4 ms·

Do they really pay influencers? I’m skeptical. There seem to be a limitless supply of megafans who will defend the bad decisions of corporations because they’ve

by vlunkr 4y ago

Do they really pay influencers? I’m skeptical. There seem to be a limitless supply of megafans who will defend the bad decisions of corporations because they’ve invested their personality in it, not because they’re getting paid.

dmix 4y ago
RedLetterMedia's fake "Nerd Crew" podcast [1] satirized the fanboy Youtube/podcast community perfectly. You don't need to pay influencers heavily. You just need to make them feel important. You get mid-tier execs to phone them to give them "inside" information. You give them early access to content so they can have opinions before anyone. You invite them to white-glove events (maybe even fly them there for free) and then have your attractive well-spoken marketing people treat them like royalty. You get your social teams to drum up fake viral headlines to generate talking-points for TV interviews/podcasts for hosts that wouldn't otherwise have content. That goes a long way with megafans and most people who aren't business savvy. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCIYCaXNe88&list=PLJ_TJFLc25JRrUJFPO6Iwy2vkn8QtqBCE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCIYCaXNe88&list=PLJ_TJFLc25...
- vlunkr 4y ago
  Nerd Crew is brilliant.
adql 4y ago
Payment doesn't neccesarily need to be money. Send some pack here, give early access to some info there and it's really easy to cajole average youtuber to shill for you just because they want to keep the priviledges of getting the stuff early to review (as that keeps viewers on channel)
- Ekaros 4y ago
  When you think about it, exclusivity of early access to information is essentially free advertising for these companies. Just break up your next product into chunk and distribute it to those eager to do free work and advertisement for you. Just for a chance to get that first chunk of audience. Actually it is kinda genius. And then on the other side you have those that are potentially manipulating the market for their gains, who don't need that access.
rasz 4y ago
I think one of the biggest documented cases was Microsoft being caught by FTC(a) for using ad agency thru Machinima to bribe content creators. https://venturebeat.com/games/ftc-settles-with-machinima-for-paying-youtube-influencers-for-endorsing-xbox-one/ https://venturebeat.com/games/ftc-settles-with-machinima-for... $15-30K payouts per every single video boasting shitty game (Ryse: Son of Rome) and upcoming Xbox One with explicit condition payments are not to be disclosed. a/ Obviously penalty was saying "sorry we wont do it again" https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2015/09/xbox-one-promoter-settles-ftc-charges-it-deceived-consumers-endorsement-videos-posted-paid https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2015/09/...

by vlunkr 4y ago

dmix 4y ago

RedLetterMedia's fake "Nerd Crew" podcast [1] satirized the fanboy Youtube/podcast community perfectly. You don't need to pay influencers heavily. You just need to make them feel important. You get mid-tier execs to phone them to give them "inside" information. You give them early access to content so they can have opinions before anyone. You invite them to white-glove events (maybe even fly them there for free) and then have your attractive well-spoken marketing people treat them like royalty. You get your social teams to drum up fake viral headlines to generate talking-points for TV interviews/podcasts for hosts that wouldn't otherwise have content. That goes a long way with megafans and most people who aren't business savvy. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCIYCaXNe88&list=PLJ_TJFLc25JRrUJFPO6Iwy2vkn8QtqBCE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCIYCaXNe88&list=PLJ_TJFLc25...

vlunkr 4y ago
Nerd Crew is brilliant.

adql 4y ago

Payment doesn't neccesarily need to be money. Send some pack here, give early access to some info there and it's really easy to cajole average youtuber to shill for you just because they want to keep the priviledges of getting the stuff early to review (as that keeps viewers on channel)

Ekaros 4y ago
When you think about it, exclusivity of early access to information is essentially free advertising for these companies. Just break up your next product into chunk and distribute it to those eager to do free work and advertisement for you. Just for a chance to get that first chunk of audience. Actually it is kinda genius. And then on the other side you have those that are potentially manipulating the market for their gains, who don't need that access.

rasz 4y ago

I think one of the biggest documented cases was Microsoft being caught by FTC(a) for using ad agency thru Machinima to bribe content creators. https://venturebeat.com/games/ftc-settles-with-machinima-for-paying-youtube-influencers-for-endorsing-xbox-one/ https://venturebeat.com/games/ftc-settles-with-machinima-for... $15-30K payouts per every single video boasting shitty game (Ryse: Son of Rome) and upcoming Xbox One with explicit condition payments are not to be disclosed. a/ Obviously penalty was saying "sorry we wont do it again" https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2015/09/xbox-one-promoter-settles-ftc-charges-it-deceived-consumers-endorsement-videos-posted-paid https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2015/09/...