BCM241 DA

My media niche is a focus on the YouTube group Nelk, a mix of Canadian and American residents the group film videos ranging from vlogs and pranks, to party montages and skits. Due to the nature of the content they upload having strong alcohol, drug, and sexual references throughout, the group make little to no money from YouTube advertisements, meaning they have had to use other methods and platforms to generate revenue.

This research aim was carried through as I completed my ethnographical research, my DA was tedious and a little slow moving, with a lot of the information I expected to find not readily available I needed to change up my approach, looking past the obvious and thinking outside of the box to come to my ultimate DA conclusion.

Sifting through content on multiple platforms, what ultimately struck me as to what makes the many fans of Nelk so loyal is how the content is targeted to their ideals. A Nelk video is made for a very specific audience, with the main themes of each video being alcohol, drugs, parties, attractive women, pranks, celebrities, and pop culture. Nelk do not just upload videos, they have created a lifestyle that a lot of young men dream to be a part of. As I took a deeper look into what fans have been saying through comments and reddit posts, I found that whilst there is often a lot of praise for Nelk, there is also an equal or at least very vocal minority who disagree with a lot of what Nelk have recently done, including overhyping their merchandise and releasing a paid subscription service that does not seem to fit the price.

Nevertheless, Nelk need other revenue streams as YouTube does not pay them, this is when they capitalise with the marketing of their merchandise aswell as their separate paid subscription service, selling not only a product but also a lifestyle. Clips of the members partying, meeting famous people, and kissing attractive women are all accompanied by a piece of merchandise in all of Nelks content across all of their social channels, this places a subconscious thought in the minds of the fans watching, wear the merchandise, live this dream lifestyle they are viewing before them.

All of my research was done by sifting through Nelks videos, their comments, reddit posts, and any news articles I could find, this research was good for determining how the fans were responding, but as I said I couldn’t find a whole lot which explained why fans enjoyed the content so much and were financially loyal.

I used a couple of academic sources to determine how to create brand loyalty, as well as how celebrities could maintain a happy fanbase. Whilst these sources were insightful and somewhat useful, I feel like Nelk as a whole brand is very unique and really don’t follow many of the guidelines out in place in terms of their content, some areas of their fan and business model are also not common practice for brands who try to adhere to all the guidelines and attempt to remain socially responsible.

Finally, I really enjoyed this DA, it gave me a chance to take a deep dive into one of my favourite YouTube channels as well as explore the concept of brand loyalty. It would have been nice if I could actually find some fan answers as to why they feel so strongly loyal to Nelk that they are willing to support them financially, but I think it comes back to a lot of people comment when they are upset or think negatively of content, people who enjoy the content don’t usually go out of their way to leave a positive comment and explain why.

Still, I enjoyed this assignment a lot and hopefully it has given me some skills that will help with my career down the line.

References:

Academic sources-

Minseong Kim, Jihye Kim, ‘How does a celebrity make fans happy? Interaction between celebrities and fans in the social media context’, Computers in Human Behavior, Volume 111, 2020,

https://ey9ff7jb6l-search-serialssolutions-com.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/?genre=article&ID=doi:10.1016/j.chb.2020.106419&issn=07475632&title=Computers%20in%20Human%20Behavior&volume=111&issue=&date=20201001&atitle=How%20does%20a%20celebrity%20make%20fans%20happy?%20Interaction%20between%20celebrities%20and%20fans%20in%20the%20social%20media%20context&spage=&pages=&sid=EBSCO:ScienceDirect&au=Kim,%20Minseong

Matthew W. Ragas, Bolivar J. Bueno, ‘The Power of Cult Branding: How 9 Magnetic Brands Turned Customers into Loyal Followers (and Yours Can, Too! )’, Crown, 2011,

https://books.google.com.au/books?id=Ka2XqoMBiSkC&dq=creating+loyal+fans&lr=&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Data collection-

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by NELK (@nelkboys)

https://www.youtube.com/user/NelkFilmz

Tweets by nelkfilmz

https://www.facebook.com/nelkboys/

https://www.tiktok.com/@nelkboys?lang=en

https://www.reddit.com/r/NelkFilmz/top/?t=month

November 13, 2020 0

BCM241 DA Pitch.

This is where Nelks ability to move their fans from YouTube onto other platforms has been super beneficial to them, with their own Instagram, twitter, and TikTok account the group is able to communicate with their fans on multiple platforms, this gives Nelk multiple platforms to advertise their online store and online club to their fans.

