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54 — Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in Communications, Vol. 7, No. 1 • Spring 2016 has been creating grassroots ‘micro-celebrities’ with increasing frequency. For personal branders, being storytellers who are capable, yet fascinating and even fantastic is a sound strategy” (p. 21). The influence of a YouTuber’s personal brand is demonstrated through the success of brands wanting to collaborate with content creators, such as Kjellberg, Sugg, and Helbig. Based on the research from the literature view, this study aimed to answer three questions about YouTube: RQ1: What are the qualities of user-generated content that make it appealing to viewers? RQ2: What are similar characteristics that popular YouTubers have in common? RQ3: How have YouTubers utilized traditional media to help build their personal brand? III. Method This study analyzed elements within the videos of three prominent YouTubers and the structure of their channel. They were selected based on Lavaveshkul’s (2012) study, which analyzed the top 10 most subscribed to YouTube channels of 2012. These 10 channels could be divided into three categories of gaming, comedy, or how-to. The current study selected one channel from each category based on their popularity on YouTube. The three YouTubers were Felix Kjellberg (gaming), Grace Helbig (comedy), and Zoe Sugg (how to). To find answers to the research questions, the author developed 18 questions, based on the studies of Lavaveshkul (2012) and Biel and Gatica-Perez (2011). (Refer to Appendix for a list of all questions). Some answers were found by examining the videos of the three YouTubers on November 9 and 10, 2015. Others were found from Social Blade, a statistics website that tracks growth across social media platforms including YouTube (“Track YouTube,” 2015). Content analysis was used for this study because of its characteristics that Neuendorf (2002) described. According to him, “Content Analysis may be briefly defined as the systematic, objective, quantitative analysis of message characteristics. It includes the careful examination of human interaction” (p. I). Content analysis allows for an objective comparison of the three channels. Instead of focusing on viewers’ opinions, this study focused on the content of each individual’s channel. IV. Results The current author analyzed the layout of the three Youtubers’ landing page. Both Sugg and Kjellberg featured logos on their channel. On the other hand, instead of logos, Helbig displayed in a banner her uploading schedule and a slogan that stated, “What a Charming Idiot.” Only Kjellberg displayed advertising on the landing page of his channel. For example, his banner advertised his book, This Book Love You, which was released in October 2015, as shown in Figure 1. A commercial did not play before Kjellberg’s newest video. Instead a banner advertisement was displayed at the bottom of his video. On the other hand, Sugg and Helbig displayed an advertisement in their most recent videos before the clip began. Figure 1. Kjellberg’s logo and advertising on his bannerPDF Image | How YouTube Developed into a Successful Platform for User-Generated Content
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