THE first YouTube channel I ever watched was Fafinettex3’s. The creator was Aubrey, an Asian-American who applied makeup so skillfully. Even before I started to watch Michelle Phan, I was already watching Aubrey’s videos. The channel is still on YouTube but the videos are gone. Aubrey still does makeup for wedding clients. I know, because I’ve seen her Instagram account. If I may say so, Aubrey and Michelle are two people who fueled my passion for beauty and changed my (wrong) perception that writing about makeup and skincare was frivolous. So you could say that in some way, they helped change my life.
These days, much of the beauty content I consume is on TikTok. I do love TikTok but I see it as YouTube’s younger sibling that provides briefer content. If, say, I wanted to cook pork binagoongan for dinner, I wouldn’t go to TikTok. I’d go to Chef Tatung’s YouTube channel and look for the recipe there. If I wanted cleaning hacks or tips on organizing, I’d still go to YouTube. For vlogs, I’d still go to YouTube although I also watch them on TikTok.
A survey conducted by Ipsos showed that YouTube is the video service Filipino viewers will miss the most if ever it goes offline. The survey also showed that in Q1 2022 compared to the same period last year, watch time of food craving videos grew by over 55 percent while Philippine viral trend videos grew by more than 10 times, and family-related content showed a 60 percent increase. Parenting videos were also very popular as watch time grew twice compared to the previous year.
A new trend, according to Jolly Estaris, head of video at YouTube Philippines, is people watching YouTube videos not just on their mobile devices. I would attribute this to the pandemic when people mostly stayed home.
In May 2022, over 16 million Filipinos streamed YouTube on their TVs with 87 percent of those surveyed saying that YouTube is TV when viewed on their connected TVs.
Another trend that’s gaining momentum is YouTube Shorts, which are short videos in Portrait mode with a maximum length of one minute. According to YouTube internal data as of April 2022, views of YouTube Shorts surpassed 30 billion views globally.
These have resulted to YouTube’s marketing effectiveness to be 3.2x greater than digital platforms and TV in the Philippines combined from 2017 to 2022. The platform has a return on investment (ROI) 1.5x higher than total media ROI from 2017 to 2022 across all platforms in the country.
YouTube said 4,600 channels now have over 100,000 subscribers (a 40 percent increase, year-on-year) and 350 channels with more than 1 million subscribers (a 35 percent increase, year-on-year).
When it comes to budol, which means influencing people what to buy, Estaris said, “The 2022 Google/Talk Shoppe Study showed that 92 percent of viewers surveyed agreed that YouTube helps them decide what to buy.”
YouTube has announced the winners of the 2022 YouTube Works Awards in the Philippines on October 25 at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. It was the first on-ground Brandcast event in two years, and was hosted by Khalil Ramos and Gabbi Garcia.
Accenture’s “#StoriesofAccenture Vertical Film Festival: Gravity” got the Grand Prix, the highest recognition given to a campaign that is effective, also creative, innovative and data-driven for demonstrable business results. The same campaign also won the Force For Good Award which honors campaigns that best demonstrate brand values and proven impact on social issues.
The Best Collaboration Award, which celebrates the best strategic and creative collaboration between brands and YouTube Creators, was given to Orocan’s “Miss Hurt” campaign starring host and drag queen Paolo Ballesteros as Ms. Hurt, who takes her audience to a vlog-style tour of her house and bags, including the Orocan Ice Box.
Union Bank of the Philippines’s “Heaven” won the Best Storytelling Award. The highlight of the campaign is a commercial where a man named Dante enters the underworld of inadequate bank practices, and showcases all of Union Bank’s solutions which help create a better banking experience for consumers.
Jollibee’s “Now Showing: Love for a Perfect Pair” took home the Brand as Creator Award, which is given to a campaign that best demonstrates brands behaving like creators and using YouTube formats that tap into consumer trends and growing communities. The 36-minute short film heralded the return of the popular Bea Alonzo and John Lloyd Cruz love team.
Diskartech’s “Carabao” won The Challenger Award, which is given to small- and medium-sized brands that were able to do more with less. “Carabao” showed how easy it is to get loans from Diskartech by presenting it in a fantastical and humorous way via a person popping out of the backside of a carabao.
The Best Personalization Award, which is meant for brands that find creative ways to make sure their messages are tailor-made for their audiences, has remained unclaimed for two years in a row.
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KOREAN alternative hip-hop group Epik High, which first came to the Philippines in 2014 for the Epik High Parade Tour, is coming back on November 30 at the New Frontier Theater for the first Southeast Asian stop in the Asia Pacific leg of Chapter 2 of their tour.
The shows were sold-out in Singapore; Melbourne, Sydney; Bangkok, and Jakarta. The tour is in conjunction with the release of their highly anticipated 10th studio album in two parts, Epik High is Here (Part 1) and Epik High is Here (Part 2).
The split of the album mirrors the way traditional Korean novels are released in two parts, giving time to take a break and process what you have consumed before moving on to the next. According to a recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine, the message behind this newest release is that Epik High is here even when you think no one is willing to listen. This album shares wisdom that only comes from the experience of 20 years of lows and some pretty epic highs.
Epik High—composed of Tablo, Mithra Jin, and DJ Tukutz—debuted in 2003. Their blend of hip-hop and sharp lyrics, which openly discuss themes, like mental health and social issues, turned them into one of the most pivotal groups in Korean music. Throughout their 20 years together, Epik High has released hundreds of anthemic songs and were the first Korean act to ever play at Coachella in 2016. Ticket prices for the Manila show start at P5,900 and are available at www.ticketnet.com.ph.
Image credits: YouTube Philippines