VidCon Grows Up -- Too Fast? The Authenticity Dilemma (My Review)

The new video world -- it's all about authenticity -- about approachability -- about connection.  That's why 8 of the 10 "stars" that matter most to teens are grass-roots, home-grown YouTube/digital video personalities (and not manufactured traditional Hollywood celebs) (note: I use "YouTube" in this post as a short-hand for all digital-first platforms, including Vine, Facebook, Snapchat, Vessel, etc.).

But what happens when those YouTube stars grow up, make money, and become the more "traditional" celebrities that represent the precise antithesis of how it all was supposed to be in the first place?

THAT's what this past week's VidCon 2015 represented -- and embodied itself -- because the YouTube "celebrity's" struggle is VidCon's own struggle.

Last year, VidCon -- a previously important, yet still quaint, gathering of YouTube stars, Viners and the fans who adore them -- broke through into the more mainstream business world at meaningful scale.  I attended it.  Was blown away by it.  And especially enjoyed the purity and energy of it, as thousands of fans (mostly teen girls) screamed and mobbed their favorite digital celebs (mostly teen boys) in a form of never-ending Beatle-mania.  At the time, one year ago in a widely-read post, I remarked that as much as I felt I knew the new digital world order prior to attending VidCon 2014, I didn't really understand it until I was truly immersed in it -- immersed in what drove the whole YouTube economy in the first place.  The creators.  The fans.  And, the authenticity, approachability and connection between them.  No YouTuber was off limits to their fans at last year's VidCon -- the connection was made (frequently physically).  You needed to be there -- to experience it -- to truly "get" it (I labeled it a "must attend" event at the time).

This year was different.  You could feel it.  I did.  I remarked at it.  Was disappointed by it.  Even a bit nostalgic about it.

To a certain extent, VidCon 2015 represented innocence lost.  The fans' screams were fewer.  Quieter.  Muted.  The frenetic running to see their favorite creator was reigned in.  Slowed.  Controlled.  And those previously eager, open and hyper-connecting YouTube personalities were visibly less accessible -- and many seemingly wanted it to be that way.  As I drove away one night, I noticed black Escalade after Escalade hidden in the back alleys of the Anaheim Convention Center, whisking many of those fast-becoming more "traditional" YouTube celebrities away from their fans.  Distancing them.  Separating them.  Breaking (with accelerating speed) the fundamental tenet of YouTube authenticity -- i.e., accessibility and connection.

By all conventional measures (i.e., pure numbers, overall organization), VidCon 2015 was a smashing success.  VidCon organizers have built a world-class, "must attend" event.  And, the media, brand and tech worlds of business finally took notice en masse and attended in droves as I urged them to.

But, that very business success -- just like the increasing business and financial success of YouTube celebrities -- is a double-edged sword.  The young, innocent, no-holds-barred and still-upstart YouTube world of last year has grown up fast this past year into a more mature, more cautious world that is beginning to feel more "traditional" ... and, somehow, a bit less "authentic" as a result.  

I understand this of course.  It's inevitable.  The natural order of things.  Digital-first is now simply first -- i.e., "traditional" -- for millennials.  That's why it's increasingly (and properly) first for the media world that wants to reach them.  It's increasingly (and properly) first for business, period ("billions of dollars" of business).  And, it's now increasingly (and understandably) the first business -- vocation -- for myriad new home-grown, bottoms up creators (YouTube trumpeted the fact that 50% more of them made 6 figures this year than last).  VidCon -- as I also learned -- had no choice but to install new security procedures and fan controls as a result of all of these forces.  To protect those YouTube celebrities (and the fans themselves) from last year's frequently unbridled hyper-enthusiastic-driven forces (including near-stampedes) -- all motivated by the purest and most innocent of intentions -- that apparently (and understandably) frightened many (and potentially endangered some).

