Why did YouTube’s 2018 Video Rewind fail to generate a positive “like-to-dislike” ratio?
YouTube likes to advertise that their core audience as the “social conscious” millennial crowd.
However, this is simply not the case, and by catering to this audience they actually ended up isolating their true majority demographic.
The 2018 Rewind’s audience was as follows:
- 73% Male
- 33% aged 18-44
- 27% w/ their main interest being “Gaming”
Basically their core audience is not the “social justice warrior” they aimed for, but instead just your standard “millennial male gamer!”
This was a publicity stunt that blew up in their face. Its great to be activists, and highlight issues that the media currently loves to favor…
…however, if they were hoping that the media would pick up on the story and run with a headline the likes of “Will Smith & YouTube fight for social justice & embrace diversity w/ annual Rewind video” then this was a huge misstep. Especially when considering that all the media is currently talking about revolves around just how hated this video truly is.
This is what happens when you ignore your own audience. NEVER underestimate your audience. You must know it well, respect what it is, and don’t try to force to become something its not. If this is done, then it should be possible to accurately predict exactly how your audience will respond…
…and if thats going to be “negatively” then abort mission immediately! You can’t force them to behave accordingly just to fit your agenda. To attempt to do so is not only the sign of a bad marketer, but an egregious sign of disrespect to your loyal fanbase.
Infographic: https://i.imgur.com/Feh8XEN.png
Source Video: https://youtu.be/YbJOTdZBX1g
All stats provided by SocialBook.
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