NICHES CAN EVOLVE.
Soraya Jackson
November 28, 2022
The year was 2012.
I like to say my grandma gifted me two things that year—my love for internet 'culture' and an actual laptop for school. I had only seen glimpses of these guys during my free period in the computer lab. But now I could roam the entire internet on my own (between 3 pm - 7 pm/ or all day till bedtime on weekends).
It was 2012, and the song Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen came out, and so did the parody music video by Wassabi Productions.
​
I look back at this video many years later and can not do anything but cringe. But I also see why the younger me loved it.
​
It was a successful video. Alex and Roi cracked the formula -- Trendy songs, parodies, unique personalities, and accessible content.
​
That is a niche = Richard and Roland; more specifically, skit comedy.
​
Niche
"A place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted."
–– Merriam-Webster
They had a knack for skit comedy, so they pursued that for about five years until it became uninteresting for them and their audience.
​
Rolanda and Richard would occasionally appear, though eventually, they would fully transition into doing challenges with friends and vlogging. The boys would find their passions and run their successful channels, 'Alex Wassabi' and 'Guava Juice.' Alex with his vlogging channel and Roi with Challenges.
​
This is a long way of saying that most of my childhood memories are rooted in internet culture.
​
Aaaand to explain, niches are detrimental to help define your brand. Though that does not mean you can not transition into something else once you've found it.
​
​
Creators are humans, and humans change. Therefore personal brands should evolve too.
​
Emma Chamberlain is the perfect example of a person evolving, resulting in their YouTube channel's niche changing.
​
If you were on the internet from 2016 - 2021 and have not heard of Emma Chamberlin, you have.
Or you've seen her editing style since then.
​
Emma started her channel while in high school. She is now in her twenties. Her interests, her style and values have changed because that happens when you grow up.
If you watch the video above, you understand that transition; the video deconstructs the evolution Emma Chamberlain underwent.
There is an article that tackles the specifics of her editing style. Still, in the simplest of words, it challenged the "invisible art" of editing. Emma's old videos included harsh jump cuts, screen morphing and dramatic audio altering. It encapsulated the new and unique style of humour Gen Z had.
Now, her videos are edited with a low effort. They are minimalistic, raw and mature. Her videos evolved because Emma has evolved herself.
She is now an adult who has gotten many opportunities, posing for the cover of multiple magazines, modelling for Louis Vuitton, and even interviewing celebrities at the Met Gala –– Twice.
Emma Chamberlain, too, is an excellent example of how healthy personal growth altered her niche and helped her transition into the career she is in today.
We could get into JoJo Siwa, but that deserves its own essay.