What I want to research is how Nelk has created this huge and loyal fanbase that is willing to support them financially when most of their content can be viewed for free. This idea of creating a loyal fanbase is nothing new, but the fact that Nelk rely so heavily on fans to financially back them is a really interesting concept to me.

I have found a couple of academic pieces to use as a base level to understanding building up fandom and making them loyal, but the majority of my research will be looking at how Nelk interact with their fans across all of their social channels, and more importantly how the fans respond. This will mean I need to be careful and responsible with how I collect data.

My research will hopefully give me enough information to create a video essay as my DA, using this medium will be a good way to get a lot of information into a smaller DA, as well as allowing me to show off some of Nelks visual content that they use to interact with fans.

Links:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkhxWF5CTMUgxneqAFP96LQ

https://twitter.com/NelkFilmz?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

https://www.instagram.com/nelkboys/feed/?hl=en

https://www.tiktok.com/@nelkboys?lang=en

https://fullsend.com/

September 16, 2020 0

BCM214 Blog 4 / Considerations.

In BCM241 we were tasked to find our own media niche, an area in which we are knowledgeable and curious, for my niche I chose to focus on the YouTube group NELK, more specifically how they have been able to turn viewers into loyal fans who help to fund the group. I want to focus on why the fan base feel so involved and connected that they are willing to support the group financially through a range of facets, and try to understand what measures the group put in place (if any) to insure fan loyalty and growth.

For this week’s blog post we were tasked with focussing on two things, background academic research and ethical considerations.

Background Academic Research

For this task it is essential to find adequate background research as it helps to frame my research and help to identify what aspects I should be focusing on or looking out for during the research stage. From searching the internet I was surprised how few academic papers had been done on fans of digital creators, there was plenty of resources around sporting teams and creating happy fanbases, as well as a couple celebrity fanbase papers, but I struggled to find much quality research on both fanbases on YouTube as well as creating loyalty with fans.

I think that through my research process I will find certain areas which I may not of thought of before and this may prompt me to search for academic papers with different key words. A couple of the sources I have found however include,

‘How does a celebrity make fans happy? Interaction between celebrities and fans in the social media context’, which is a paper written by Kim Minseong and Kim Jihye which investigates “how structural and situational factors related to a celebrities social media activities can influence fans self-congruity, friendship, quality of life, well-being, commitment and loyalty”. This paper will help build a structure for how NELK interact with their fans through social media as they could be considered mild celebrities with over 5.5 million subscribers.

Another source I found that I think will be helpful is called ‘The Power of Cult Branding’ written by Matthew W. Ragas and Bolivar J. Bueno. The academic journal looks at how 9 magnetic brands turned their customers into loyal followers, with some of their examples being a Harley-Davidson rally or Star Trek convention. This source will help look at the group as a whole and help determine methods they have used to create a large and loyal fan base.

Ethical Considerations

Like all research tasks their must be ethical considerations when it comes to research involving others and this is no different in my research, even though I will not be talking to any fans directly. As I am observing other people’s behaviours and opinions without their knowledge, I will need to ensure that any data taken is done in a fair and anonymous matter. This means using explanations and paraphrasing to communicate the feelings of the fan’s comments, likes, and any other methods I can collect data from, rather than using direct quotes. This too means I will need to do fair research, looking at a range of sources, and not just noting the positive comments for example, but the negative ones too.

This method does not only apply to the fans but NELK as well, as I will need to not only note the positives and what they have achieved but also the negatives and criticism they have received. This will mean I have to remove myself as a fan and try and make observations and take data as a neutral observer to alleviate and biased opinions.

Refrences:

https://eds-b-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.uow.edu.au/eds/detail/detail?vid=25&sid=95fd2515-628d-4c9d-81f8-9f393dca9721%40pdc-v-sessmgr01&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=S0747563220301722&db=edselp

https://books.google.com.au/books?id=Ka2XqoMBiSkC&dq=creating+loyal+fans&lr=&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Images:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEfa6AojItX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.onlineuniversities.com%2Farticles%2Fstudents%2Fhow-to-begin-basic-academic-research%2F&psig=AOvVaw0zVtbVhiz26TVjKGMNV5pO&ust=1599021137250000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCPj7o4qQx-sCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

August 30, 2020 0

BCM241 Blog 3 / Planning.

For my media niche I am going to be exploring the YouTube group NELK and try to understand how they have created such a large and loyal fanbase to fund their channel.

