The Ask
To identify the top YouTube channels and define the best practices to make channels successful on social media platforms.
Process
For this project, we were split into either the account team or creative team. I was the director for the account team, with my primary focuses being research, strategy, media planning, and overall making sure we as a team were making all of the deadlines.
After defining the best practices for channels, we created a case study for our client so they could see what creative campaigns for their future clients might look like. We chose Warner Bros., one of Vobile's current clients.
This page includes highlights from research and strategy, but the presentation deck and final book with the entirety of the campaign are linked at the top of the page.
Research (Vobile)
For our research on Vobile, we included a general section about the IP protection company, its services, competitors, brand distribution, and a SWOT analysis.
Research (YouTube)
To gauge success on YouTube, we focused on key metrics: subscriptions, likes, comments, and views. Subscriptions reflect a loyal audience, likes indicate content enjoyment and aid algorithm understanding, comments foster engagement and provide qualitative insights, and views measure content consumption. While subscriptions are commonly used, they can be misleading due to inactive subscribers. We opted for views as a more accurate indicator, requiring at least 30 seconds of viewer attention.
Overall
The overall top ten channels on YouTube are mostly company channels in the music and entertainment industry, although some of the YouTube channels with children’s content are produced by independent creators.
Regional
United States - The top five channels in the US consist of children’s education and sports entertainment.
United Kingdom - The top five channels in the UK are a mix of musical artists, individual creators, and children’s education.
China - The top five channels in China are mainly owned by bigger companies and media distributors.
Canada - The top five channels in Canada focus on music and movies for all audiences.
France - The top five channels in France consist of individual creators, a music channel, and movies.
India - The top five channels in India are mainly owned by larger companies and distributors.
Entertainment
The top ten channels in entertainment are also mostly company channels that house films, series, etc., with the exception of the YouTube channels starring children and their families.
Filming, Gaming, Music
Film - The top five channels in film include companies mostly based in other countries that provide movies or movie clips/trailers, as well as channels with children’s series.
Gaming - The top five channels in gaming include streamers. Many of them are targeted toward children, but streamers like Markiplier have content for older teens and adults.
Music - The top five channels in music are bigger overarching music companies that house different artists and music mostly based in other countries.
Research (Warner Bros. and YouTube)
We noted down some analytics for Warner Bros.' YouTube channel, as well as two of its competitors and all of their general posting schedules and content. We found that Warner Bros. had a repetitive teaser and trailer format, which was not connecting with younger audiences as much as it could.
Before finding solutions, we conducted two focus groups to gain insights into our target audience to identify innovative solutions for optimizing Warner Bros' presence on YouTube. Our target audience was adults aged 18-35 of all genders and varied incomes that live around the world and use YouTube frequently. Based on our findings, we created three different personas.
Insights
1. Fan communities have personalities of their own.
These communities have identifying qualities that help connect the unique members within them, and each fandom has vastly different cultures from each other, which further differentiates each fan community from each other.
2. Consumers are online explorers who are willing to try new things.
Users on YouTube tend to watch what is suggested on their feed over searching for specific videos to watch. They use their feeds to explore new hobbies, interests, and anything that catches their attention.
3. To fans, knowledge is a social currency.
Within fandoms, the biggest fan is the one with the most knowledge. Social media has made the behind-the-scenes of movies accessible to fans, and this content allows fans to “level up” within their fandoms.
4. People want to see reflections of themselves in brands.
People like to see the same depths and multitudes in a brand’s personality as a human being. They want the brands to be relevant to their lives and to connect with them on an emotional level. In addition, people tend to align themselves with brands that stand by the same values they do.
Big Idea
Our big idea invites fans to "Be a Digital Adventurer" through the introduction of "WarnerFest,” the ultimate fan convention. Unlike conventional fan conventions, WarnerFest aims to be an immersive journey, encouraging fans to delve into the worlds of iconic characters, participate in panels, and experience stories in a captivating way.
To bring this vision to life, our campaign features meticulously designed print, digital, and out-of-home advertisements. These ads aim to blur the lines between fantasy and reality, depicting characters emerging from electronic devices with enticing copy like "Choose Your Own Adventure" or "Your Digital Adventure Awaits." We also updated the brand guidelines for the YouTube channel.
Beyond mere engagement, WarnerFest seeks to revolutionize the traditional viewing experience on Warner Bros.' YouTube channel, utilizing technology and storytelling to ensure fans are at the forefront of each adventure. WarnerFest is not a one-time spectacle but is envisioned as an annual tradition, fostering continuous fan engagement over time.
Lastly, the account team also created the media plan and flowchart, showing the different schedules for OOH, social, events, print, and digital advertising.
