Is the Internet the new Celebrity Playground?

Is the Internet the new Celebrity Playground?

There are not many people on earth who don’t believe the internet is one of the most incredible, life-changing inventions the planet has ever seen. Almost everything we do is influenced by, or carried out on the net, and with the long-heralded internet of things revolution picking up steam, it is soon going to be even more embedded into our everyday existence. Also you should know that Twesocial works!

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There are also consequences of the net that could never have been foreseen, when it was being developed, not that many years ago. The music industry has been changed irrevocably, TV and film follow not far behind. One group of people who have embraced the phenomenon as much as marketing executives, if not more, are the celebrities. Suddenly they have an almost immediate connection with their millions of fans and followers and more than enough opportunities to gain new ones. No longer do they have to wait a week to show the world their new hair style. Take a quick selfie, bang it on Instagram, and you can spend the rest of the day doing what you do best – talking about yourself on Twitter!

So what exactly do celebrities do online?

Bucket Loads of Cash

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It is life-affirming that after taking millions upon millions of hours of cat videos and people falling off treadmills, there was suddenly some more practical evidence that the internet can be a massive force for good. And celebs were almost falling over themselves to be part of it. The first example where a celeb-driven awareness campaign went viral was the ice bucket challenge. In the summer of 2014, you couldn’t move for some of the world’s most famous people having buckets of ice thrown over their heads in order to raise awareness for ALS – Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Facebook, Vine, Twitter and Instagram went viral almost overnight, and it wasn’t just people desperate for a attention who were getting involved. Tom Cruise, Lady Gaga, Robert Downey Jr, Charlie Sheen, Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates were just a handful of stars who underwent the ordeal and nominated others to follow suit. The whole campaign was an incredible viral success, and helped fund 10 vital research projects on the disease that would not have been possible otherwise, with very real and very tangible results that will help thousands of sufferers.

Raising the Bar
Standing under a bucket of ice cold water may be amusing to watch, but it doesn’t take a whole lot of skill. Surely the collective brains of all those incredibly talented people could raise the bar and come up with something that requires a little more talent. Fret no more: they have. The latest phenomenon sweeping the world’s smartphones and tablets shows some of the best sporting stars setting their team mates and rivals challenges of one-upmanship.

Barcelona’s talismanic Neymar Jr literally kicked things off by posting a clip of himself juggling a ball, before somehow managing to get it to bounce almost 360 degrees into the boot of a parked car. Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario took up the challenge, going one better by firing a ball into the back of an accelerating car. The whole poker-lingo inspired #raiseit campaign encourages those taking part to raise the bar on whatever talent, skill or occupation they have, to go one better. That is a philosophy that can be carried over into however you spend your time.

Share and (maybe not) Share Alike
The internet also gives today’s celeb the opportunity to provide a window into their lives, their loves and their passions. It is a window that us voyeurs are only too keen to peek through, and unlike the unwanted attention afforded them by the paparazzi, it is one very much controlled by themselves (and their PR agency!).

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Celebs are by far the biggest thing in social media. Brands can only dream about having that much of a following, that kind of loyalty. If Taylor Swift of Justin Timberlake post a picture of themselves wearing a certain label, or at a new restaurant, that is worth more than their annual marketing budget. Justin Bieber has 77 million followers on Facebook, 58.6 million on Twitter, and 20.9 million on Instagram. Kate Perry isn’t far behind (76.7 million, 62.5 million, 11.9 million).

Yes, they use social media to strengthen fan loyalty, promote their latest movie or album, but they also use it to connect in a way that was never possible before. Suddenly they are accessible; everyone knows their hobbies, their favourite sneakers, what shakes they have first thing after a run, or how they like their coffee. Of course, though it was designed as a two-way street, as a way of sharing information, the sharing is very much one sided. Rihanna (or the world for that matter), isn’t particularly concerned with where Dave from Pinner is spending his Friday night, or what Julie from Crystal Falls is having for brunch.

A New Breed of Star

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As well as established stars, social media is a platform that can launch the man or woman on the street into sudden global fame, even if it is often fleeting. There is no better example than Candace Payne, the Texan mother of two who posted a video of herself wearing a talking Chewbacca mask. The clip was watched more than 110 million times. It is hard to see where Candace goes from here, but the power of such publicity should not be underestimated. The term YouTube sensation may instantly have you rolling your eyes, but if done correctly, there is very real money – and a career to be made out of it.

Felix Kjellberg or PewDiePie to his fans, is a Swedish comedian who posts Vlogs on gaming. To date, he has 42 million YouTube subscribers, with more than 11 billion video views. Felix has subsequently partnered with Polaris and makes up to $2.50 for each 1000 views his vids get. Still, sometimes, not unlike the real world, internet fame can be quite stressful.

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But nevertheless it should be embraced. As a species, it is making us more connected than ever before. Geography is no longer a barrier, but a topic of conversation. If someone can have their 15 minutes of fame by owning a cat that looks like Dustin Hoffman is that really a bad thing?

*This was a sponsored post.*