Zoella industry

 Prosumer

A prosumer is a person who consumes and produces a product

In the 1980 book, the third wave, futurologist Alvin Toffler coined the term 'prosumer' when he predicted that the role of producers and consumers would begin to blur and merge

People have moved from being CONsumers to PROsumers with far more influence than ever before

No longer are businesses completely in control of their products, brands and messages. Today, consumers are in control. The leaders of the shift are the members of the social web - bloggers, vloggers, social networking participants, etc who spread messages, influence people around the world, and drive demand.

Prosumers like Zoe Sugg can control all stages of the production process helping to make online media a specialised industry (vertical integration) 

How has the internet impacted on media industries?

Disrupted the power structures that traditionally operate within the media (Curran and Seaton - socially diverse pattern of ownership)

However, could be argued that the commercial potential of internet has been exploited by major corporations to consolidate their economic and cultural power (Radical potential - Hesmondhalgh)

Democratised the media by enabling 'ordinary' users to create and distribute their own content, removing the traditional gatekeepers and allowing for greater levels of democracy (Radical potential - Hesmondhalgh)

For example, all of the vloggers need is a digital camera, webcam and access to the internet to produce content (vertical integration~)

Growth of 

Economic context and the price 

Democratisation of the media is a key benefit of online media platforms, however democracy comes at a price

Vloggers generate large amounts of web traffic (consumers)

This has led to the rise of Multi-Channel networks act on behalf of hundreds or thousands of different channels

Offer marketing, promotion and monetising techniques in return for a percentage of advertising revenue

Media democracy is grounded in creating a mass media system that favours a diversity of voices and opinions over ownership or consolidation, in an effort to eliminate bias in coverage. This, in turn, leads to the informed public debate necessary for a democratic state. 

Multi-Channel networks 

Youtube - Owned by google purchased for $1.65 billion in 2005 a year after it was launched. First ads rolled out in 2007. 500 hours of footage uploaded every minute. Highest earner youtuber is Mr Beast (earned $54m in 2021) Most popular branded channel is Lego with 10bn views

Maker Studios

Purchased by Disney for $500 million in 2015. Now part of Disney Digital Network. Most popular production is Epic Rap Battles of History which averages 30million views per episode. Most popular 

Zoella and Alfie Deyes

Zoe Suug was attached to Style Haul; and is represented by Dominic Smales at Gleam Features

Zoella is no longer attached to any particular MCN

In 2018, Zoella and Alfie Deyes launched their own creative Agency called A-Z 

Economic advertising: Advertising

One of the main ways Youtubers make their money is through advertising

Youtube partner programme enables creators who achieve a certain amount of views to monetise their content through advertising

Advertising revenue is split between YouTube and the content creators

It is important to consider how the advertising on Zoella's content channels are linked to specific ideologies and values. 

Zoe Sugg has to think carefully about content... would not wish to offend/upset advertisers.

Display ads or banners

Overlay ads - placed over the top of the video content in the lower portion of the video

Video ads that appear before during or after the video

Pre-roll ads appear before a video (skippable or non-skippable)

Shorter non skippable ads that are up to 6 seconds long are called bumper ads

Industry, advertising and regulation

The advertising standards authority is the UK independent advertising regulator across all media platforms (TV, radio, press and billboards) and is responsible for the regulating bloggers/vloggers.

The ASA makes sure ads across UK media stick to the advertising rules (The advertising codes)

The committee of advertising practice is the sister organisation of the ASA and is responsible for writing the advertising codes

Advantages of advertising

Advantage of online media over traditional mass media forms is that advertising can be targeted to match the tastes and interests of individual users based on their personal browsing hsotrories and information gathered about them whenever they go online

Googles AdSense program uses algorithms to place targeted ads on the website of those who sig up to use the service

Online Media Regulation

1. Lack of internet based media regulation 

2. Why the internet needs to be regarded from a more critical standpoint

As it collects information and all knowledge and is impossible to track sue to being everywhere around us, affecting everyday life. 

3. Advertising standards agency

   ASA regulate all forms of advertising based off codes and other rules and regulations that need to be followed. They also regulate what should be in a post to make it fit a certain criteria such as #ad to not confuse consumers or misidentify businesses who may be following the correct protocol. 

