K atie c ouric

Stand for Something Bigger
Journalist Katie Couric believes that people who learn how to combine the
power of technology and storytelling will be the most successful long term.
The possibilities are endless, but the competition for attention is more
intense than ever before. The challenge is to get attention while staying true
to your principles. Also, you need to have a strategy; otherwise you’ll just
have great content that no one sees.
Influencers must care about the world around them, not just about
promoting new products or services. People must become brands in and of
themselves that stand for something bigger. Couric feels that this is what
truly increases the amplification of messages.
Build a Brand Around You
Phil Ranta of Studio71 says that one of his company’s areas of focus is
building brands around their creators so they have a safety net for a long
career. In entertainment it’s very rare that a celebrity enjoys longevity doing
only one thing, especially in Ranta’s industry where he works primarily
with a youth audience. Generally younger people want to interact with
others in their same age bracket. So he tries to ensure that once his clients
go beyond that age bracket they still maintain an audience.
To stay relevant, it’s important to build a brand around you—that way
you mean more than simply the content you create right now. Rhett & Link
(whom we discussed in the YouTube chapter) are a great example of people

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who have done this. After creating the hugely popular “Good Mythical
Morning,” they started the “Good Mythical Crew,” which is focused on the
people who work on their morning show. Not only are Rhett & Link
personalities unto themselves, but they’re also introducing their fans to a
whole bunch of other people so they can continue to grow. Now they have
fifteen personalities under their brand that everyone loves. It’s always smart
to evolve beyond being the only creator.