Language
1) Who is Zoella and why is she famous? How many subscribers does Zoella's YouTube channel have currently?
Zoella is an online blogger and YouTuber. She makes videos about a range of topics and posts them on the video-sharing website Youtube. In addition to this, she writes blog posts about day to day topics. Currently, her YouTube channel has over 12 million subscribers.
2) What is convergence?
It is when 2 or more forms of media meet in one. An example would be that on Zoella's blog you can access her YouTube, FaceBook, Twitter etc.
3) What are Zoella's videos about? Find five video titles and write them here:
A majority of her videos are about Make-Up, Clothes, Relationships, Lifestyle and Cooking.
>HUGE Summer Primark Haul
>Testing Weird Beauty Products With Mark
>What's In My Travel Bag?
>Boyfriend VS Brother
>Gingerbread Christmas Light Cupcakes
4) What are the codes and conventions of vlogging videos?
The vlog name usually gives information about what it contains. There are usually questions that underpin the post. Most vlogs have quirky music in the background. There is normally some text that comes upon the screen. The speaker is central to the screen and speaks directly to the camera. There are usually many props and cuts to keep the video entertaining. There is a range of different angles and shots used for variety. The vlogs are most often personal, this builds connection and trust with the audience. They're often conversational and informal in tone. They also try to make the start as compelling as possible, which is the hook.
5) How does Zoella use media language choices to create her online identity?
She portrays herself as innocent and very feminine, to help appeal to her target audience, wearing clothes which are considered very sensible and not exposing much of her skin. Her clothes are extremely fashionable and are often from clothes stores which are accessible to a majority of people (Primark) which further appeals to her audience since they're sensible, cheap clothes that anyone can wear. She uses very muted tones and lighting in her videos to create an almost angelic appearance, which helps to reinforce her pure character. She is also very feminine in her actions (she smiles and is humble), which strengthens her innocent reputation. She tends to focus on make-up on her channel, and in the tutorials that she posts, she tends to use the very high street, expensive make-up, whose brands she is, more often than not, sponsored by. She uploads very easy to follow makeup tutorials with simple looks, which make her videos approachable for a range of ages. Most of her videos are shot in her bedroom or on a bed, which makes the videos seem very casual and like you are having a friend over, which makes her seem like a friend or older sister to her audience.
Industries
1) How does Zoella make money?
Zoella makes money through ad revenue on all of her videos and on her website, and she is often sponsored by large companies to promote their products, and in return, she can get paid up to £20,000 for any one product that she promotes, or even mentions. She also goes on tours and fan meetings in which she earns money from ticket revenue, and special VIP experiences which her fans pay for, e.g Special Pictures with Zoella.
2) What is a digital influencer? Why is Zoella considered a digital influencer?
A digital influencer is somebody who has access to a large following of people and can influence their decisions by saying or promoting something, Zoella is a digital influencer because she has over 12 million subscribers and has a huge influence over what they purchase based on her recommendations.
3) Why do companies want to place their products in Zoella's videos?
They want to place their products in her videos because she has access to a huge audience that she can quickly spread a message to, and her audience is very likely to buy the products she recommends since is well-respected as a YouTuber. It is also cheaper for them since they don't have to create huge marketing campaigns to sell their products but can instead ride on the fame of an established brand to sell their product.
4) Why are YouTube collaborations so important for helping digital influencers like Zoella to grow?
It allows both her own and her collaborator's audience to watch the video, growing her audience, since if they like her collaborator's videos then they are likely to enjoy her's too, growing both her own audience and her collaborator's audience.
5) How has Zoella moved into a more traditional media landscape in recent years?
She has moved from only having a blog to having a range of social media accounts, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc. A majority of big brands and famous people also have a range of media outlets too, which shows us how she has moved from having only a blog to having a standard media landscape.
Audience
1) Who is the target audience for Zoella's channel?
Zoella's target audience is young teenage girls, whose psychographic is usually that the enjoy socially feminine things, like makeup and relationships.
2) How are audiences encouraged to participate in or feel part of Zoella's brand?
Zoella's brand is almost entirely existant on social media, so it is extremely easy for her audience to talk to her, through comments, tweets and messages, her audience is given a range of ways that they can communicate with her.