But VidCon -- here's my challenge to you.  Let's not control too much next year.  Let's open up more tickets for fans.  Let's allow (encourage?) more screaming.  Let's bring back more access.  Fewer limousines (more "regular," non-traditional new world electric cars perhaps that represent a new ethos for millennials?).  Fewer velvet ropes (I admit, I was guilty of sponsoring one such event myself).  And, YouTube stars -- let's not control too much of that original spontaneous and pure motivation and passion that fueled your creativity (and your fans' love for it) in the first place.  Let's not buy into the same trappings that disconnected traditional Hollywood celebs from your fans and made you "stars" in the first place (I mean, do you really need limousines?).  Remember, YOU are defining the new rules of celebrity and artist/fan engagement.  You have a chance to break the mold.

To be clear, money and business that flow from creativity and passion are not the enemy here.  Money enables the artist to devote himself or herself to the very act of creation -- and business provides the means and screens to create and be seen.  I'm in that business.  Believe in it absolutely.

But, let's not let the pendulum swing too far.  Let's, together, not lose sight of what moved us and the overall YouTube movement (and what it represents) in the first place ... authenticity, approachability, and connection.  

I certainly don't have the answers.  Maybe there are none.  But, let's, together, at least reflect upon this while we are still relatively early on in this digital transformation and before the forces behind it themselves become, well, simply conventional ....

Facebook v. YouTube - My VidCon Interview

VideoInk's Todd Longwell interviews me at VidCon -- discussing Facebook versus YouTube (is it really a zero-sum game?) and all things video.  The meat of the interview starts at the 90 second point.

YouTube's VidCon Keynote - The 4 Big Stories

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki took center stage at VidCon day 1, giving a 20 minute keynote and then answering some astute, challenging questions from BroadbandTV CEO Shahrzad Rafati for 20 minutes more.  These were no softballs -- question is whether Wojcicki saw these questions in advance.  Didn't really seem like it, because several of the most challenging questions (see below) were somewhat awkwardly deflected (guess which ones? Yes, those questioning YouTube's economics).



Here are my HEADLINES/KEY STORIES from the YouTube Keynote and Q&A:

(1) THE ECONOMICS STORY -- We all know many in the industry (certainly YouTube's increasing number of competitors) slam YouTube for its 55/45 economics they say are unworkable for creators (Jason Calacanis anyone?) -- and work for YouTube only.  Raft directly asked Wojcicki about YouTube's own direct revenues and creator monetization.  This was Wojcicki's most unsatisfying answer, as she rather obviously (and not the most artfully) deflected it.  She didn't respond to the "YouTube revenue" question at all, instead pointing out that creators soon will have more opportunities to monetize via subscriptions and YouTube-funded originals.  "Some can even write books."  And, in her presentation, she also emphasized that 50% more creators made "six figures" this year than last on YouTube.  Yes, that's true of course.  YouTube can be (and has been) a great launching pad (case in point -- YouTube now counts nearly 25 creators with over 10 million subscribers, each of whom will now have a diamond "button").  The question is, however, (i) how many creators and what percentage of overall creators earn six figures (unanswered) and (ii) how many (and what percentage of) creators can really monetize beyond their 55/45 split.

(2) THE FACEBOOK STORY -- One year ago, YouTube was essentially the only game in town for creators.  Not anymore.  Facebook, Snapchat, Vessel ....  Raft asked Wojcicki about Facebook (and cited its increasingly impressive number of views metric) -- and how she felt about seeing YouTube creators now "off" YouTube and on other platforms.  Wojcicki didn't directly mention Facebook, but she implicitly did -- stating that YouTube believes that viewer engagement (as measured via actual "watch time") is more important than the number of views (meaning that YouTube believes Facebook's reported metrics are less meaningful -- which may be true, by the way).  She also highlighted the fact that YouTubers spent 60% more time watching videos this year than last (which is a truly impressive number).

(3) THE VR/IMMERSIVE STORY -- This may be THE product story for YouTube at VidCon this year.  Watch out all you VR startups out there who want to be "the YouTube for VR content."  YouTube wants to be the YouTube for VR -- and is moving fast.  A key initiative is to showcase more and more 360 video, including "immersive" 3D 360 video.  To underscore this point, YouTube gave away free Google Cardboard to all keynote attendees.

