record, delete. I think there’s big volumes to the communication, and the negotiation, and trying to figure out what the client wants and how we can properly deliver on that.
I’ve been saying “we” a lot. My husband is a huge help into where I am today. He does a lot of the manager-type stuff. I’m bad when it comes to all that. He has helped me a lot understand how to communicate with them and how to do that. It’s more than you think, but also less than you think, I think. I don’t know. It’s craziness.
Tubefilter: No, I got you. The managing aspect is definitely a whole other job.
HappyHappyGal: That part gets overwhelming. I don’t know how other people do it in their streams and stuff, but it is a lot. I’m grateful to have such a good team behind me that is able to help know how to produce the best content in that production area.
Tubefilter: How did you end up signing with Loaded?
HappyHappyGal: They reached out to me, and they said, “We see what you’re doing over there, and we love it.” I was like, “Wait a minute. What?” [laughs] I was like, “Do you? Do you love it?” We just briefly looked into them. We haven’t, obviously, been with them very long yet, but I’m excited. I’m very excited. They’re an amazing company. Knowing and seeing all that they’ve done outside of me and the discussions that we’ve had, it seems like we’re going to be a great team.
Tubefilter: What are you most looking forward to over the next year or so?
HappyHappyGal: Definitely still just growing and learning. We’re about to hit a million followers on TikTok, probably this week, which is mind-blowing. We’ve definitely got big plans for the community to celebrate that. Our main goal always is just, how do we keep growing in this space, in spreading more positivity and joy in the gaming community? I know, obviously, you hear it 1,000 times, but the internet is scary. Twitch can be scary. The gaming world can be scary. Having a space, again, that I’m in control of in the sense of the narrative of, we can still be Happy. I know not everything is perfect, but we can still find the joy in things. Just that growth, I think, for sure where we can go.
Tubefilter: Perfect. Is there anything else that you want people to know? Anything else you want to be able to share?
HappyHappyGal: Yes. Again, it’s just all about the connections that we make with people and being able to connect with people around the world and knowing they’ve invited me into their space. I have so many people tell me, “I have you on my TV in my living room” or “My dogs are watching with me and my kids.” We just had someone actually send us a message saying, “Thank you for what you’ve created. Your stream has allowed me to learn about the game, and then connect with my kids.”
They now have that opportunity to spend time with their kids because I’ve created a space for them to come in and learn and have fun. To know that people are making friendships. We’ve had people meet in real life. We’ve had people meet and get married. To have this community really come together is this craziness. I think that that’s what’s really cool about gaming and Twitch themselves, the community in general. A lot of people don’t understand what it is, but it’s life-changing for sure.
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Jake Paul has his eye on an industry he describes as an “old and outdated” category: Skincare. The younger Paul brother has announced the launch of W, a men’s lifestyle brand that is initially available at Walmart locations.
At launch, the W line consists of three products: Body wash, body spray, and deodorant. Paul intends to add to the brand by introducing items like shampoo, conditioner, face wash, and hair gel. W’s distribution could receive an upgrade as well; beyond Walmart, Paul plans to sell his skincare and bodycare line on Amazon.
All W items are priced at $10 or less. With competitive prices and fresh design, Paul told CNBC that he hopes to disrupt a category that has “been on the shelves in the exact same way for the past 20 years.”
“It’s a super underserved market,” Paul said. “I believe now that more men are caring about how they look and what they are putting into their body.”
Recent trends on platforms like TikTok back up Paul’s claims about the rising popularity of male grooming. Skincare products have always been a significant cash cow for lifestyle creators, and recent trends are opening up more opportunities in that area. Earlier this year, Dr. Muneeb Shah — who is known as the DermDoctor on TikTok — established a skincare line filled with products that have received his stamp of approval.
Like Dr. Shah, Paul is marketing his skincare line to consumers who care deeply about the things they put in and on their bodies. The concept of “better-for-you” products has become a hot trend in the realm of influencer marketing. One of the creators harnessing that idea is Jake’s brother Logan Paul, who has touted the high-quality recipes in his Prime Hydration line (though some regulators seem to be disputing that claim).
Beyond his commercial ventures, Jake Paul is preparing for a ballyhooed boxing match against ring legend Mike Tyson. The fight was initially scheduled for July 20, though it has been pushed back due to health issues affecting Paul’s 57-year-old foe. The bout is currently slated for November 15.
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A group of watchdog organizations are calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to probe Alphabet. The tech fairness and antitrust advocates want the DoJ to determine whether YouTube‘s parent company uses anticompetitive tactics to dominate viewership on TV screens.
