Over 20,000 young teens, parents in tow, descended on the massive Anaheim Convention center for VidCon and this year. In attendance were also nearly 3,000 industry executives, investors and marketers scrambling to make sense of it all. What are take-aways in terms of where digital video and its new stars and their fans are heading VidCon Industry Track curator Jim Louderback, Ayzenberg and ION principal and director of media Vincent Juarez and Executive Director Jon Roth discuss this, moderated by [a]listdaily s Jay Baage.
VidCon was a huge outpouring of love for the new breed of video stars on YouTube and elsewhere, and this sixth version of VidCon was bigger than ever. “It’s very much of a community thing across the board,” said Louderback. “There was a new track for people who want to become creators, and there were 3,000 people there.”
“It’s not just YouTube any more, there are plenty of new formats,” said Louderback. He referenced Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Periscope, Meerkat all similar to how we thought about formats in the past. “The people whoa re good at one format aren’t necessarily good at another,” Louderback noted. “For a brand it’s important that you work on all these different places.”
“It’s understanding how to better connect, and the old techniques of engaging in a monologue with consumers don’t work any more,” Juarez said. “I’m not saying you throw out old media, but letting clients know there’s a new form of media that needs to be brought in.”
What’s the rationale for all the business deals going on in this space “If you look over the history of mergers and acquisitions, people will buy over build if they don’t have the DNA,” said Roth. “That was Disney’s thinking with the Maker deal.”
“The fans that show up at VidCon are between 13 and 23-years-old,” Louderback said. “The creators are not on a pedestal, they’re friends. The brands that do well bring something to the community they want to be part of it long term.
“Taking a step back from the brand is a risky proposition, but the best way to engage with the audience is to let somebody else do the talking,” said Juarez. “It’s about this new age of marketing where you have to talk a step back and trust things will work out.”