(4) THE STEALTH VERTICAL FOCUS (& MCN THREAT) STORY -- While Wojcicki emphasized YouTube's top 3 product priorities as being "mobile, mobile, mobile," the real story here is YouTube's direct attack on vertical-focused video digital-first companies on and off YouTube (i.e., MCNs).  One key selling point to creators and MCN viewers has been focus -- "if you are a gamer, come to Machinima, we are the home to content that matters to you and you only" (you don't need to sift it out from all the noise).  YouTube's new answer to this critique (and the growing success of vertically-focused, yet significantly smaller, competitors) is to create and launch separate vertically-focused channels, each with their own separate mobile apps.  First, YouTube Kids.  Next, YouTube Gaming.  And, third, YouTube Music Key (which may be launched under a new name).  And, you can bet this is just the beginning.  So, watch out MCNs, the hand that feeds may be biting back.  Your MPN strategy is right on.

VidCon - 5 Table Topics to Sound Smart

VidCon 2015 starts today - the "must attend" video event of the year (check out The Hollywood Reporter Natalie Jarvey's excellent preview).  So, what has changed in the past year since the last VidCon?  A helluva lot, that's what.  The digital-first video world has grown up ... fast, furious and, to some, frighteningly.  Jarvey correctly points out that VidCon is the new Comic-Con (and Hollywood has finally taken notice).

Here are 5 of the most significant industry changes in the past 12 months (that you can use in your cocktail conversations).  Consider these your "table topics" that show you are on top of your game.

(1) The Rise of the "Off YouTube" Movement.  Until this year, YouTube dominated VidCon in virtually every respect.  I even referred to our digital-first world as the "YouTube economy."  But, we have seen massive growth in new major platforms for video distribution in the past year -- most significantly the threat of Facebook, the intrigue of Snapchat, and the chutzhpah of Vessel.  And, these are just some.  The point is that creators want to be everywhere.  Yes, on YouTube.  But, not exclusively.

(2) MCNs Are Now MPNs.  This flows from point (1).  The term "multi-channel network" connotes essentially one channel of distribution (YouTube).  Most "formerly known as MCNs" now consider themselves MPNs (as in, "multi-platform network") -- YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, Vessel, Apple TV, etc.  Social sharing is a critical element of distribution.

(3) Aggregation Is Not Enough.  Last year, it (i.e., MCNs/MPNs) were all about scale -- and Maker Studios (Disney) and Fullscreen (Otter Media) were rewarded for it via mega-M&A.  That world is no more.  In the expected second wave of MCN/MPN M&A -- which recently kicked off with ProSieben/Collective Digital Studio (CDS) deal -- a multiple meaningful revenue streams story matters.  Yes, ad sales, branded content, sponsorships.  But, also the "upstreaming of content" to other platforms via lucrative licensing deals -- and ultimately commerce and more.

(4) Original Programming/IP & Key Talent Are Critical.  This flows directly from point (3) above.  Not only is original programming (exclusive content) an important form of competitor differentiation, it is a critical element of monetization.  A compelling library of exclusive, original content/IP (e.g., characters, themes -- in addition to the videos themselves) can be licensed to multiple distribution platforms (even TV, movies based on that IP) for increasingly big cash.  As an example, CDS's movie Fred has generated millions upon millions of dollars over time.  And, as a corollary to this original programming/exclusive content point, it is critical for digital-first media companies to hold onto their "star" talent -- something that is increasingly difficult to do given increasingly vicious competition for that top differentiating talent.

(5) Pay TV Bundles Crumbled & Stand-Alone OTTs Rocketed.  One year ago, Pay TV bundles still were largely intact -- and, while chatter existed that a "new world order" of unbundling was coming, most still considered that time to be far off.  That all changed late last year with HBO's "HBO Now" shot across the bow.  HBO opened the floodgates, and Showtime, Nickelodean, CBS, and myriad others flowed (at an accelerating pace).  We seem to see new announcements almost weekly).  No one knows what this ultimately means for media industry monetization on a grand scale, but some believe even ESPN -- the seemingly invincible network that perhaps benefits most in a bundled world-- is in deep transformative trouble.

