Visit California partners with famous youtubers and youtube channel to reach a younger audience

For March’s post, we have chosen a once again very interesting article that deals with the subject of digital influencers, titled “To goose tourism, California turns to YouTube stars” retrieved from Digiday.

(Source : www.flickr.com)

A quick summary of the article

In August 2015, Visit California in partnership with AwesomenessTV launched its first Web series on YouTube called “First Times with Jenn & Jack.” During 11 episodes, Jenn McAllister and Jack Baran – two young and famous youtubers – test various activities in California such as skydiving, jetpacks and rodeo roundup. All videos are available to see here. On February 26^th, 2016 the most popular one – 5. Santa Monica Pier – amounted to 434,143 views.

(Source : www.flickr.com)

Sahil Patel, the article’s author, reports the words of Jennifer Sweeney, Visit California’s director of PR. She says young audience is difficult to reach and YouTube is a way for them to “showcase the state” to this audience. AwesomenessTV has been chosen as a partner for the reason that 66% of its audience is between the ages of 13 and 24.

Visit California motto – which you can find on their website – is “Dream Big.” Their YouTube videos aim at being inspirational and show that California is the one state where you can “make your dreams come true.”

Our impressions and opinion on the Web series

- The first thing we appreciated about the videos is that they are allowing an immersive experience. Both youtubers carry a GoPro camera on their forehead. They are giving their impressions during and after each activity. It is a ‘real-time testimony’ that cannot be faked.

- The second thing we enjoyed is that there is a mixture between videos recorded by youtubers’ GoPro and the regular videos recorded by professional cameraman. It allows viewers to see all behind the scenes and enjoy nice shots of California beautiful landscapes.

- The third thing we liked is that videos have an appropriate length, between 6 and 8 minutes each. It is the kind of short videos you can watch in public transport when you are going to school.

- Even though we are in the target audience (13 to 24 yo), we felt like the youtubers were a bit young (around 18 yo) compared to us. It makes it a little more difficult to identify ourselves to them.

Also it is interesting to see that Visit California YouTube channel counts other web series targeting different audiences. One about California’s culinary specialties titled “California Dream Eater”  presented by Chase Ramsey a famous Director, Choreographer, Actor, and Designer. And another one about sports titled “Joe Montana in Bay Area or Bust” presented by Joe Montana a famous former professional American football quarterback.

(Source : www.flickr.com)

Working with digital influencers to reach a well targeted audience

It appears to us that digital influencers such as bloggers and youtubers have reinvented the way marketers use personalities to advertise their products or services. We think that it is easier to identify ourselves to ‘real people’ than to famous actors or actresses. We are used to get inspiration from videos or pictures of destinations we see on internet. By gathering opinions and experiences from authentic digital personalities we feel better informed than through traditional commercials because it is genuine.

Also, by making use of digital influencers, companies reach a well targeted audience. However, YouTube may be more of a platform used by young people (under 30 yo), at least on a daily basis.

Lise Cimbolini 
& Trung Duc Nguyen