After ViacomCBS canceled VidCon two years in a row due to concerns about the ongoing COVID pandemic, the event has returned to the Anaheim Convention Center in California this week. For the first time ever, organizers are offering fans digital access to the event. Ahead, a round-up of the latest happenings and announcements from major social media attendees including YouTube, Meta and this year’s title sponsor TikTok.
TikTok Announces VidCon Programming
This year, VidCon title sponsor TikTok is offering a slate of creator-focused panels and sessions including the industry keynote, which was hosted by TikTok creator James Henry on Thursday, June 23.
Why it matters: YouTube was VidCon’s title sponsor since 2013 but TikTok managed to nab that role from the platform as it continues to grow. In a first, TikTok will surpass YouTube in terms of time spent by their respective adult users in the US, according to eMarketer.
The details: TikTok’s VidCon programming includes panels from some of its top creators who will speak about creating authentic content, the platform’s impact on music and entertainment, tips for building a brand with lessons from small businesses, an overview of brands that are winning on the app and advice for parents whose teens have found success on TikTok.
TikTok chief operating officer Vanessa Pappas will also be there to welcome guest creators who will share their TikTok origin stories including Joanne Molinaro (@thekoreanvegan), Leo González (@leogonzall), Zachariah Porter (@zzzachariah), Soy (@foodwithsoy), Keara ‘Queen Keke’ Wilson (@keke.janajah) and Tony Weaver, Jr. (@tonyweaverjr). Kirby (@singkirbysing) will make a special virtual appearance and to close out the event, artist Tai Verdes (@taiverdes) will take to the stage for a special performance.
Instagram, Facebook Won’t Take A Commission From Creators Until 2024
Instagram and Facebook will delay taking a portion of creators’ revenues until 2024—one year after it originally planned to start, Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced ahead of VidCon.
Why it matters: This delay will attract more creators to Instagram and Facebook as Meta faces ongoing competition from rivals like YouTube and TikTok. For every 1,000 ad views, advertisers pay a certain rate to YouTube and the platform takes 45 percent of the creators’ revenue whereas TikTok keeps 50 percent of eligible creators’ revenue. At one point, Zuckerberg said Facebook would take less than 30 percent from creators.
The details: One day before it heads to VidCon where it was expected to promote its Reels and virtual reality offerings to attendees, Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post that Meta’s social platforms will delay taking a commission from creator offerings like paid events, badges, fan subscriptions and Meta’s newsletter platform Bulletin until 2024 with the intention of enticing more creators.
In another effort to expand their creator base, Instagram and Facebook will expand their Reels bonus program to more creators and offer them the opportunity to monetize short-form videos on both platforms. Instagram is also competing with one of TikTok’s newest features by testing a creator marketplace that allows brands and creators to collaborate on sponsorships and other business opportunities.
YouTube Shorts Launches Creator-Focused Snack Challenge For VidCon Fans
Ahead of VidCon, YouTube Shorts enlisted 18 of its top creators to customize snacks in fun branded packaging that event attendees can win.
Why it matters: YouTube, which lost its standing as VidCon title sponsor to TikTok this year, is capitalizing on its creators’ popularity to generate hype ahead of the event. The customized snacks are only available to guests at VidCon or those who participate in the Shorts challenge onsite at VidCon.
The details: YouTube Shorts’ snack challenge offers VidCon guests and fans the chance to eat their favorite creators’ snacks, including Ben of the Week’s Explosive Beanz, Miki Rai’s Good Morning Besties Bars and MrBeast’s Chocolate Bar.
Among the treats is Ben of the Week’s Explosive Beanz—perfect for the creator who’s best known for a viral video in which he pretended to burn his house down by microwaving a can of beans, which he then sang a song about. The wasabi-rubbed dried beans are reportedly so hot they’ll “burn your…house down.”
With over 900,000 subscribers to cheer her on, nurse and YouTuber Sofie Dossi begins every video with a delightful, “Good morning, besties!” So naturally, she went with the Good Morning Besties Bars, cheesecake-flavored breakfast bars made with oats, dried cherries and honey.
MrBeast is on a mission to change the way the world snacks, so in January 2022, he launched his own chocolate bar company called Feastables. And as part of his YouTube Shorts’ snack challenge, the platform is offering a limited-edition bar made with just four ingredients. In line with the YouTube star’s popularity, Feastables sold over 1 million chocolate bars within the first 72 hours of launch and apparently sold over $10 million worth of the treats as of May 2022.
