Research: Representation and Online Identity (Markiplier)

This is Markiplier's Logo that is seen throughout his Youtube channel and at the end of his videos

Mark Edward Fischbach is an American born gaming Youtuber and uploads videos under the Youtube channel name Markiplier, his channel is specialised for walkthroughs and 'Let's plays' (Horton/Wohl) of different video games. As of July 2017 his Youtube channel has amassed a total of over 7 billion views and has over 18 million subscribers, making Markiplier's channel the 3rd largest gaming channel on the internet platform. As a result of the growth of the video gaming market and the growth of Youtube as a platform Markiplier's channel has grown dramatically in the last few years, for example in 2014 his channel had amassed 3 million subscribers and in 2017 it has over 18 million, 15 million extra subscribers in 4 years!!!!!

Markiplier's Youtube channel page is quite simple, however towards the top of the page there is a custom banner that has illustrations that make references from Markiplier's various memorable games that he has played through his long Youtube career.  The audience responds to his content through the comment section on YouTube and his Twitter page where people suggest different content for him to try on his channel for example different survival horror video games, challenges for him to try, places to go and vlog at etc. Moreover he responds to people's comments/Tweets/messages etc in his different YouTube videos, most evidently through his Subnautica play-through series where people, who have played much more of the game suggest hints or give him help which might help make the video more exciting for example finding a rare mineral or fighting a specific sea creature or tips on how to craft an object, within the video he places their Youtube/Twitter name on virtual lockers within the game and read their message out and gives them a 'Shout-out'. His style of commentary is more casual for the audience allowing them to feel like they are interacting with Mark - this is an example of Para-social interaction. Also on this page there are various links to his various social media accounts, which he uses in order to keep in contact with his fans:

 This is Markiplier's Twitter page 

 Here is Markiplier's Instagram page

Here is Markiplier's Facebook page

Here are examples of some of his tweets:

Markiplier also has an official website, however it is very simplistic in style with a simple colour scheme, it is mainly used to promote the different events that he will be appearing at in order to meet his fans, this information allows his fans in different countries to book tickets in a chance to meet him when he appears at the different events. Yet again this also has links to his various social media accounts and especially his Youtube channel page.

Recent Videos

Markiplier's content varies within his videos as shown above he participates in current internet challenges (such as the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge - as shown below), as his channel is primarily a gaming channel as he plays different video games, specifically horror games (such as Outlast). However, as well as playing games and making videos on challenges he participates in he also runs charity livestreams regularly where he raises money for a specific charity and these livestreams can last hours or days even, where other YouTubers and himself play games, do dares, read comments from the livestream chat and have a small Q&A session, so far Markiplier has raised over $1 million for different charities over his YouTube career. Although he does this for charity a group of people might believe that Markiplier is doing this in order to make himself look good or that he is 'pandering' to certain groups of people to gain credibility/subscribers - oppositional reading (Hall). Markiplier aims his content towards more mature audiences for example teenagers and young adults due to the types of video games he plays and in some of his videos his grown up language.

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge video 

Part 1 of Markiplier's walkthrough of the survival horror game Outlast 

This is Markiplier's February Charity Livestream 

Also Markiplier has increased his fan-base through appearing on prime time American television, such as on the talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live:

Here is the segment that he appeared in, check it out!!!!!

Markiplier also has written a comic book which is on sale online, where it shows more of a retro feel to it, this is really aims at all ages, however more older readers would probably understand the intertextual references that are throughout the comic more than younger readers. The use of Markiplier's actual face on the front cover of this comic, allows the audience to make a visual link between his social media accounts and Youtube channel. 

Research: Music Video (Controversial)

'Heart-Shaped Box' - Nirvana (1993)

Research: Music Video (Contemporary)

'Shape of You' - Ed Sheeran (2017)

Research: Representation and Online Identity (PointlessBlog)

Logo for PointlessBlog  

This is the face of PointlessBlog (Alfie Deyes) 

23 year old Alfie Deyes is an English Youtuber and a successful author that runs the Youtube channel PointlessBlog in which he covers a range of different activities. He doesn't only have a Youtube channel, he also branches out through social media and through his successful clothing brand and merchandise lines. As of July 2017 his main Youtube channel has over 5.5million subscribers. 