4. google advertisements in YouTube

YouTube regulation

Revenue streams ; sponsorship

Content creators are paid to review, endorse or promote particular brands or products

Beauty bloggers may be paid to demonstrate certain cosmetic products

Gamers may be paid to feature particular video games in their 'lets play' videos

Endorsement of digital influencers can have a significant effect on sales

Paid substantial amounts by companies - can be a set fee or based on views

Since 2018 influencers must make it clear they are being sponsored to feature/advertise products and rules set down by ASA

Revenue streams : merchandising and diversification

Many vloggers, bloggers and youtubers also have their own branded merchandise

Can be linked to the creator's website and may include clothing, accessorised like phone cases, wristbands, jewellery etc, stationary, branded mugs, water bottle, backpacks

Merchandising helps to build brand recognition - can be linked to a brand identity (link to media language) and values/ideologies

This move beyond the creation of content is called diversification

book publishing is another area of content that can be moved into

This can create synergy as books can be pushed readers towards their other content e.g. blog or vlog.

Downloaded apps may accompany the books, encouraging readers to interact with social media. 

Zoella audience

Demographics

Young females (13-25) - social media savvy, centennials and millennials (BC1C2) - middle-to-upper-middle class female audience - mainstream/high street brand 'hauls' make the show more accessible to less affluent demographics

Generation 'Edge' Audience - younger millennials who have grown up on the dynamic cultural edge with expanded views on diversity, politics, social contexts and cultural issues - all seen through the eye of social media accounts. 

Disposables incomes - audiences have access to money and opportunities to spend on luxuries (either through employment or their parents) - the Zoella aspirational brand lifestyle is not cheap

Range of audiences 

Primary/target audiences - younger teenage girls who are arguably impressionable and still forming personal identities - may have a full/part time job or a generous parent to supply them with disposable income for aspirational lifestyles - Zoella plays the role of an older sister or more experiences friend dispatching wise advice about burgeoning womanhood

Secondary audience - parents and advertisers who find Zoella's content safe compared to alternative vloggers - Zoella rarely strays into distasteful territory, with innuendo and colloquial swearing which is mild and PG friendly

Casual followers - online 'web surfers' who occasionally stumble across a vlog of interest - not a fan who is fully committed to consuming all Zoella's content - can be former fan who now has a negotiated reading of zolleas blogs. 

Followers of similar vloggers - the online youtube vlogging community 

Audiences psychographics

Mainstreamers, aspirers, succeeders, resigned, explorers, strugglers, reformers.

Girly girl stereotypes - arguable includes stereotypes of gender performance that appeals to girly girl (fashion, cosmetics, homeware, high picteched voice, discussioon relationships)

Passive or actgive? - there is an argument that Zoella gender performance is passive adhering to a domestic girly girl stereotype of feminiity, but her assertive with alife (for example challenging lazy and keep on toes) suggest that she is mnore active and has lkeadershop role

Bachelor - foregrounding of heterosexual relationship with alife is a society norm,m, reinforcing heterenormative ideologies.

Mainstreamers and Aspirers - narratives being largely aplitical and therefore would not appeal to reformers - ijnstead an acquisitinal culture reminiscent of 'keeping up with the joneses' is explored (material possession, choice of cars, clothes, homes etc)

UK Tribes:Aspirant - to be 'on-trend', chasing the latest fashion, acquiring the ideal job, Zoellas persona as a social butterfuly is indicative of the Aspirant 'Yuppie' lifestyle. 

Audience Tagreting and Marketing

Target through content

Targeting through marketing and distribution

Collaboration videos to broaden appeal

Conventions

Move towards traditional media (for marketing)Interaction and participation (subscribe, likes, comments, UGC)

Audiences actively i9nvolved in media production 

Product/brand endorsements

Audience targeting and Zoella 

Demographics - grouping thr audience by easy to measure factors

Consider - Gnder, age range, socio-economic group (referencing the ABC1C2DW

VALS - the audience VALUES (things that are important to them), ATTITUDES (what they believe about the world and how it should work) and LIFESTYLE (interests, what they doint and enjoy in spare time~)

Life Cycle - consider stage of like (new mum), relationship status, sexual orientation etc

Psychographic grouping - refer to young and rubicam 4 c's theory, Maisntreams, reformers, explorers. 

Audience interpretation of media

Stuart Hall - reception = idea communication is a process involving encoding by producers and decoding by audiences. 3 hypothetical posisitons from which messages and meanings may be decoded. How we decode often depends on a range of factors. Hegemonic, negotiated, oppositional. 

George Gerbner - Cultivation theory = The idea that exposure to repeated patterns of representation over long periods of time can shapoe and influence the way in which people percieve the world aroun them. The idea that cultivatioin reinforces mainstream values (dominant ideologies). This is often more successful when the product resonates with our day-to-day experience. 

Audiences beliefs and values are shaped hy the way auidences will present themseleves to try and look like her and how the pordtcs she uses and endorses are for everybody and not just exclusive for her. She attemts to connect more with audiences through buying or getting clothes from places they will potentially shop from such as primark.