In a letter sent to DoJ antitrust chief Jonathan Kanter, a coalition of 11 regulatory groups expressed concerns about Alphabet’s growing market share on TV screens. The letter argues that YouTube improves its “prospects for living room dominance” through questionable means.
The pre-installation of YouTube on smartphones and smart TVs drew particular condemnation from the watchdogs. “YouTube has a decade-long record of using its dominance across numerous markets to crowd out competitors, lock in customers, and force the purchase of bundled services,” reads the letter.
YouTube’s prowess among TV consumers is not in dispute. Earlier this year, the platform announced that it gets one billion hours of watch time per day on TVs. To support growth in that area, YouTube has introduced new products (such as a resized video player for Shorts) while hyping its TV viewership during its annual Brandcast presentations in New York.
“Anyone looking for something to watch can see this space is very competitive,” a YouTube spokesperson stated in response to the DoJ letter.
This is not the first time that third-party groups have attempted to rein in YouTube by casting its parent company as an anti-competitive monopoly. In this case, however, the pressure isn’t coming from conservative groups. The watchdogs that beseeched the DoJ include the antitrust specialists at the American Economic Liberties Project as well as Demand Progress, which champions the open-internet ethos of Reddit Co-Founder Aaron Swartz.
The DoJ could choose to listen to these alarm bells, but it already has its hands full with a different video platform. The federal department is preparing for legal battles against TikTok and its creator community, both of which are challenging a new law that could force a ban or divestment of the popular app.
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Three of the world’s biggest VTubers are getting called up to the big leagues. The virtual creators Gawr Gura, Hoshimachi Suisei, and Usada Pekora will participate in promotions and on-field events as part of a promotion that will take place at a Los Angeles Dodgers game.
The Dodgers have dubbed July 5 as “hololive night,” in reference to the production company that introduced the aforementioned VTubers to the world. Fans who show up at Dodger Stadium that evening will enjoy special announcements over the PA system, a drone show, and life-sized cutouts of the three guest stars.
Gawr Gura will add to the fun during the seventh inning. That’s when the self-described “shark-girl idol” — who took home the VTuber of the Year prize at the 2023 Streamy Awards — will regale Dodger fans with a rendition of the diamond classic “Take Me Out To The Ballgame”.
The promotion includes hololive trading cards that depict Gura, Suisei, and Pekora in Dodger blue. Each ticket comes with a complete three-card pack.
Hololive, which is by Japanese entertainment and tech company Cover Corporation, has turned its roster of 86 VTubers into a marketing asset. Brands like Taco Bell and Red Bull have partnered with hololive influencers to reach the growing fan base that supports virtual creators. All three participants in the Dodgers’ hololive night reach at least 2.3 million subscribers on YouTube.
The Dodgers have not shied away from partnerships with big-name creators. At the beginning of the 2023 MLB season, the club announced a deal to make Logan Paul and KSI’s Prime Hydration its official sports drink. One year later, the Dodgers have recruited superstar Shohei Ohtani; now, the team is ready to spotlight another Japanese sensation.
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Applications are still open for LIONS Creators, Cannes Lions’ newly launched creator-centric programme. Tailored specifically to the creator economy, Cannes Lions‘ first-ever Creator Pass offers a curated mix of exclusive learning and networking experiences.
Participants will also have the opportunity to attend the revolutionary new LIONS x Change Series, which will bring together leading voices across the big players in the creator marketing economy—including platforms, brands, creators, agencies, and others—to discuss the challenges we face in this rapidly growing and increasingly important part of the marketing mix.
The brand-new Creators Rooftop will also be opening for creators to produce their own content, network, and host exclusive events for the Creator Pass programme.
In partnership with social-first marketing and creator management agency Viral Nation, LIONS Creators runs between June 18-21 and includes talks from industry leaders at TikTok, Viral Nation, VISA, United Talent Agency, and the NFL, as well as content creators like Jay Shetty, Steven He, Munya Chawawa, Alexia Del Valle,Yara Shahidi and Kahlil Greene.
“We know that the creator economy doesn’t currently have a meeting place to come together to address business challenges; such as how to scale and maintain their business, understanding how best to work with brands, and learn how to manage the fast-paced and evolving landscape,” Thea Skelton, VP of Events, at LIONS, said in a statement. “Cannes Lions will play a role in providing that space—bringing together the platforms, the brands, the creators and the agencies, as well as a wider cross-section of the industry to have the most pressing conversations around how we co-create, collaborate and unlock greater value and progress for the wider industry.”
