The Business of Fame: 1920-2020

First, digital media enjoys the zero marginal costs of both software and content. Each incremental user to join Facebook, TikTok, or YouTube costs nothing. And when that user shares a piece of content, that content can reach a theoretically infinite number of people at zero cost. Some people would argue that these companies aren’t media companies, ... See more

Advertising captures the same value from everyone and fails to unlock incremental value from the deepest layers of fans. Subscription + à la carte models better monetize superfans.

His point is that Brud can create digital characters who are infinitely more scalable and globally appealing. A digital celebrity could theoretically produce unlimited content for unlimited languages and cultures: she could produce a dozen Instagram photos, release a feature-length film, and give six interviews—all in a single day.

Just because something is artificial doesn’t mean that it isn’t authentic. Brud’s characters are carefully constructed to have clear values, beliefs, and personalities.

Shouldn’t Taylor Swift’s earliest fans—who helped her first gain traction—share in her success? The startup Pando provides income pooling among communities.

But the more interesting development in the business of celebrity is the shift away from advertising.

successive technologies have made celebrities more accessible to their fans, while also enabling more people to achieve fame and influence.

A recurring theme as technology has changed celebrity is that content output goes up and production value goes down. The production value of a Kardashian social media post is orders of magnitude lower than the production value of an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Today, the first fan of Taylor Swift is treated the same as the most recent fan. Long-time, dedicated fans get the same level of access and treatment as everyone else. Over the next decade, that will change.