Now go grab your bloody mary's and start the conversation ... and sound smart while you're doing it.

VR - Not A Separate Category - Rather A Broad New Form of Customer Engagement, Period.

Virtual reality (VR) is rightly top of mind in the media/tech communities - and in my own writing and mentorship.  Virtually all with whom I discuss virtual reality talk about VR like it is a separate and distinct "product" category -- something divorced and distinct from their day-to-day businesses.

Only it isn't -- that's the reality.

VR is -- or certainly will be -- an integrated and integral part of business period.  And of customer engagement and an overall customer experience (not just another media and entertainment immersive experiential story-telling platform).  VR visionary Mike Rothenberg of Rothenberg Ventures -- who puts his money where his mouth is (by funding VR companies through his first-ever VR accelerator, River) -- drove this point home to me in a recent conversation.  He pointed out example after example of VR's broad application in the business world -- architecture, for example (imagine exploring spaces realistically, immersively).

In this holistic way, VR is not unlike the digital video and social worlds that gather later this week at VidCon in Anaheim.  Video and social are not just about story-telling -- not just about media, entertainment and tech.  These are simply new and transformative modes of communication, interaction and engagement.  That means that they are fundamental to any business, including yours and mine.

Worth contemplating, immersively ...

MCN M&A -- Another (Predicted) One Bites The Dust -- ZoominTV

The appetite for MCN-related M&A remains un-sated.  In the immortal words of Queen -- appropriate in this case of British MCN-ish company Zoomin.TV-- "another one bites the dust."  And, I mean that in the most positive way for Zoomin, since a controlling interest of 51% was just sold to Modern Times Group in a deal that values the company at nearly $100 million.  Variety identifies under-the-radar Zoomin (a company few in the U.S. video world know) as being, surprisingly, "the world's 5th largest multi-channel network."

This is another MCN-related M&A deal I just recently predicted -- calling Zoomin an MCN "ripe for M&A."  And, this most recent deal -- which follows fast on the heels of ProSieben's recent acquisition of a controlling interest in Collective Digital Studio -- is yet another sign that we likely have entered Wave 2 of MCN M&A.

I have come to know CEO Jan Riemens -- whom I just recently visited in Amsterdam -- and congratulate him and his team for a nice "win," which also better resources him grow the company at an accelerated pace (and share in further value creation down the road, since 49% was retained).

VidCon This Week - "Must Attend" - Here's Why

[VidCon -- the premier "gathering place" for the new digital economy and ecosystem -- starts later this week in Anaheim, California.  I'll be there Thursday and Friday -- including co-hosting an exclusive event with YouTube.  

If you don’t know VidCon, you should.  In fact, you must.  It's all about everything that IS digital video -- YouTube, YouTube “celebrities,” all new "off YouTube" video platforms (like Facebook, Snapchat, Vessel), Viners, MCNs, OTTs, and all of the brands, ad-tech companies, data analytics companies, VCs, and others that support them.  This one is NOT to be missed.  

Here’s why.  Here’s my in-depth article after experiencing my first VidCon last year.  This should give you an idea of why VidCon matters.]

VidCon 2014 --  like the 1892 Chicago World’s Fair that heralded a new era of disruptive technology (how do you like that reference?) -- this may be the event upon which we look back and say, for media companies, brands, and marketers, “this was the moment that defined the mainstreaming of premium short form video content and consumer engagement via technology and the fundamental overall transformation of the media and marketing business in general.”

That is no hyperbole -- that analogy is apt, and this sea change is real, very real.  And to “get” -- really “get” -- that fundamental point (from which fundamental strategic shifts inevitably must follow -- or not, at your peril), you just gotta be there.  On the ground.  At VidCon.  You just gotta see and “feel” the energy of the throngs of 10-20 year old kids who scream and swarm -- a la “back in the day” with The Beatles (another bell-weather of things to come at that time) -- every time they saw a YouTube “star”.  Those shrieks -- that frenzy -- happened every 10-15 minutes (or more) throughout the 7 hours I attended my first VidCon yesterday.