Skelton added that the Festival is “thrilled to be working with Viral Nation as our headline partner.”
Cannes Lions’ Creator Pass is open to content creators and their teams, as well as creator consultants, creator-focused talent management companies, and creator marketing agencies. The programme costs €1,145 (around $1,250 USD) per attendee.
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The Creator Rosetta Stone is here to simplify communications in the field of influencer marketing. That’s the name of “a new tool” that delivers insights to creators and brands based on findings from an industry-wide survey.
The findings that inform the Creator Rosetta Stone come from research conducted by the Harris Poll and the consulting service Creator Vision. Those firms sourced additional data from Pearpop‘s roster of verified creators. In total, the research collected results from 603 creators of various sizes (including nano-, micro-, and macroinfluencers) who work across “a robust mix of content types and/or areas of focus,” according to the report.
The goal of all that data gathering was to identify communication breakdowns in influencer marketing. The Creator Rosetta Stone aims to teach brands and creators to speak the same “language,” thus leading to more fruitful collaborations on both sides.
As explained on the Creator Rosetta Stone landing page, confused interactions can occur when creators and brands come into partnerships with separate goals and different words to describe those goals. For example, a brand may hone in on “trends” while a creator seeks “relevance.” 84% of surveyed creators believe that long-form content is increasingly important, and 88% of them said they have the skills to help brands capitalize on that opportunity. The Creator Rosetta Stone therefore cautions brands against putting too much emphasis on trends over formats.
“Just because a trend is relevant to the world, it may not matter for a brand,” reads the report. “Instead, brands should focus on finding the format that fits their message.
Informing influencers about desired campaign outcomes can help clear up confusion, but many creators feel that they don’t receive enough constructive feedback from their partners. 85% of respondents claimed that their sponsors don’t provide details about the metrics they use to evaluate content. Instead, that information is filtered through layers like creative agencies and management firms, further muddling the process.
The bottom line of the Creator Rosetta Stone research is clear: 89% of surveyed creators believe they have access to analytics and audience insights that brands fail to access. As the creator economy continues to professionalize operations on major social platforms, potential sponsors should be paying attention to the things their influencer sponsors have to say.
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Rosterhas arrived to meet creators’ hiring needs. After starting out in a closed beta last year, the startup led by Founder and CEO Sherry Wong (pictured above) has announced its official launch.
The growth of the creator economy has opened up opportunities for specialists like video editors and thumbnail designers, but not all of the candidates who apply for those positions possess sufficient qualifications. Roster is here to address that issue. It is tailored to the needs of creators, who can use the platform to evaluate and hire applicants based on their skills and work experience.
There are already some hiring platforms for creators, such the YTJobs.co board and TikTok’s in-house resume builder. Roster looks to bring additional layers of depth to the hiring process by offering personalized, AI-driven recommendations that incorporate factors like content types and aesthetics.
Roster also manages a thorough database that catalogs each listed candidate’s previous gigs. That feature sounds a lot like the accreditation service established earlier this year by the Creators Guild of America.
Wong, a creator herself, has personal experience with the frustrations that can arise when it’s time to hire specialists. Some of her YouTube vlogs detail her experiences as a startup founder.
Roster is backed by a 2023 angel round. Participants included Select Management Co-Founder Adam Wescott and Alex Dwek, the COO of Nas Daily‘s Nas Company.
The connections between Roster and Nas Company go beyond a few investment dollars. Wong has brought in Mark Vu, the first employee at Nas Company, as Roster’s Head of Engineering. Karat vet Alex Mostafavi is also on board with the new company as its Creator Partnerships Manager.
Roster’s creator economy ties have helped it amass a network of esteemed partners. The talent pool on Roster includes specialists who have worked with top channels like MrBeast, Dude Perfect, and Preston. Creator J.T. Casey, who hired a thumbnail designer through Roster, said that the platform’s recommendation engine freed up time that would otherwise be spent searching for qualified applicants.
Fitness creator Chloe Ting is also a fan of Roster. “As a creator you need to be prepared to scale your infrastructure quickly in order to avoid burn out and to not miss out on opportunities,” Ting said in a statement. “A platform like Roster is what I wished I had access to years ago and is what the creator economy will greatly benefit from. It’ll help support emerging talents of today focus on what they do best, while having access to top tier talent to help them grow into sustainable leading businesses of tomorrow.”
Roster will be discussed at a panel at VidCon Anaheim later in June. Participants will include Casey and editor Hayden Hillier-Smith.
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