Problematising

If I were to problematise the niche so others could better understand the niche I would answer questions such as, who is NELK? What content do they create? Why do they receive little to no money from YouTube advertisements? How do they make their money?

If I was to answer this very quickly without thorough background research, NELK is a vlog/prank channel who due to the content they create which involves pranks, alcohol, and drugs, YouTube has cut almost all funding to the channel, so to support the channel their loyal fans fund them through buying clothing and merchandise. All these questions and answers will be refined with facts and specific examples once I begin to properly investigate.

This research topic is of great interest of me as I wish to explore how NELK have survived on YouTube without being paid by the platform themselves, this sort of research can may also be useful in regards to future employment opportunities, whether it’s helping to create large and loyal fan or consumer bases for a company, or sports team, or even influencer, the ability to be almost fully funded by those who watch or interact with your brand is a skill NELK has harnessed and I wish to learn more about.

Research Plan

Documenting my research may take some effort as I plan to look through a lot of NELK’s content on all their social sites, YouTube of course, but also their Instagram, TikTok, and personal site. For data collection I plan to,

View YouTube content, taking notes on my laptop and utilising screenshots to document interesting aspects I may find.
View social accounts and again take notes, as well as looking through likes and comments to grab fan perspective.
I will also follow all of their content throughout the weeks and note down when they are trying to sell the viewers something, this may be hard and I may need to look at their content in a different way than normal as there may be hidden marketing techniques they use that aren’t obvious upon first viewing.
I will also attempt to find fan videos or blogs which help explain how fans outside of myself think about NELK and supporting them financially.

Research Schedule

For the schedule of this research it is a little hard to put time frames on things, there is obviously a plethora of past content for me to go through and document findings, but for new content I have to wait for those at NELK to create and upload it. This is also slightly inconvenient as the group has only recently launched their paid subscription site ‘Send Club’ in the last two weeks, this is a very interesting aspect to look at, however it is only very early on and thus not a whole lot of data to gather.

This schedule is obviously very rough and can be changed very easily. Hopefully by setting things out through weeks I can give myself enough time to commit to the research required whilst also completing other subject content

Images:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.planview.com%2Fproject-planning-and-delivery-6-steps-to-get-work-done-faster%2F&psig=AOvVaw3FqkwVQQw7KjXz6VBW4Aic&ust=1598163223790000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCOjKyI2UrusCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fnelkfilmz%2Fstatus%2F1224865995174699008&psig=AOvVaw0VwVD-Wo7wyogD9T63pLkC&ust=1598162885535000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCKjAobOTrusCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fprosportsextra.com%2Fleaked-nelk-boys-april-20th-full-send-merch-drop-nelkfilmz%2F&psig=AOvVaw0SUoMMOMTUkPOjsbUcDlei&ust=1598162935002000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCOjK7ISTrusCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAF

August 22, 2020 0

BCM241 Blog 2 / Refining.

After having a solid week to consider the media niche I really wanted to focus on as well as speaking with my tutor, I have decided to focus my research on the popular YouTube group ‘NELK’ and take a deeper dive into what makes them successful as essentially a social media ‘brand’, how they have created a large and supportive fanbase, and how exactly they have used their fans and their media channels to create large amounts of revenue.

What interests me the most about the group is how they have developed over time and used other media platforms apart from YouTube to create an excellent connection with their fanbase. This also ties into how the group make the majority if their money, because of the nature of the content they upload onto YouTube they receive little to no money from advertisements per video, so the group has had to find other methods to generate revenue, and the first step to this is to create a large fandom to help financially back them.

As you can see below in the network map the YouTube group is has several platforms to interact with their fanbase, as well as several platforms to create an income through. I intend to take a deeper look into what platform they make the most money from, and how they promote through each of their different channels. This network map is very basic as it is far too large to look at each member of the group and their networking’s at this stage, as I go through my research I will mention notable aspects of individual members network maps if it comes relevant to the group as a whole. It will also be very interesting to focus on the ‘Send Club’ the groups monthly subscription site where fans can see exclusive footage, win prizes, etc. This aspect is brand new only launching on 11^th of August 2020 with mixed reactions from fans.

I ultimately decided to pursue this niche for my research task as I think their business model and ability to create fan loyalty is relevant to many future careers I may take part in, as well as just personal interest as to how they operate and have created a large, loyal, and financially supportive fan base.

