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Many of the YouTube successes
who shared their stories with
us were people looking for a
new way to pursue a passion, expand an
existing small business, or build a following
that could translate into jobs and
opportunities in the offline world. We
also spoke with experts who encourage
job hunters to post their résumés on
YouTube to attract prospective employers,
and even high school students who
felt that their YouTube videos were the
jolt that pushed their college applications
from the rejection pile to the
acceptance pile. Their stories, goals, and
efforts may vary, but all told they prove that YouTube is not just a
place to be entertained but also a tremendous tool that’s available to
all who choose to learn to use it. But first, who are these people who
have paved the way for the rest of us?
They include performers, artists, businesspeople, barbers,
writers, and even accidental celebrities. This last group once may
have set out just to have fun, but now some have business managers
and advertising agencies representing them and their financial
Meet Fred >>>>>>>
Fred, otherwise known in real life as Lucas Cruikshank, is
YouTube’s number 3 most popular channel of all time as we
write this.just for the fun of it created the character of Fred, a six-year-old with hyperactivity
issues, a chipmunk voice, and more family problems
than 10 soap operas combined. He worked from his family’s
Nebraska farm with two of his cousins creating zany, zippy,
crazed videos about the adventures of poor little Fred. His
channel became so popular that today Lucas has an advertising
firm that’s hired him, Woo Agency, and a business
manager, Jamie Dolin, and a future he probably never imagined
would be his own. Oh, did we mention yet that Lucas
is 14?
When Lucas and his cousins started uploading videos to
YouTube, it was just a lark. But, Fred became so popular with
the 9- to-14-year-old crowd, that he soon began drawing attention
of another sort. The business professionals who help
manage Lucas’s future have leveraged his YouTube success
wisely, and Lucas is now a spokesperson for Zipit Wireless,
the makers of a handheld device for texting and sending instant
messages (IMs). Zipit Wireless created the gadget for
the preadolescent and adolescent market. If you are a parent
of anyone from the age of about 9 through 21 (college age),
you know just exactly how important instant messaging and
texting is to this group. You probably also have felt the frustration
of trying to get to the family computer to check your
e-mail or having to be resuscitated after opening your cell
phone bill to see the effects of texting overages. Enter Zipit
Wireless. For a flat price of about $150 you can give that child
a Zipit with nearly unlimited texting and instant messaging
for a year.When the Zipit people were ready to launch their product
they turned to the Woo Agency to create a marketing plan.
“We are a start-up, and nobody knows who we are,” they told
the agency. “We want to get into Target and Best Buy.” Ralph
Lagnado and David Abehsera of the Woo Agency gathered a
group of young people from different parts of the country to
see what they were on to that the adults weren’t catching. It
turns out that meant Fred.
With Fred on board, Zipit was featured in a new Fred
video as his perfect solution to the problem of having a huge
family and only one computer. Fred totally convinces his audience
how cool and fun his new Zipit is as he disappears into
the family bathroom to snuggle up in the empty tub and text
message his little fingers to the bone. His running commentary
expresses both frustration over his nutty family and delight
with his new toy. It’s an ad that doesn’t even remotely
seem like an ad, except that both Target and Best Buy almost
immediately began selling the Zipit, and the company saw a
1,000 percent increase in sales. That turned out to be a sweet
return for the money Zipit spent getting Fred on board.
“That’s correct,” Ralph told us. “It’s a ‘five-figures’ deal, not
on the lower end.”As for Fred? Well, he’s a cewebrity! We spoke with his
business manager, Jamie Dolan, who happens to also be one
of Lucas’s biggest fans. “Lucas has made this all happen on
his own,” said Jamie. Recently Jamie traveled with Lucas and
his mom for a few days of filming in Mexico. “People mobbed
him,” Jamie said. “I’ve been in Los Angeles for 13 years, and
I’ve never seen someone like that with no attention before, yet
the kids all recognize him.” We can attest to Fred’s appeal to
the younger generation. In a recent chat with a friend, we
mentioned this book and Fred. “His name is Lucas,” piped up
her 10-year-old daughter, with the proprietary indignity only
a kid can show when her own discovery is suddenly threatened
by the grown-ups.
As for Lucas? He’s working on season two of the Fred
saga and living life with his fully functional, happy, and
large family on their Nebraska farm. Future aspirations are
still being discussed. “He, his parents, and I have talked
about it,” Jamie told us. “You want your family to have
enough money so they can do something, but not enough
so they can do nothing.” Not the typical quandary most
families with 14-year-olds face as a result of their youngster’s
drive and talent. Lucas’ story illustrates two things:
how almost anyone can become a YouTube celebrity, and
how companies can use YouTube to reach a very specific
market.
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