Have internet sensations become the newest breed of entrepreneurs? The answer to this question will ultimately depend on how you define the term, but regardless, you can’t deny the the existence of internet stars who have transitioned from their 15 minutes of fame into profitability. It’s true. Many have capitalized on their popularity after a Youtube video went “viral” or they became the beloved (or hated) subject of a trendy meme.
Consider “Salt Bae”, or Nusret Gökçe, an admittedly chill looking Chef whose sexy knife work and ability to sprinkle salt proportionately using an unnecessarily flashy yet captivating technique brought him to the forefront of the internet. The guy is a showman. Despite his humble Turkish beginnings, Gökçe has now achieved worldwide internet fame (millions have watched his Instagram video) with a flick of the wrist.
In an interview with NBC News, Gökçe insists his life has not undergone dramatic change, as he still goes to work in the morning and works late, but a cursory glance at his Instagram account paints a different picture. For one, the dude is now verified, boasting that coveted blue check. Second, a recent post of his captures him delicately seasoning a dish for none other than Leonardo Dicaprio, who is still sporting those awful driver caps. The look in Leo’s eyes is ravenous.
Need another example? Take Danielle Peskowitz Bregoli, known more widely as the “cash me ousside, howbow dah” girl. Yeah, the one from the meme. Bregoli quickly rose to internet fame after going toe-to-toe with Dr. Phil on his show and almost stepping outside with them “hoes” in the audience who were laughing at her. Regardless of your stance on this generation’s treatment of old people, you got to admit the attitude she gives Dr. Phil is kinda dope.
It’s unlikely today’s user of social media could peruse the inter-webs for more than a few minutes before encountering this 13-year old drama queen. And what has she done with this internet fame (other than reportedly stealing the car of a Dr. Phil staff member)? Bergoli is transitioning into a business woman, of course.
That’s right. In conjunction with marketing and apparel company Pizzaslime, Bergoli is now selling her official licensed merchandise, which puts the spotlight on her renown face and infamous line “HOW BOW DAH?”.
That brings us back to the original question: are internet stars really a breed of entrepreneur?
If entrepreneurs are nothing more than commercial actors who capitalize on opportunity, then perhaps yes. But if you define entrepreneurs as more than that, say, those who recognize a recognize and fulfill a need, or those who seek to act as impetus for change, than perhaps not. I hate to admit it, but I don’t actually NEED a “HOW BOW DAH” shirt, or an expertly seasoned.
It may be worth considering whether the internet stardom was achieved through sheer dumb luck, as is arguably the case with both Bergoli and Gökçe, or through more calculated, deliberate action. One might look at Casey Neistat, who’s Youtube videos receive millions and millions of views. Neistat took a daily vlog (video blog) and parlayed it into a massive deal with fake news distributor CNN. Neistat’s journey to internet fame is notably more deliberate than other internet stars.
Is Casey Neistat an entrepreneur? Probably. Either way, he turned popular Youtube videos into having way more money than me. Bergoli presents a more complicated question. My gut instinct is to say no, but the fact is that she’s transitioned from cashing people ousside to cashing in(sside?) on a business opportunity. How bow dah?
Sources:
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/meet-salt-bae-turkish-chef-whose-signature-move-made-him-n716406
I’d never heard of Bregoli, or the meme, so I had to go check it out. Absolutely pathetic. What makes someone famous these days ….
You make some very interesting points here, Patrick. I refer you to the Pengest Munch kid who is taking the UK and Ireland by storm with his videos reviewing fast food chicken locations around London. His first few videos came out over a year ago and did not have widespread success, however recently he too has gone “viral” and is now pulling in millions of views with every upload.
Interestingly, when asked his age on Twitter a few weeks ago, he responded that he was in fact 23 years old and not a school boy as he appears in his videos. The tweet was deleted not long after (his marketing team knew better?) and there is no evidence of his age to be found on his social media accounts. The fact he rushed to delete this tweet implies to me that he is indeed entrepreneurial in his way of thinking; people love the idea of a kid as funny as him, they think a 23 year old poser is weird. Thus, delete any proof of him not fitting the societal idea of a cute little kid, and proceed to make some serious cash.
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZFmxd9L1btyXig-2Dp9XnA
https://www.buzzfeed.com/victoriasanusi/the-pengest-munch?utm_term=.akxM64m0m#.hlqJP95L5
Doesn’t Munch know that what has once been tweeted can never be un-tweeted? The deletion itself can only draw more attention to his age now.
Based on your description, it appears that this kid (man?) is purely an entertainer. I’m not sure if entertainers fit into the category of entrepreneur. Unless you consider his reviews a service and actually use the information for choosing chicken joints.
Interestingly, within the last few weeks another youtube sensation, PewDiePie, has been dragged through the mud by many high profile news sources for anti-Semitic remarks. This is basically Youtube’s biggest star (I believe he has or had the most subscribers) epic fall from grace, as his many business partners, including Disney and Youtube Red, are cutting ties.
I imagine it makes life more difficult for an entrepreneur when his or her public image/popularity is tied so closely to his or her income. One could argue PewDiePie is not an entrepreneur at all but rather a comedian/entertainer.
I wonder if this turbulent political climate and increasingly volatile mood of the internet/social justice warriors has impacted how entrepreneurs approach building a business/solving problems.
Patrick – I suppose it is possible that social media stars/internet sensations are becoming the newest entrepreneurs. I am just not entirely sure how purposeful their intent to become an entrepreneur is – it seems like the ‘cash me ousside’ girl really does talk that way – but once they are internet sensations they certainly do seem to display a degree of opportunism that could be considered entrepreneurial.
For example, in the last couple days ‘cash me ousside’ girl has agreed to star in a rap music video. Whether or not this cashing in on 15 minutes of fame is entrepreneurial or not depends on your definition of an entrepreneur, and what qualities you think they are supposed to have (as we discussed the first couple of classes).
Yes, any entrepreneurial qualities that Cash Me Ousside girl has definitely manifested themselves after she fell into internet fame.
I agree that her status as an entrepreneur would depend on one’s definition. It’s a stretch to say that selling Cash Me Ousside shirts/gear and staring in Kodak Black music videos is filling a societal need. I have to be careful not to equate opportunism with entrepreneurship.
This is very interesting – the first real internet sensation that comes to mind is when everyone got behind the “Ice Bucket Challenge”. I think that the key here is utilizing and maximizing the marketing tools that are available. In this case, the marketing created the brand, not the other way around. I would be interested to see how long this phenomenon lasts, or more generally, how many of these types of businesses actually are able to sustain after the popularity diminishes.