Is this a wake-up call for YouTube about expectations and reputation?
It only took one week for YouTube Rewind 2018 to become the most disliked video of all time, at the time of this writing now carrying a staggering 14 million dislikes and counting. The annual review video is a tradition for YouTube, and typically focuses on the most popular, engaging, and entertaining content creators on the platform. This year, however, several of those top content creators were left out in favor of what many in that group, and their viewers, say is a clash between the soul of YouTube itself and the company behind the service.
Several outspoken YouTube personalities have opined that the Rewind 2018 video featuring mainstream celebrities and traditional media shout-outs didn’t truly represent what drives YouTube’s popularity, namely the nonstop stream of controversial antics from the likes of PewDiePie or Logan Paul. Did Rewind 2018 truly strike that bad of a chord among YouTube’s core audience, is this an example of the power streamers have to direct audiences to share opinions and even take action on their behalf, or something else? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this interesting example of social media phenomena.
Erik Bernstein
erik@bernsteincrisismanagement.com
www.bernsteincrisismanagement.com
Connect with Erik on LinkedIn!