YouWatch I'll Tube

With the help of the internet, in our society not only are you able to read up on any possible topic but you can also watch a video on anything imaginable. Since the creation of YouTube, there is a mainstream and simple way to watch and upload videos that requires no technological background. There are little to no limits set on what you can and cannot upload which makes it universally popular. YouTube is used by many people for a wide variety of things and because of this, it could be seen as an extension of social media for a company. 

Leading fashion brands are making use of this video hosting site as a media distribution platform to further advertise their brand inexpensively. They are able to post ad campaigns, behind-the-scenes shoots or even clips they created for their website and in-store collections. Fashion companies are also using this type of media as a way to showcase celebrity endorsement and implement campaigns that will help promote their product. 

In our culture YouTube can be seen as a "core business" strategy. Video is an interactive way to get in touch with a large scale audience without the restrictions and limitations of television. A company has the ability to post as many videos as they want without having to stay inside the lines of a "commercial" like format. 

Celebrity and fashion designer, Victoria Beckham uses YouTube as an extension to her brand. She uploads behind the scenes clips, runway shows and interviews to her YouTube account. This creates a relationship between the producer (Beckham) and consumer (us) that may have not been present before without the use of video. 

Looking at the fashion industry as a whole, YouTube has created personal connections within this large community. People from all over the world now have the ability to enjoy runway shows, fashion week(s), etc. that they otherwise would not be able to view. Although blog and social media accounts create conversations in fashion, the visual experience that YouTube offers is unlike anything else. 
#ReadySetAction

 

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How YouTube Matters

Digital Slave Labor

At some point in every one's life, I believe there to be time when their number one priority is work. From what I have come to find, exactly when or for how long this "stage" lasts is unique to each individual. However, when it comes to blogging, it sounds like nothing ever seems to slow down. Is it possible that by becoming a blogger, you are essentially a slave to this medium for as long as you both shall live? It's no secret that blogging is demanding, there is a huge commitment of time and effort if you want to make it big in this online realm. Constantly checking and updating its content is what keeps a blog alive. 

This fast paced trend we see with blogging parallels with the ins and outs of the fashion world. In this world, trends and fashion movements are constantly fed and nurtured with attention. Essentially, this is how we create blog posts, with tons of love and affection. A place where these two combine into one is when someone holds the title as a "fashion blogger", or as I’d like to call it, a modernized “victim” of slave labor. 

Leandra Medine, creator of Man Repeller, is a fashion blogger whose life is now synonymous with slaving to a digital medium. During her college years, what began as a place to fire out her thoughts on all things fashion, dating and quirky daily struggles is now a full time job. There is no other medium involving writing that is more fast paced and creatively informal than a blog. Medine has created a brand that does not involve a line of clothing or handbag collection but rather a brand that is comprised with her "stream of consciousness thoughts". 

Online communities have existed for many years, so what makes blogging so different. From the fast paced environment and freedom of speech, a blog has the ability to transform your thoughts into conversations that matter. 

#iSlave 

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Psychology of Blogs (Weblogs): Everything Old is New Again

When life gives you lemons, make lululemon

We are a part of a generation that is divided between seeing technology as something you can live or can't live without. Through competition and creative processes we begin to move through technology too fast because there is always something new, something better and something faster out there. Although sometimes our obsession with technology can be seen as ridiculous, it is inevitable that technology will only continue to play a big role in our lives as time goes on. Unfortunately, resisting this change will only leave you trying to catch up in the end. 

As social media continues to grow, we are beginning to realize the huge influence it has on communication in the digital world. Especially looking at our generation, we are fueled by the creative processes happening online and we desire these new forms of interactions. 

Steven Johnson in "Bitmapping: An Introduction" compares interface as the translator between user and computer [machine], this “language” being interpreted is what we use every day on social media. Meaning, there is essentially a technology driven "language" that we have learned to understand. The computer works to connect people to these (but not limited to) social media outlets. Being able to apply this language to the online world and relate it back to a company is what ignites this expertise into a career path.

Let's take a look at lululemon athletica. With 498k followers on instagram, 582.7k followers on twitter, an inspirational pinterest AND a yoga, running and goal setting blog located on their website, this company knows how to implement social media. Throughout each social media outlet, there is a language that is understood by their customers that has created an online "lululemon" community. 

This retail company uses a language comprised of hashtags and uplifting, goal orientated "challenges" to keep followers engaged. Their most recent challenge #ifnothing, gives people the opportunity to share what they would do if nothing was stopping them. Followers are encouraged to upload photos and comment on blog posts, all of which include the "#ifnothing" saying. With an online language that is universally known, even with something as simple as a two worded hashtag, their social media platforms continuously promotes lululemon and everything they stand for. #thesweatlife

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Bitmapping: An Introduction