Do Not Miss The Big Picture

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Straight Outta Compton,” and by now most know it comes from the eponymous 1988 album from American hip hop group N.W.A. You may also know it from the 2015 movie that grossed over $200 million worldwide. Even now, thirty years later, N.W.A has lessons left to teach. The group, comprised of big names like Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Eazy E, changed the landscape of American hip hop, music recording, and pop culture as a whole. But they were surrounded by controversy.

Not only was their music resonating with their young, black, disenfranchised audience, but they were also reaching a white middle-class audience of young males who were using hip hop as a way to rage against their circumstances that had nothing to do with gangs or growing up in South Central. N.W.A truly shook middle America – they were even on the FBI watch list due to their “edgy” and “offensive” music.

It goes without saying that most brands were afraid and stayed as far away as possible from the group. They were too scared of the controversy to see the potential. Nearly an entire generation of marketers ignored the young men of America by ignoring rap and hip hop. And, by doing so, they missed the opportunity to build the next Beats with Dr. Dre – acquired by Apple for $3 billion, or Vitamin Water with 50 Cent – acquired by Coca Cola for $4.1 billion, or an Adidas partnership with Run DMC, which paved the way for Yeezys and many more. The marketers that saw through the controversy and noise were able to see the huge opportunity – an opportunity to partner with these now iconic names in the industry to catapult their brands into a completely different stratosphere. But most of them? They missed it. They were so scared that they did nothing, and missed out on millions or billions of dollars in sales.

The lesson from the late 80s and early 90s is still being learned today – and slowly. Marketers are still missing out on the potential for significant partnerships because they are scared of the potentially controversial partnerships. Right now, history is being made in the media. It’s not happening with the backing of a big network, but rather by a single content user on YouTube named Felix Kjellberg, aka PewDiePie. He is doing something that has never been done before, and singlehandedly has captured over 80 million subscribers and 19 billion views. His channel alone reaches one-quarter of all men in America between the ages of 18 and 34. But, just like thirty years ago with N.W.A, some brands & marketers are nervous to partner with him because of the perceived controversy. And they’re missing out.

I want you to do a quick Google search of PewDiePie. I can guarantee the top hits are steeped in controversy. For instance, most recently, hackers have seized control of thousands of Google Chromecasts to promote his channel. Before that, Jack Black founded a YouTube channel to go after PewDiePie’s top spot, and before that, he was accused of anti-Semitism. The list goes on and on.

I bring this up not to scare you; quite the contrary. The controversy is worth noting for two reasons. First, PewDiePie's making waves because he’s influential and popular. Don’t take my word for it – Time.com included him in their 2016 Top 100 Most Influential People list, along with the likes of Barack Obama, Lin Manuel Miranda, Steph Curry, and Donald Trump. Second, he’s steeped in controversy, not unlike those that surrounded South Park in the 90s or NWA in the late 80s. Society responds negatively to the trends and personalities that resonate with young men. So whether you love him, hate him, or just plain don’t understand him, PewDiePie is the voice of young men both in America and internationally.

But enough about that. This isn’t about the internet noise or controversy; it’s about a significant cultural media phenomenon. The story around PewDiePie is this: as a marketer; if young men are an important demographic for your brand, you must understand his channel, and how your consumers are engaging with it. With a quarter, yes a full 25%, of young American men watching his channel, you cannot afford to miss the revolution on PDP’s channel. Don’t miss history in the making.

In the history of modern communication, an independent content creator or media company has never – that’s right, never – created a media entity that has reached more than 80 million people. Take ESPN for example. It is one of the most successful media startups in American history. It employs approximately 8,000, is owned by Disney – one of the largest media conglomerates ever, and it has a total of 86 million subscribers. Compare that to PewDiePie. His team of three – well, five if you include his two pugs but let’s assume canines don’t count – has built something comparable with his over 80 million subscribers.

ESPN is an incredible story, and it’s one of the few examples of a media startup changing the landscape in modern history. But its current reach of 86 million has taken nearly forty years to build. Meanwhile, PewDiePie started his YouTube channel in 2010 – that means he has achieved an audience comparable to that of ESPN in less than one-quarter of the time. And with practically zero staff – it’s only in the last three or so years that he expanded his formerly one-man-team to three.

What started as a channel dedicated to playing and narrating video games exploded. Within two years, he had more than one million subscribers. Within three, he was crowned the most subscribed channel on YouTube. And now, just shy of nine-years since founding the PewDiePie Channel, he just surpassed the 80 million subscribers mark and has over 19 billion video views, making him the eighth most viewed channel ever. PewDiePie, a Swedish college dropout who initially worked part-time at a hotdog stand to supplement his YouTube career, has done something that no one else in the history of media has ever done. He has worked alone to build a media entity that reaches almost as many people as the most successful cable TV companies of all time. 

Let me spin it this way: if a network television show were reaching upwards of 80 million people, marketers would be lining up for commercial spots and sponsored brand placements to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. Now consider if you could guarantee the show would reach one-quarter of American men ages 18-34, marketers would be crazy not to advertise their product there, right? This is exactly what we see happening with the PewDiePie channel. There is so much fear surrounding PewDiePie’s reputation for stirring up controversy that some marketers won’t take the leap that is best for not only their brand but also for their career. Don’t be among them – learn from the scared marketers of years past and make the bold, smart move by partnering with the biggest media sensation this generation – or any generation – has seen.

With a fan base is called the “Bro Army,” PewDiePie’s viewers are primarily males in the ever-coveted millennial demographic. As with generations past, this age group seeks out edgy content that tests societal norms. From Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones to N.W.A and South Park, each generation has its own method of bucking societal norms and exploring controversial content. Take just a minute and compare the headlines about Hendrix, the Stones, or South Park to what’s surrounding PewDiePie now. The comparison draws itself. 

At their respective time, each of these now cultural icons were so contentious that the general public was unsure what to do with them. And marketers of their day were indeed hesitant about embracing that controversy with their advertising dollars. But ultimately, the brands that supported them benefitted tremendously. The same will be said in retrospect for those in marketing smart enough to allocate their funds to advertising partnerships with PewDiePie.

PewDiePie’s story and rise to the top is undoubtedly the biggest thing to happen on YouTube, or even in the influencer world. But he is not alone. Instead, he is symbolic of the most significant media trend in a generation: the democratization of distribution. Since the early 2000s, we’ve watched the media landscape change before our eyes. There were three crucial factors in changing that landscape: faster internet, the creation of platforms like YouTube, and the invention of the iPhone with the world's best camera. The combination of these three innovations was the public having greater access to information—both to consume it and to produce it, without the approval or participation from a media studio's content gatekeeper. And thus the influencer revolution was born.

With the birth of the influencer revolution, I'd expect to see advertising landscape evolve in tandem, yet that's not what has happened. Instead, as you watch PewDiePie’s channel, you see do see a branded content partners, but not as many as you do on ESPN, even though he has the reach comparable in numbers and in demographics.

And it makes me wonder – why is that? Is it fear? Fear of doing something different? Or fear of getting involved with someone who has the potential to stir up controversy? Or is it merely not understanding his reach, influence, and the content's appeal? Perhaps a combination of all of the above. But I beg of you: don’t be put off or scared away. What is happening on PewDiePie's channel is too important. 

Let me be clear. When you watch PewDiePie, you may not understand all the content, you may not love it or even like it, but that's not the point. It’s not meant for you. You are not his target audience; your customers are. And that's what matters. Not the controversy, not your dislike of his tactics or choices. PewDiePie is where your customers already are. And that’s why you have to pay attention. That’s why it’s essential that you not miss the bigger picture.