Youtube Holds Branding Speed Dates At VidCon

Courtney Accocella ‘17/ Emertainment Monthly Assistant Web Editor

This year at VidCon Youtube decided it wanted to spice things up by inviting a dozen top creators to meet with 12 different brands, including Proactiv, Beats by Dre, Purina, the Department of Transportation, L’Oréal and Truth, for some branding speed dates! “The intent isn’t to get a deal signed tomorrow,” said Jamie Byrne YouTube’s director of content commercialization. “But it’s meant to drive a follow-up conversation later.”

The event had all sorts of fun couplings; LaurDIY had a date with Old Spice, Wong Fu Productions was paired with Apple, Bethany Mota sat down with Maybelline and Proactiv. The dating event works out wonderfully both for creators and brands for a variety of reasons.

Brands are looking for a direct connection to young, digital viewers, while creators need additional revenue streams to supplement their income. In video advertising, or sponsored videos, are a great way for creators to generate profits. Youtube just got to play the matchmaker in this fantastic casual corporate meet up.

So was there a match made in heaven, you might ask?

“I think there were a few love connections,” Mota told Adweek. “It was fun. The conversation is slightly different [than a real date]. They didn’t ask me what my favorite food was!” Jokes aside, it’s safe to assume there will be some second dates between these creators and brands in the future!