Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
For years, the marketing industry has been analyzing and talking about the Millennials, but what comes after them? We had an opportunity to see the answer on 01 and 02 of October in Belgrade’s Sava Center, which hosted the Balkan Tube Festival. The event dedicated to fans of YouTube culture and the most famous Balkan YouTubers.
Through two days we have seen that there are new stars among us, and a whole generation of young people who follow, record, like and share their every move. Several thousand young fans waited for their stars, and (very) loudly and sincerely respond to seeing them. And this was this new generation that doesn’t acknowledge language and cultural barriers, a generation accustomed to the latest technology and all that it provides. It’s a generation whose members the senior employees of Sava Center watched in disbelief, as hordes of them ran around with their smartphones and selfie sticks from one side to another, as soon as even the slightest opportunity to take a picture of some of their idols appeared. They are the generation that, thanks to video on demand and streaming services, doesn’t know what a commercial break is, and who solve the classic digital advertising with an Ad Block.
With such loyal and demanding fans, YouTube community in the region has experienced a meteoric ascent which led to the formation of channels with several hundred thousand subscribers and more than a hundred million video views. YouTube has therefore become one of the most important platforms for expression and following, and is therefore not surprising to see growth of marketing interest for it and those who follow it. One of the first and most popular Croatian channels, JoomBoos, decided to organize Videostar. Talent competition that will allow someone from the Croatia, Serbia or Bosnia and Herzegovina to become a new YouTube star. The project was launched in the Balkans Tube Festival with the support of many more famous tubers. The novelty of this project is that it is entirely suited to those who should follow it. It happens entirely on the YouTube channel JoomBoose where besides the entered videos, all who are interested will be able to follow specific Videostar shows. Promotion of the project is done mainly through social networks, through guerrilla action and with the help of YouTube influencers.
In order to execute this new format properly, JoomBoose has asked for help from the agency Projektil and Imago Ogilvy. Agencies have been involved in all stages of the project since its inception, allowing them to immediately respond to the feedback that arrives at any time from the audience. Thanks to modern technologies, every spectator at any time can give a negative feedback or simply turn off the tab, and the competition is not some other channel, but the entire internet. In such an environment, the standard advertising policies do not apply. Agencies therefore had to devise content that will spark immediate positive reactions from potential participants or viewers, because this new generation does not give second chances. When they don’t like something, the unlike is only a click away. But when they are pleased with something, they do not hesitate to fight for it vigorously. The best example of that was a six year old kid at the Sava Center, whose parents had to take him out on their shoulders, in order to prevent him from running to the main stage and beyond in pursuit of his idols.
Despite the difficulty, Videostar project, launched by the JoomBoos, Projektil and Imago Ogilvy, is a good indicator of new trends and an example of how it pays to create new platforms and opportunities that the development of society and technology brings us.