3) What audience pleasures are provided by Zoella's videos and associated products?
Information - The audience learns about new products and how to use and apply them from her videos. They also learn how to do makeup from her.
Personal Identity - She talks about very common experiences which let her audience relate to her.
Entertainment - She often posts videos of fun or strange experiences and she plays games with her boyfriend and other collaborators in her videos.
Personal Relationships - Since she uploads her videos on social media, it is very easy for fans to communicate with her, through comment sections, tweets and messages.
4) Applying Stuart Hall's Reception theory, what would a preferred and oppositional reading of Zoella?
The preferred reading of Zoella would be that she's an idealistic role-model for girls everywhere and that she is very pure and innocent, almost like an idealistic housewife. She is a great cook, makeup artist and stylist and she is super fashionable, with sensible clothes and a quirky personality.
The oppositional reading of Zoella would be that she is encouraging girls to lose their individuality and only be materialistic, she makes her audience feel as though they must buy expensive makeup and act extremely feminine to be acceptable by her standards, as well and being good at cooking and being fashionable, since she makes it seem as though relationships and appearances are all that matter when you're a girl.
5) Why has Zoella been criticised by some people?
She has been voted the 54th most sexy woman in the world, which could make it seem as though she is no longer acting like an idealistic role-model and is instead encouraging girls to act sexy and flaunt their bodies. She is also uploading more revealing photos on her social media accounts, which could be seen as inappropriate.
Representation
1) What is your opinion on this debate - is Zoella a positive role model for young women?
Personally, I believe that Zoella isn't a positive role model for young women but is instead a money-grabbing, inappropriate person who is setting back the progress women have made in modern society. She is known to have charged over £20,000 just to say that she uses a product, which she most likely doesn't actually use, and the products that she promotes can cost up to £1,000 a piece, which makes her audience feel as though they must wear expensive things to be "acceptable". In addition to this, she posts pictures of her in her underwear, which would be fine in some circumstances, but she has marketed herself as a role model for these young women and by showing them that they must wear designer underwear and be blond and Caucasian and thin to be "sexy" or "beautiful", she destroys her positive image. Finally, she is extremely traditional in how she acts, she cooks, cleans, wears makeup, has a "perfect" boyfriend and very materialistic. This is my opinion.
2) What representations of women are provided by Zoella?
She presents women as powerful as she is independent and has her own company. She also presents women as being materialistic and fashion-centric. She doesn't show a range of race on her channel, but she does have the representation of the LGBTQ+ community on her channel in the form of her gay best friend Mark.
3) What representations of celebrity are provided by Zoella? Is a self-made YouTube celebrity more authentic or positive than a traditional music or TV star?
Zoella presents herself as very humble, and she wears affordable clothes, however, she wears expensive makeup and is extremely exclusive in the accessibility to her products (e.g her advent calendar which cost £50). Personally, self-made YouTube celebrities are much more authentic than TV stars since they earn their fans through their own hard work and honest talents, unlike most TV stars who become famous because they happen to know famous people.
4) How does Zoella represent herself? Is this the real Zoe Sugg or a media construction designed to sell products?
Zoella represents herself as being feminine and innocent. I believe that Zoella is a combination of the real Zoe Sugg and media construction. This is because in her earlier videos when she had a much smaller following, she had no reason to give a fake representation of herself, and in those videos, she is much the same as she is now. However, recently she has become more of a selling tool, using her originally honest video style and using it to sell products.
5) What criticisms could be levelled at the representation of Zoella?
She could be seen as somebody who focuses more on money and her appearance than on being an appropriate role model. She is known to have charged over £20,000 just to say that she uses a product, which she most likely doesn't actually use, and the products that she promotes can cost up to £1,000 a piece, which makes her audience feel as though they must wear expensive things to be "acceptable". In addition to this, she posts pictures of her in her underwear, which would be fine in some circumstances, but she has marketed herself as a role model for these young women and by showing them that they must wear designer underwear and be blond and Caucasian and thin to be "sexy" or "beautiful", she destroys her positive image. Finally, she is extremely traditional in how she acts, she cooks, cleans, wears makeup, has a "perfect" boyfriend and very materialistic.
