Branding

I just had a commenter angrily dispute (read: swearing like a five year old) over my use of the word "brand" when referring to a particular Youtube channel's more prominent attributes, and it made me wonder just how many people seriously don't think they're in this for the money.

It's their day job. Of course they are.

That doesn't mean it's a bad thing. And it doesn't automatically make someone a sell-out. They started out doing something which people liked, and as the user base grew, so did ad revenue, enough so to sustain them. But to say that various Youtubers don't have a "brand" is like saying they're all the same as Joe Vlogger. They all have things which distinguish them, and most of them actively use those things to promote themselves in all things internet-related, whether that's selling shirts or growing their fan base. Olga Kay for example has her juggling (which she doesn't really do anymore though), a whole series of recurring characters she plays on her main channel videos, and her "moosh army." Toby Turner has his "darkness then redness then whiteness" thing. Cory Williams has his "mean kitties." Shay is the "family man." Arturo Trejo has his exaggerations, his family, and the whole Spanish thing. Wheezy Waiter has a number of recurring in-jokes (new couch!), Explosion Wednesday (not that that's a thing), his band, etc. CTFxC has its very name, and the dogs. I could go on and on. And let's not forget that most of these people have theme songs now, as well. When people think of these Youtubers, they identify them with these things. It's part of the "brand" they've created to set themselves apart from the masses. And it's why they're all popular. It's in no way an implication that they've sold out.

When you become a sell-out is when the search for money and/or fame goes too far and impacts what you've established. When advertising is prevalent, when products are promoted too often, when out of the ordinary things are done on the channel purely for views, outright spamming, etc. Not cool. Most of these people already make a living off of their fans, so expecting more than that, particularly at the expense of normal content, is kind of selfish. Not that I blame them, of course, because everybody likes money. But fans notice, and in the end, they're only damaging their own image.

There are in fact certain Youtubers who I feel are nothing but sell-outs at this point. Some I've mentioned in detail, others I've never mentioned here at all. And not everyone who I've had a beef with here is on that list, either, before you go making assumptions. But there's no point in me naming names, because there's obviously thousands of people who would disagree with me in each case regardless of any evidence I might present. You know, much like the angry commenter who felt it necessary to swear angrily at the very implication that their favorite Youtuber promoted any kind of brand to begin with!