Google has acquired FameBit, a company that connects brands with social media influencers — the pop culture icons of today’s youngest consumers.
FameBit was founded three years ago by Agnes Kozera and David Kierzkowski to provide a scalable, self-service marketplace in which brands could connect with influential YouTubers, Instagrammers and tweeters, and leverage their devoted followings to help sell product. Terms were not disclosed.
In an interview earlier this year, Kozera said that FameBit came about due to an inefficiency that she noticed while trying to enlist social media influencers at a previous company. She said FameBit’s platform essentially removes the middle man and allows brands to develop fruitful relationships with creators who don’t always have to have the biggest fan bases to be successful pitchmen or women.
“Our hope is that FameBit’s democratized marketplace will allow creators of all sizes to directly connect with brands, as well as provide a great technology solution for companies like multichannel networks and agencies to find matches for their creators and brand partners,” Google said in a statement announcing the deal. “We look forward to seeing FameBit and the entire branded content space thrive as we continue to support the success and creativity of the creator community.”
In a blog post on its site, FameBit promised its users that the platform would “work just like it has” and would remain a standalone entity.
“With Google’s relationship with brands large and small, and YouTube’s partnership with creators around the globe, we hope to connect even more brands to creators, engage more audiences, and make brand marketing more creative and authentic than ever,” it said.
Also in the post, FameBit said that it had helped brands and creators collaborate on more than 25,000 videos that have generated more than 2 billion minutes of cumulative watch time. FameBit has raised $1.5 million in capital from six investors, including incubators Science and 500 Startups, according to Crunchbase.
Meet The Coolest YouTube Stars at VidCon (Videos)
Over the past six years, VidCon has exploded from a simple gathering of video bloggers to an international gathering of the biggest Internet stars imaginable. The show serves as both a trade expo for people in the industry and a chance for fans to come face to face with the people behind their favorite YouTube channels. From gamers to comedians to animators and beyond, here are some of the biggest stars at this event.
Tyler Oakley has become the gold standard among bloggers, racking up over 8 million subscribers with videos of him and his friends doing silly things together on camera. He's also become one of YouTube's leading LGBTQ activists, throwing his support behind the Trevor Project and recently posting a video discussing the Orlando shooting and how the LGBTQ community can move forward.
Mark "Markiplier" Fischbach rose to prominence with his Let's Play videos, cracking jokes in front of a camera while playing PC games. His biggest claim to fame is are his playthroughs of the "Five Nights At Freddy's" series, which left fans rolling with laughter thanks to his panicky attempts to beat each game.
Anita Sarkeesian's "Feminist Frequency" has become one of the most polarizing series on YouTube, analyzing gender stereotypes in video games and critiquing the treatment of women in video games and the culture surrounding them.
Born in Ontario to Indian immigrants, Lilly Singh turned her family into the inspiration for a series of blogs featuring caricatures of typical Indian parents. In February 2016, she released a documentary called "A Trip To Unicorn Island," documenting the world tour that her YouTube success spawned.
If there's anything comedian Mamrie Hart loves, it's a good cocktail. That's why she started the YouTube series, "You Deserve A Drink," where she gives her viewers the funniest mixology class you could ever imagine.
While YouTube has becoming predominantly live-action, there are still some animators making a name for themselves. One of the most famous is Jonathan Picking, a.k.a. Mr. Weebl, who created beloved classics like "Magical Trevor" and "Breadfish."
Henry Reich is the creator of the MinutePhysics YouTube channel, which has become one of the most popular science shows online. Using simple animations, MinutePhysics explains the most well-known concepts in physics and answers weird viewers questions, like how long it would take to fall through the Earth.
There might not be a YouTube Channel more painful for its stars than Hot Pepper Gaming. The show channels YouTube gaming stars to review the newest video game releases...after taking a bite out of a habanero pepper. Sometimes the habaneros get swapped out for something even worse, leaving the reviewers struggling to talk about gameplay and frame rates.
Simultaneously delicious and nauseating, Epic Meal Time is dedicated to cooking up massive meals with a calorie count deep into the five-digit amounts. Take this Chinese Food burger, loaded with chow mein, a patty stuffed with stir fry, and giant egg roll buns.
Trick shots with basketballs are popular on YouTube, but Brodie Smith is doing trick shots of a different kind. Smith is a professional Ultimate Frisbee player, and he's become a YouTube star with his insane Frisbee tricks on both land and sea.
Kristen Sarah is the host of "Hopscotch The Globe," a travel series that has taken her from Finland to Fiji. When she's not planning epic road trips, she makes videos providing travel tips and a guide to fashion inspired by her adventures.
The creators of VidCon, Hank and John Green, have a YouTube history of their own. The two have produced multiple YouTube shows, the most successful of which is the educational show "Crash Course." The show has attracted millions of viewers with its spin on history and science, and has gained the attention of PBS.
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YouTube stars are gathering at VidCon to talk about globe-trotting, epic meal-making, and Let’s Playing
Over the past six years, VidCon has exploded from a simple gathering of video bloggers to an international gathering of the biggest Internet stars imaginable. The show serves as both a trade expo for people in the industry and a chance for fans to come face to face with the people behind their favorite YouTube channels. From gamers to comedians to animators and beyond, here are some of the biggest stars at this event.
