How James Bond Helped Me Make Sense of Facebook, Twitch, and TikTok Problems

Here’s what’s new and what caught my eye this week:

Coinkydink or Not? All of Facebook’s properties go down due to networking “configuration changes.” Then TikTok goes out for a few hours. Shortly after, a massive Twitch hack due to a “server configuration change” releases just about everything of note from the streamer including source code, earnings for top streamers, and much more. To quote Bond supervillain Goldfinger, “Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time is enemy action.”

Wheel of Snapchat! It started out so well –– Snapchat spent a million dollars a day to get creators to post short videos on Spotlight. But it didn’t last long. Now instead of paying creators outright, it plans to enter them into a raffle instead. In other words, if you make great Snap Spotlight content, you earn the right to maybe, possibly, perhaps win a few bucks. Imagine if I tried that at VidCon. “Hey team, love all the great work you’re doing! You’ll all be entered into my ‘VidCon Challenge,’ where one lucky employee actually gets paid each week.” That won’t fly here and likely won’t incentivize creators, either –– even if they could get Vanna White to hand out the prizes.

Amway, Avon, Mary Kay, and…NFTs? The potential for NFTs is definitely bright, and we’ve talked a lot here about where it’s going. But not everyone is so sanguine. This insightful post points out some of the flaws in the NFT supernova, likening them to multi-level marketing schemes that end up leaving most members holding the bag. It’s a great piece, one well worth reading before you buy another CryptoKitty or Mutant Ape.

The Many-Tentacled Squid Game: Netflix’s super successful new series had lots of chins wagging. Tanay Jaipuria sees it as a success of meme-based marketing and niche at scale, while Rex Woodbury uses the show to denigrate the current financial system and pump up new FinTech solutions. I’m sure we’ll see more experts using the show to bloviate about their favorite topics –– and develop funny memes, too.

QUIBIS:?

• According to this 91-page teen survey from Piper Sandler, Emma Chamberlain and Chick-fil-A are #1, and influencer marketing works (plus a zillion more facts).
• Dapper Labs acquired virtual influencer startup Brud. Brud’s CEO, Trevor McFedries, joined us two weeks ago for VidTalks, where he talked about crypto, DAOs, and the future of Web3. Watch the video here!
• Warner Music became Twitch’s first major label partner.
• Julia Montgomery, founder of Influent, has created the “Glassdoor for Influencers.”
• “Slap a Teacher”? Really, TikTok? Where’s your algorithm now?
• So much for IGTV.?
• Rewind is dead, too.
• Rebecca Jennings hangs out with the crème de la crème of NY TikTok.
• The successful strategy Jack Dorsey took to reinvent Twitter in 2015.
• List of Creator Economy-funded companies from March 2020 to July 2021.
• Decentralized publishing platform Mirror is now open to all.

This Week at VidCon Now:

• TUESDAY: Who said that only musicians can have their own songs? In this VidTalk, mayk.it Head of Creators Daniela Genie and music industry veteran Aahmek Richards are going to help you understand the world of casual music creation, ownership models, and distribution channels. Watch it live at 12 PM (PT) at live.vidcon.com.
• THURSDAY: Michael “JustMaiko” Le is here for an interactive Q&A! Come ready to talk about his extreme makeover and Shluv House 2.0 –– and make sure to pay attention for your chance to snag a virtual selfie! Watch it live at 3 PM (PT) here.

Tip of the Week: This week’s tip comes from Cory McElroy, the owner of Aquarium Co-Op!

A tip I give all the creators I work with is to keep them wanting more. Oversaturation is a common problem. We all have our favorite food, but after 3 days straight of it, we start to tire of it. Our favorite creators are like that as well. A strategy needs to be developed for content planning that includes video releases, community posts, stories, newsletters and any other media you put out on a monthly basis.

What We’re Watching:?

• Boss Baby is on Cameo. Who knew the VidCon team were such fans?
• John Green’s Pizzamas is here!
• Everyone on TikTok is talking about @emilymariko, a food content creator whose video of her mashing leftover salmon, rice, and avocado together with Kewpie mayo and Sriracha has accrued over 25.7M views.
• Are you on “couch guy TikTok”? TikTok user @laurenzarras uploaded a video of her surprising her boyfriend at college. Viewers noted his less-than-lukewarm response, which then exploded into a proliferation of theories and parodies about the state of their relationship.
• The MLB TikTok account is now...a meme page?
• Singer/songwriter (and former YouTuber) Conan Gray made an alt account on TikTok (@user6141013131857) a little over a week ago...and it’s already accrued over 300,000 followers, most of them fans. Behold: the power of the algorithm!

See you around the internet, and feel free to share this with anyone you think might be interested, and if someone forwarded this to you, you can sign up?on our website at?VidCon.com?— scroll down and select “VidCon Weekly Industry Highlights."

Jim