Zoella - industry

• Convergent technologies


  • Social media
  • Smart phones
• Bloggers and vloggers


  Developed due to convergent technologies
• Online bloggers and vloggers

  • Global and shareable nature of online
  • Can reach massive audiences
• Zoella's early branding as a vlogger

  Relatable and 'normal'
• Joining an MCN (Multi-Channel Network)

  • Promotes vlogger's content to a much wider audience
  • Members can promote each others channels
• MCNs


  • Provide vloggers with production assistance
  • Have their own team of specialist video production staff
  • Provide studios and equipment
• Zoella's immense wealth


  Has had an impact on the production value, has to carefully consider everything she posts to maximise revenue
• To maximise profit, a producer should copy an existing successful format, rather than making something different or original
• Zoella's spin off sister channel 'more Zoella'


  Helps her to make even more money out her existing successful brand
• Due to decline in traditional media products, brands have turned to advertising online instead
• Brands want to use bloggers like Zoella

  To advertise their products as they can reach huge audiences
• Advertising Standards Authority


  Regulate online ads, including paid for promotions by celebrities like Zoella
• Bloggers have to make it clear to viewers

  If they have been paid to promote something, usually by using hashtags or specifically saying 'paid for promotion'
• Many bloggers including Zoella have been in trouble in the past for not making it clear when a promotion has been paid for
• There is no regulatory body for social media content in general
• Social media pages like YouTube 'self regulate'


  By having their own rules about what people can post, and relying on either users, or algorithms to check content
• Due to the vast number of global users and posts, it is impossible to ensure that content doesn't breach the guidelines sometimes
• The problem with this form of regulation is that content that breaches regulations is often seen by millions before it is reported and removed
• Regulating online content is very hard as it is virtually impossible to permanently remove something once it has been posted
• Zoella's vlog while driving caused a lot of bad publicity including a public telling off by the police
• Online bloggers have to be careful

  Not to post anything that is going to be offensive as this may cause bad publicity, risking sponsorship deals and possible demonetisation
• Bloggers like Zoella try to stay quite 'family friendly'


  In terms of content eg no swearing, no sexually suggestive content etc
• Zoella's company A-Z creatives


  Gives her her own team of staff to help run her channels
• During 2020 the UK government offered a 'furlough' scheme to struggling businesses, allowing them to claim money to pay their staff with
• Some people were angry that the scheme was being 'abused' by millionaires who could clearly afford to pay their staff anyway
• Zoella's old blog site

  More personal and informal, reflecting her own individual contribution as a solo blogger
• Zoella's new website


  • Reflects her new status as a 'brand'
  • Posts are written from the perspective of 'we' reflecting a more corporate approach
• Zoella's focus on pushing her merchandise in posts


  Diversifying into other synergetic products helps to reduce risk, and maximise profits
• Zoella has diversified into publishing too as she has written several books
• Collaborations with other celebrities

  • A popular way of strengthening a vlogger's fanbase
• Fan opinion


  Hugely important for vloggers
• Zoella has come under fire in the past when fans have been disappointed with her products or projects
• Zoella publicly addressed the complaints


  Blamed the price on a decision made by Boots rather than her
• Fan conventions such as VidCon

  • Fans pay to attend these to meet celebrity vloggers, get autographs etc
• Curran and Seaton suggest that media companies are often focused entirely on profit and power
• Some cynical people might suggest the charity projects Zoella does were done for self promotion