Supplemental Post #5 - The Influencers of Today - Hana Lee

With the rise of the internet and the continued shift of what defines a celebrity, I saw a tweet recently that shows the relationship between the entertainment industry and today's internet celebrity.

In utilizing Twitter, the popular digital media platform characterized by its raw, limited-character nature, popular YouTuber @ClaireMarshall expressed her love for the highly anticipated film, Crazy Rich Asians. The film, directed by Jon Chu, is based on the popular novel by author Kevin Kwan and details the events that occur when a Chinese-American woman is thrown into a life among the extremely affluent people of Singapore.

As someone who read this novel, I was extremely excited to hear that it was being developed into a feature length film. Back in January, I was also extremely blessed and beyond excited to be able to intern at Warner Bros who is coincidentally releasing this film in August!

In interning for the marketing department, one area traditional studios have begun to invest their efforts in is through influencer marketing. This fairly new marketing tactic targets consumers through the internet personalities they follow. This process involves reaching out to potential influencers organically and through emerging platforms such as Julius which provides studios and brands an all-in-one medium where they can look up influencers, including their social followings.

With the emergence of Youtube, Instagram, and other social platforms, creative people have been able to garner enough of a following to attract the attention of brands. In further looking into which influencers the company invited to the film's premiere at the Ace Theatre in Downtown LA, I also found Ashley Perez's review of the film:

Ashley, who worked for the popular media company Buzzfeed has also found her footing in the entertainment industry through the various videos she starred in during her time at the company. Though she has since left due to creative clashes (like many of the producers who work for the company), the fact that she has a platform shows how influential today's stars can be. 

These individuals truly show the power of niche in influencer marketing. Because of the high level of interaction with their fans, they are able to create deeper connections rather than more, shallow ones. Social media is also responsible for the growing feelings of "knowing" these stars, fans have developed a strong sense of trust in who they follow.