YouTube – Disney – Pewdiepie? Brand Perception?

Pewdiepie?  What is a Pewdiepie, and why is that important?

Until very recently, I had no clue what/who a Pewdiepie was.  Right up until I started reading about him (yeah, it’s a person) in most major news media, trending on Twitter, and several people whom I listen to on YouTube began discussing the issues that make this – important – to everyone in business.

Here is a short history lesson about the subject:

Pewdiepie had one of the largest followings on YouTube Red (their paid service) for his show and was one of the highest paid content providers.  He was part of Maker Studios, which, in turn, is owned By Disney.  Why is all this – past tense – verbiage?  He was recently dropped by Disney, his show (and some of his personal channel videos) banned from YouTube, and no longer works at/with Maker Studios.

Why did this happen you may ask?

He produced (according to the sources mentioned above) a series of shows/comments that contained anti-semitic and racist materials/references.

Disney and YouTube terminated contracts based upon  – damage – they perceived to their brand.  Pretty simple, really.  They had to protect the image of their brand and made a business decision with regard to that.  He went from a hero – to a zero – in a heartbeat, all because of his own actions and personal brand perception.

Ok, now that you know a bit about what happened, how does that apply to everyone here?

No one here, that I know of anyway, has contracts with major content providers or is considered a – major player – on YouTube or other social media.  However, that doesn’t mean that – brand perception – isn’t valuable to your endeavors.

For most of us, – we – are our brand.  We all try and present ourselves to potential, and current, consumers in a positive manner.  One that offers an implied willingness to work with them to offer products/services of value.  Or, want to be perceived as someone worthy of working with by others.

EVERYTHING you do on social media, Forums, Skype chats, and video conferences (even those not recorded or released to the public) can, and probably will, affect the – brand – you wish to portray to others.  There is no difference if it is on a personal Facebook page, or the Twitter business account, it – matters – what you say/do.

We live in a – connected – world, one that exists on a cloud, and stores massive amounts of information about you that can be found by anyone with an internet connection.  People Google those they may want to enter into a business relationship prior to making decisions.  They look for positive, and negative, reviews not only about your business but you as well.  They will seek you out on social media, read about how you do/don’t like (insert whatever it is here), and use that as part of the decision making process about you.

Even in semi-private chats (video or text) where people you may want to entice to work with you are at, what you say, how you respond to others, and the – persona – you portray, WILL be used at some point.

Are you serious about your business?  Do you offer anything that enhances discussions?  Are you helping others?  Are you negative, or positive?  And so forth.

Basically, it all comes down to the old adage of “THINK before you speak”.

Yes, we are all free to do as we please.  But remember, along with that – freedom – comes responsibility for our actions –  and accepting any possible repercussions.

There may come a day when you are the one being considered by others for something that you have sought to achieve.  It may be a featured YouTube channel, potential for increased business growth, being accepted by a mentor you value, or even a new job.

Plan now to ensure that what you do/say today doesn’t affect the future of your brand negatively.  What is past, is past.  We can only control how we move forward on this path along the journey.

If we all truly looked at where we are, I am sure we could see an opportunity to improve. I know I have significant room for improvement in this aspect.

Let’s start TODAY!  Don’t get “Pewdiepied”!

 

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homage-to-the-sponge

With Sincere Thanks

Richard Taylor

“The only limits we have are those you impose upon yourself. Remove the limits!”

Follow my current adventures on Twitter

9 thoughts to “YouTube – Disney – Pewdiepie? Brand Perception?”

  1. What an outstanding article Richard!

    This touches on a topic that I have also tried to touch on from time-to-time. It is a VERY important aspect to how we should approach our business practices both online and off. Unfortunately there is a lot of negative in the industry today. People should REALLY meditate on this statement you made:

    “Yes, we are all free to do as we please. But remember, along with that – freedom – comes responsibility for our actions – and accepting any possible repercussions.”

    I like the way you tied all of this into our “brand.” That hits the nail right on the head. Sometimes we make mistakes that we could have avoided if we had simply “turned on our brain” before we said or did something. I still have a particular incident in mind when I opened my mouth before I turned on my brain and by so doing I insulted a person that has integrity in this industry. Even though I have apologized both publicly and privately I still feel so bad about it because it simply should not have happened.

    This post should be serious food for thought for ALL of us in this industry.

  2. Richard Taylor, you always manage to hit a sensitive spot. Who we are today, is often built on the backs of the people we meet on our online journey. Sometimes, those we meet offline as well, contribute greatly to the faux pas we wish never happened.

    Actually, that is not true either lol as the ostrich projects the butt we can get kicked over and over. Perhaps I should have said, if only we had found the grace to present our arguments in better taste?

    We live in sensitive times and our mettle will surely be tested over and over again in days to come.

    We ARE all free to think and do as we please. And yes, it will be best to think first in respect to who it is we set out to please.

    I do love that name ‘Pewdiepie?.’ A real thinker of a moniker.

    Thanks for sharing.

    1. Hello Fran,

      Without the help of others, not much would be accomplished. I depend on the people I know to keep me – in line – with a swift kick when needed! I do, however, hope to need it less as I learn more.

      Yes, out mettle will be tested many times. Stand tall knowing that you are not perfect, but willing to keep trying!

      Thanks for coming by today! 🙂

  3. Great post Richard. Well done! Very well explained and to the point. I believe the only way to run a business is with upmost respect towards others and with a positive attitude. We should do the best we can to help others as well. Of course we are all human with faults, but we must think before we speak as you said above. We must try to understand why someone might be slow or lack understanding of certain this and help them instead of criticizing them or making fun of them. We all started at the beginning at one point in time. So we need to try and put ourselves in their place and be helpful. 🙂

      1. Barbara, good to see you here!

        Respect and helping others is always a primary goal. Knowing that we must earn their respect in return tempers our endeavors, and allows us to grow as we travel each path on the journey.

        No mere mortal was born with ultimate knowledge of all things. We learn as we go, and from others along the way. Seeking out that knowledge, and then passing it along, helps us to develop a better understanding of how we can live our lives to the fullest potential.

        Thanks for the comments! 🙂

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