The demise of Hollywood is changing things. We saw this with the United States Presidential election.
There was a time, perhaps, where celebrity endorsements meant something. This might not be the case any longer.
In this race, Kamela Harris, not surprisingly, garnered the overwhelming majority of endorsements out of Hollywood. The ratio was absurd compared to Trump.
With the results it, we can saw it didn't amount to much.
Does this mean the end of celebrity influence is over? Not likely. What we can say is things are changing.
The Future of Influence
Do not expect to have television commercials free of celebrities any time soon. They will still be used to promote different products. These people still have a large amount of popularity with their fans, something that companies look to leverage.
That said, the influencer game is changing. With the fragmentation of media, we are seeing an altered landscape compared to 20 years ago. Who would have thought that someone like Joe Rogan could have influence in a Presidential Election?
We also know that YouTube influencers, something that became big around a decade ago, are only growing. This actually spreads across many platforms, where companies can access millions of followers some people have on social media.
Naturally, there are many, such as a Taylor Swift, who has appeal both in the traditional media along with online. I would imagine her Instagram and YouTube accounts have a large number of subscribers.
Here is where things are residing. The traditional approach is starting to wane.
The Demise of Broadcast Media
The impact of influencers is affected by the decline in traditional media. We see broadcast networks being put up for sale. post election numbers look abysmal for the news channels. Will they rebound? This is unlikely consider how the industry is changing.
As people turn to online for news, information, and entertainment, the legacy system sees it audience declining. Ultimately, this means less money.
There is a challenge here that cannot be overcome.
The first is the fact that legacy media is mostly watched by Baby Boomers. They are in the process of starting to die off. Younger generations are not turning to these outlets. Hence, there is no replacement for what is lost.
Another issue is the fact that Big Pharma accounts for 70% of the advertising. There is a good chance the Trump administration bars these companies from advertising on television. As of now, only the United States and New Zealand allow it. I am sure RFK, Jr is aware of this fact.
The final piece is the fact that traditional shows are suffering. Outside of live sports, regular television is not getting the numbers it once did. The media studios are pushing more to streaming in an effect to stay relevant. How successful they will be remains to be seen.
Put all of this together and we see a major shift in influencers. There is as much uncertainty there as with the rest of the industry. What I forecast is that influence will not die but will be more targeted. Over time, we will see the influence that YouTube, as a platform, wields diminished. Everyone is getting into the game, along with incorporating AI features.
It is possible that many of the influencers in the future at not human. We could see a time when AI "personalities" are the centerpiece of advertising.
What we can guess, at this time, is that things will be much different by the next U.S. Presidential election.
Posted Using InLeo Alpha