I am coming to this research niche as a fan of NELK, but only in recent times have I come connected again with the YouTube group. I can remember watching some of their old videos a few years ago but never really followed their journey. Fast forward to this year when a friend encouraged me to watch their latest video and I was blown away not only with the content produced, but how they were using their platforms to interact with their fan base and create a financial gain.

From my research there seems to be no relevant scholarly research done on the group themselves, and this is understandable as the group has only blown up with popularity in the last couple of years. This means I will need to find other sources to validate my research, this should be easily done as many of the members have spoken publicly about the ‘brands’ success and how they engage with their fans to gain a financial backing.

I am really excited to dive deep into this project as it is an area I have been curious about since I rediscovered the group, and I think it can lead me to understand some current and effective methods of interaction and marketing that can help in my future endeavours.

Links:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkhxWF5CTMUgxneqAFP96LQ

https://twitter.com/NelkFilmz?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

https://www.instagram.com/nelkboys/feed/?hl=en

https://www.tiktok.com/@nelkboys?lang=en

https://fullsend.com/

Images:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fprosportsextra.com%2Fnelk-boys-purchase-huge-fullsend-house%2F&psig=AOvVaw2UNkeQPq0RdVpXBRr_HRQb&ust=1597656135186000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCIjpgomzn-sCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ginx.tv%2Fen%2Fentertainment%2Fyoutube-pranksters-nelk-boys-get-arrested-while-filming-video%3Fdisplay%3Damp&psig=AOvVaw0wxNXNlEJAI_HFujiEHnxa&ust=1597656331841000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCMimjeezn-sCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

August 16, 2020 0

BCM241 Blog 1 / Too many ideas.

I am currently split on what to focus on as my media niche moving forward with BCM241 as I have three ideas which all hold merit in their own regard. My current ideas focus on an ethnographic investigation into one of these options:

Rugby League media, how reputable is it, how much engagement do fans receive, etc.
YouTube group ‘NELK’ and their rise to fame, how they promote their brand and merchandise, and how they have created such a loyal following.
A focus on the duo of ‘Hamish and Andy’ and the content they create, how they have been able to adapt over time, how they keep great interaction from fans over several applications, etc.

My issue is that I can find positives in each option, with ‘A’ being the area most familiar and a focus on an area of media I may wish to pursue one day, ‘B’ being the most intriguing and exciting option to research, and ‘C’ being the best fit for what examples given by the Moodle site and lectures thus far.

Ideally I would like to pursue either option ‘A’ or ‘B’ as these are the two areas I think would both be focused around a future career as well as being the most interesting to research, however I am not sure if these are too broad and not suitable as a niche. I intend to ask my peers and tutor about which is most suitable for me, nether the less here is a short snapshot of each possible niche.

Rugby League Media

This option is probably the broadest but also the one most likely to have similarities with possible career choices down the line. For this option I would probably choose one of the shows or one of the channels that cover Rugby League and take a deeper dive into what impact and presence it has on the fans, as well as what interaction through other mediums the fans have, and whether it is a positive for the sport. I think this topic would be a good option, I am just unsure on what specific aspect to focus on and how to best communicate it.

NELK

The YouTube channel was originally created in 2010 by Kyle Forgeard, the channel creates videos around pranks, skits, and vlogs with some videos encompassing all three aspects. The channel has many members both on and behind camera, and currently sits at 5.2 million subscribers, as well as a large presence on social media platforms and their own website separate from the YouTube channel. What makes NELK so interesting is that due to the nature of their content, the group receives very little to no money from their video uploads as YouTube demonetises and age-restricts their content. This means the group has had to find alternate ways to make money, and this is where their ability to create a large and loyal fanbase has meant that when they release a product such as clothing and merchandise they receive large a financial backing by their fans. This concept is interesting to me and how their content has connected themselves with the fans to such a successful point.

Hamish and Andy

The pair originally met at the University of Melbourne and began their radio careers in 2003, with variations of their show airing over a fifteen year period, and across a number of radio stations. The pair were not limited to radio however, with seventeen television series and specials across four TV networks. Currently the pair host their own podcast show simply named ‘Hamish and Andy’ as well as posting current and past content on their social media sites with a collective of 5.2 million followers across their YouTube, twitter, Instagram, and Facebook sites. As I have grown up I have found it quite amazing how both Hamish and Andy have been able to create enjoyable visual and audio content for the target audience, as well as how their content is so easily consumed by audiences of different ages.