And those 7 hours cemented -- even more deeply -- what I had already concluded (but hadn’t really “felt” on a mass scale with the new generation of consumers -- i.e., the kids that media and brands want and need to reach right now).  That you better get on the bus in this transformed YouTube economy or forever be left behind (this picture of the kids with the signs says it all).  I was not alone with the deep internalization of this point.  Long-time digital media exec David Hyman -- who founded MOG music (acquired by Beats Music) and with whom I interacted “back in the day” at Musicmatch when he was with Gracenote (acquired by Sony) -- summarized it perfectly.  In his words, “This Blows My Mind!”  I violently agreed.

But it is not just about the fans.  VidCon brings together industry execs and the creative community together with the fans -- something that is rarely done at industry conferences (Comic-Con is another rare example).  And here’s the point -- all media companies and brands need to have their minds blown.  We are in the midst of a sea-change people.  Fundamental sea-change.  The media business -- and the way that marketers/brands engage with consumers -- will never be the same.

But, the vast majority of media and marketing execs still just don’t “get” it (or don’t want to “get” it and hope to wish these transformative/disruptive changes away).

One glaring example.  YouTube apparently invited the top 100 brands to attend VidCon -- to experience it -- on their dime.  Yes, YouTube offered to pay for all of their expenses.  But you know what?  Only 30 of those 100 brands took them up on that offer!  That is insane!  Those other 70 marketing execs should be, um, demoted!  They will be if they don’t change their mindsets fast, because their worlds are being rocked right now.  And, the pace of this transformation (disruption, or whatever you want to call it) is accelerating.

 Here is another example.  These 10-20 somethings “think different” -- they just do.  The world of YouTube has wired their brains differently -- and their sensibilities are just different (and in many ways, refreshing).  Gone are the days -- at least for them -- of the traditional definition of “Celebrity.”  Yes, they still may like the boys of One Direction, but “celebrities” of this new media age are fundamentally different from the celebrities of yore.  They are relatable.  They are approachable.  They are authentic.  They are just simply “regular” kids who somehow amassed a frenzied following using the YouTube platform.  That’s why, no matter how many times they were accosted at VidCon yesterday, they stopped, talked and took pictures with the kids who adore them.  Again, the only way to really “get” this is to attend VidCon -- to swim in that sea of kids -- to watch how they react.  To watch how they cry after meeting their favorite YouTube “star” (yes, I saw several girls crying because that experience was simply overwhelming).  If you have any doubts, just watch these two videos (the first shows screaming girls flock to YouTube “star” Ricky Dillon -- and the second shows fellow stars Kingsley and Lilly Singh take the stage for a Q&A).  VidCon 2014, among other things, was Coachella for Kids! (I coined that, so don’t use unless you give me royalties ...).

 One more glaring example underscoring how the media world has changed for Gen Z took place when legendary media mogul Jeffrey Katzenberg took the stage for a fireside chat following a panel of digital media/YouTube economy execs.  In the words of a colleague who attended that event, “the room was packed, but half the people left when Katzenberg took the stage.”  To be clear, this is no slam on Katzenberg.  He absolutely fills (and overflows) a room in the “traditional” media world.  But, that’s the point.  That world is gone.  Nothing is “traditional” anymore.  For media execs.  For marketing execs.  (Fortunately for DreamWorks, Katzenberg “gets” it -- that’s why DreamWorks is ahead of the curve with its acquisitions of MCNs AwesomenessTV and Big Frame, as well as its recent launch of YouTube network Dreamworks TV (about which I recently wrote)).  Doesn’t mean that “traditional” media has no role in this brave new world -- it just means that so-called traditional media platforms (TV, motion pictures, etc.) are now just part of the overall multi-platform spectrum and world in which we live.

VidCon 2014.  For me, the single most important and “must attend” industry event of the year.  I would argue that it should be the same for media, marketing and brand execs.