Written By AIshwarya Odedra
1) Who is Zoella and why is she famous? How many subscribers does Zoella's YouTube channel have currently?
Zoella is an online blogger and YouTuber. She makes videos about a range of topics and posts them on the video-sharing website Youtube. In addition to this, she writes blog posts about day to day topics. Currently, her YouTube channel has over 12 million subscribers.
2) What is convergence?
It is when 2 or more forms of media meet in one. An example would be that on Zoella's blog you can access her YouTube, FaceBook, Twitter etc.
3) What are Zoella's videos about? Find five video titles and write them here:
A majority of her videos are about Make-Up, Clothes, Relationships, Lifestyle and Cooking.
>HUGE Summer Primark Haul
>Testing Weird Beauty Products With Mark
>What's In My Travel Bag?
>Boyfriend VS Brother
>Gingerbread Christmas Light Cupcakes
4) What are the codes and conventions of vlogging videos?
The vlog name usually gives information about what it contains. There are usually questions that underpin the post. Most vlogs have quirky music in the background. There is normally some text that comes upon the screen. The speaker is central to the screen and speaks directly to the camera. There are usually many props and cuts to keep the video entertaining. There is a range of different angles and shots used for variety. The vlogs are most often personal, this builds connection and trust with the audience. They're often conversational and informal in tone. They also try to make the start as compelling as possible, which is the hook.
5) How does Zoella use media language choices to create her online identity?
She portrays herself as innocent and very feminine, to help appeal to her target audience, wearing clothes which are considered very sensible and not exposing much of her skin. Her clothes are extremely fashionable and are often from clothes stores which are accessible to a majority of people (Primark) which further appeals to her audience since they're sensible, cheap clothes that anyone can wear. She uses very muted tones and lighting in her videos to create an almost angelic appearance, which helps to reinforce her pure character. She is also very feminine in her actions (she smiles and is humble), which strengthens her innocent reputation. She tends to focus on make-up on her channel, and in the tutorials that she posts, she tends to use the very high street, expensive make-up, whose brands she is, more often than not, sponsored by. She uploads very easy to follow makeup tutorials with simple looks, which make her videos approachable for a range of ages. Most of her videos are shot in her bedroom or on a bed, which makes the videos seem very casual and like you are having a friend over, which makes her seem like a friend or older sister to her audience.
Industries
1) How does Zoella make money?
Zoella makes money through ad revenue on all of her videos and on her website, and she is often sponsored by large companies to promote their products, and in return, she can get paid up to £20,000 for any one product that she promotes, or even mentions. She also goes on tours and fan meetings in which she earns money from ticket revenue, and special VIP experiences which her fans pay for, e.g Special Pictures with Zoella.
2) What is a digital influencer? Why is Zoella considered a digital influencer?
A digital influencer is somebody who has access to a large following of people and can influence their decisions by saying or promoting something, Zoella is a digital influencer because she has over 12 million subscribers and has a huge influence over what they purchase based on her recommendations.
3) Why do companies want to place their products in Zoella's videos?
They want to place their products in her videos because she has access to a huge audience that she can quickly spread a message to, and her audience is very likely to buy the products she recommends since is well-respected as a YouTuber. It is also cheaper for them since they don't have to create huge marketing campaigns to sell their products but can instead ride on the fame of an established brand to sell their product.
4) Why are YouTube collaborations so important for helping digital influencers like Zoella to grow?
It allows both her own and her collaborator's audience to watch the video, growing her audience, since if they like her collaborator's videos then they are likely to enjoy her's too, growing both her own audience and her collaborator's audience.
5) How has Zoella moved into a more traditional media landscape in recent years?
She has moved from only having a blog to having a range of social media accounts, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc. A majority of big brands and famous people also have a range of media outlets too, which shows us how she has moved from having only a blog to having a standard media landscape.
Audience
1) Who is the target audience for Zoella's channel?
Zoella's target audience is young teenage girls, whose psychographic is usually that the enjoy socially feminine things, like makeup and relationships.
2) How are audiences encouraged to participate in or feel part of Zoella's brand?
Zoella's brand is almost entirely existant on social media, so it is extremely easy for her audience to talk to her, through comments, tweets and messages, her audience is given a range of ways that they can communicate with her.