Even though there is no official PointlessBlog website, Alfie's Youtube channel page reflects how he can stay in contact with his fans and to encourage new people to subscribe to his channel. For his main page for aesthetics there is one central image at the top of his page which is his channel's logo and this can help to promote the channel and his successful clothing line and merchandise. The logo can help serve as a synergistic link to especially his channel and clothing brand as his clothing brand has this logo on most of his lines. The logo is simple so people can easily make a synergistic link between the logo and his Youtube channel.

Alfie also quite prevalent on social media as shown on his Youtube channel page with different links to his various social media accounts, for example Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Google+. This allows him to stay in contact with his fans and helps him to respond to anything his fans might ask him in terms of video ideas or in response to tweets he might send out on Twitter.  Here are examples of some of his tweets:

Alfie's target audience based around children and teenagers as his content reflects this as he has other channels such as his vlogging channel and a gaming channel. Where the main and vlogging channels both conform to both gender stereotypes with the content, the gaming channel is conforming more to the male gender stereotype and male target audience (overall). Due to the fact that his content for his videos are family friendly content it appeals to all age groups and doesn't exclude anyone. 

An example of a daily vlog on the Youtube channel PointlessBlogVlogs 

An example of a gaming video in collaboration with his girlfriend and fellow Youtuber, Zoella, which is found on his PointlessBlogGames channel. 

Alfie's convergence to other media platforms 

Clothing Brand 

The different books that he has written which have become best-sellers 

Research: Music Video (Seminal)

'Take On Me' - a-ha (1985)

Research: Magazine Advert Analysis

Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More (Oct 2009) 

The White Stripes - Under Great White Northern Lights (Mar 2010) 

Online

Targeting Audiences

Different genres of music target their audience in different ways. I think this is in order to reach as many of their fans as possible and many different genres use different ways to achieve this. Many genres have their own magazines that specialise in their genre of music and appeals to the mass fanbase, for example Kerrang is a Rock/Metal magazine that specialises in focusing on rock orientated music and bands - they include different albums from a range of bands that span the whole genre. Other genres for example Indie music might not have this so they might promote their genre of music through television - for example many indie bands/artists are found to promote their music through a television programme called 'Sunday Brunch', where they have specific sections throughout the show where they have different bands/artists perform their music and it is mostly smaller/less well-known Indie bands/artists - this can help to create a target audience or help the band/artist expand their target audience as this is one of the largest shows on the tv during the morning on a Sunday. 

Research: Digipaks

What is a Digipak? 

A type of packaging for CDs or DVDs, typically made from cardboard with an internal plastic holder for one or more discs. It is a marketing tool intended to offer the buyer an incentive for purchasing the hard copy from a high street or online retailer than downloading/streaming the music. The incentive is basically extras added to the CD in addition to the actual disk and its case with front and back covers. 

What is the layout of a Digipak? 

6 Panel Digipak 

Advantages

- The fact that there is multiple panels means that the digipak can be 'filled' with more extra content that can encourage more fans to buy the product, maybe also people that has just started to listen to the band. 

- There can be more exclusive artwork within the digipak which helps to enhance the experience for the fans that buy the product. 

Disadvantages

- The 'extra' panels can make this digipak quite thick, in a sense that if fans wanted to place these on a shelf with other digipaks/CD's these types of digipaks would take up quite a lot of shelf space. 

         

4 Panel Digipak 

Advantages

- The fact that it is 4 panels shows that it can be compact - which appeals to fans that are avid collectors of CD's as they can help to fit on people's shelves or in a place where they keep their CD collection. 

Disadvantages 

- Due to the fact that this is only four panels this limits the amount of content that can be placed within the digipak is limited - which doesn't really encourage fans to buy this as they aren't really getting their value for money - there wouldn't be any point so they instead buy either the digital download copy or stream it.  

Digipaks include:

- A Front Cover 
- A Back Cover 
- A Spine 
- At least four other panels within the Digipak itself 

The Additional will comprise of some or all of these things: 

- Membership Postcard/Flier 
- Lyric Section 
- Disk Impression 
- Band Info Section/Booklet 
- Free Image/Poster/Set of Postcards 

Retailers 

HMV (Online/High-Street Retailer)

Amazon (Online Retailer)

Examples of Digipaks

Digipak Analysis: Wu Tang Clan - Enter the Wu Tang - 36 Chambers (1993)