Online influencer Cody Ko is a 29 year old YouTube sensation from Canada. Following graduating from Duke University with a computer science degree, Cody became huge on the app Vine for his short comedy posts and later became a big time YouTuber and podcast host. He primarily reacts to other online posts, often criticizing them with his co-host Noel Miller and has become a huge comedy star online. He has joined casts of television shows and has won multiple awards for his YouTube videos and podcast episodes.
This video, dissing Jake Paul is actually one of his most popular videos, being viewed more than 16 Million times. This is a great example of Cody Ko promoting his personal brand, as he clearly states his view on some trends, including negative ones, that shows exactly how he is feeling. He has received both praise and backlash for these videos, as some feel like he goes too far, but personally I always enjoy his content and always watch when he posts a new video. Not as much with Cody, but a lot of YouTubers strike the question, how do these people get famous… for doing… this?
According to The Guardian, the reason these people become famous on YouTube is because of their ‘mainstream relatability.’ The article states that their audience feels connected as the actor is able to speak directly to them, the first time this phenomena has been actually done, and for this reason, fans feel like they know these stars on a personal level. I find this very interesting, as this can very similarly be observed on other social media platforms as well, such as instagram and snapchat. Users follow celebrities and begin to feel like they know celebrities on a more personal level than before, as their generated content has shifted from news or public announcements down to a much more personal feel addressed specifically to their followers on social media. A great example of this is Anderson Paak who routinely communicates with his followers through Instagram as a platform and provides specialized messages and often thanks his followers, even providing them with early access to his albums and unreleased music.
Another question the YouTube sensations made me think is, how does one become a famous YouTuber? After conducting some research, I have found that the keys are not to stress on the numbers and just to create. According to Business Insider, the number of channels with 1 Million or more subscribers have jumped by up to 400% in the last 5 years, and this number only continues to grow with the increased financial landscape of Youtube, grossing multi-billions. Many youtubers move to Los Angeles, the alleged hub of social media and stars alike, hoping to make it big, but in reality it all stems back to luck. Cody Ko spoke of this luck in one of his videos, suggesting that he too became famous off of luck, when a more famous celebrity incorporated him into a skit. When this happens, it allows the cycle to perpetuate, and is their way of ‘giving back.’
Garfield, Leanna. “What It Takes to Achieve Fame and Fortune on YouTube.” Business Insider. Business Insider, September 10, 2016. https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-be-a-youtuber-2016-9.
Dredge, Stuart. “Why Are YouTube Stars so Popular?” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, February 3, 2016. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/feb/03/why-youtube-stars-popular-zoella.
Auston Locke's Blog 