3) What audience pleasures are provided by Zoella's videos and associated products?
Information - The audience learns about new products and how to use and apply them from her videos. They also learn how to do makeup from her.
Personal Identity - She talks about very common experiences which let her audience relate to her.
Entertainment - She often posts videos of fun or strange experiences and she plays games with her boyfriend and other collaborators in her videos.
Personal Relationships - Since she uploads her videos on social media, it is very easy for fans to communicate with her, through comment sections, tweets and messages.
4) Applying Stuart Hall's Reception theory, what would a preferred and oppositional reading of Zoella?
The preferred reading of Zoella would be that she's an idealistic role-model for girls everywhere and that she is very pure and innocent, almost like an idealistic housewife. She is a great cook, makeup artist and stylist and she is super fashionable, with sensible clothes and a quirky personality.
The oppositional reading of Zoella would be that she is encouraging girls to lose their individuality and only be materialistic, she makes her audience feel as though they must buy expensive makeup and act extremely feminine to be acceptable by her standards, as well and being good at cooking and being fashionable, since she makes it seem as though relationships and appearances are all that matter when you're a girl.
5) Why has Zoella been criticised by some people?
She has been voted the 54th most sexy woman in the world, which could make it seem as though she is no longer acting like an idealistic role-model and is instead encouraging girls to act sexy and flaunt their bodies. She is also uploading more revealing photos on her social media accounts, which could be seen as inappropriate.
1) What is your opinion on this debate - is Zoella a positive role model for young women?
Personally, I believe that Zoella isn't a positive role model for young women but is instead a money-grabbing, inappropriate person who is setting back the progress women have made in modern society. She is known to have charged over £20,000 just to say that she uses a product, which she most likely doesn't actually use, and the products that she promotes can cost up to £1,000 a piece, which makes her audience feel as though they must wear expensive things to be "acceptable". In addition to this, she posts pictures of her in her underwear, which would be fine in some circumstances, but she has marketed herself as a role model for these young women and by showing them that they must wear designer underwear and be blond and Caucasian and thin to be "sexy" or "beautiful", she destroys her positive image. Finally, she is extremely traditional in how she acts, she cooks, cleans, wears makeup, has a "perfect" boyfriend and very materialistic. This is my opinion.
2) What representations of women are provided by Zoella?
She presents women as powerful as she is independent and has her own company. She also presents women as being materialistic and fashion-centric. She doesn't show a range of race on her channel, but she does have the representation of the LGBTQ+ community on her channel in the form of her gay best friend Mark.
3) What representations of celebrity are provided by Zoella? Is a self-made YouTube celebrity more authentic or positive than a traditional music or TV star?
Zoella presents herself as very humble, and she wears affordable clothes, however, she wears expensive makeup and is extremely exclusive in the accessibility to her products (e.g her advent calendar which cost £50). Personally, self-made YouTube celebrities are much more authentic than TV stars since they earn their fans through their own hard work and honest talents, unlike most TV stars who become famous because they happen to know famous people.
4) How does Zoella represent herself? Is this the real Zoe Sugg or a media construction designed to sell products?
Zoella represents herself as being feminine and innocent. I believe that Zoella is a combination of the real Zoe Sugg and media construction. This is because in her earlier videos when she had a much smaller following, she had no reason to give a fake representation of herself, and in those videos, she is much the same as she is now. However, recently she has become more of a selling tool, using her originally honest video style and using it to sell products.
5) What criticisms could be levelled at the representation of Zoella?
She could be seen as somebody who focuses more on money and her appearance than on being an appropriate role model. She is known to have charged over £20,000 just to say that she uses a product, which she most likely doesn't actually use, and the products that she promotes can cost up to £1,000 a piece, which makes her audience feel as though they must wear expensive things to be "acceptable". In addition to this, she posts pictures of her in her underwear, which would be fine in some circumstances, but she has marketed herself as a role model for these young women and by showing them that they must wear designer underwear and be blond and Caucasian and thin to be "sexy" or "beautiful", she destroys her positive image. Finally, she is extremely traditional in how she acts, she cooks, cleans, wears makeup, has a "perfect" boyfriend and very materialistic.
Written By AIshwarya Odedra
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