YouTube Sellouts

[twisty]

I'd like to clarify my position, as I feel that the discussion has sort of morphed a bit. First of all, I think most of us can spot "bought and paid for" content, most of the time. That's not what gets under my skin. What bothers me is that many content providers get a following by doing actual content. Its about a couple of guys (or girls) embracing the lifestyle and doing cool shit that we all wish we had the time or money to do. So we get emotionally invested in them...which is exactly what sponsors look for, i get it. No confusion there.

What bothers me is that after a couple months of straight commercials, the channel looses all credibility. And I don't have anything against LiteBrite, except the annoying cackle. Their videos are pretty entertaining, especially the last one. But it's just one commercial after another. (I would never have watched that last video had she been clothed.) But she wasn't...and i did, so that's a moot point.

Lastly, I'm a diehard conservative and free enterprise capitalist. I started my own company a decade ago and i eat what i kill everyday. If that's what they want to do, that's their decision. But the degradation of their credibility will catch up with them and they'll crash and burn.

I'm not mad at the commercials, I'm mad at the fact that it will lead to their early demise as content.

Good post. Cred is in the eyes of the beholder.

As a conservative myself I'd let the market decide. I like it and get some good entertainment value and product info. I stop watching when that stops happening. Same with other sources. They are REAL wheelers and for sure not posers so they have more cred than most.

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[twisty]

Thanks! and you go girl!! lol It actually got me to go to the best buy site and put in the promo. haha! I will have one of those sunriders one of these days but I have other jeep priorities for my coin for now....for now....

 

[SteadyC]

I watched this one, duh, and learned a few tips on how to take off the back parts of my Trektop.

 

[ALRUI]

I just use it as a tool to see if the product is something I am interested in. Just like anything else, you have to take them with a grain of salt.

Just because a friend, or some vlogger on YT says its the best ever, doesnt mean its best for me.

Exactly, the videos can show a product actually being used which you usually dont see on a website or print ad. Just like any advertising, know where the seller is coming from

 

[ALRUI]

I use Youtube to research the installation of a product after I bought it as most times the instruction that are included (if any) are crap....

Thats because the job of "technical writer" doesnt exist for the most part anymore. When there were such people good manuals were written.

 

[wibornz]

Thats because the job of "technical writer" doesnt exist for the most part anymore. When there were such people good manuals were written.

This is so true. There are no manuals or instructions with most Jeep products that I have bought in the last year. You get the "watch the video on YouTube. These companies now depend on other freelancers to do the work for them.

 

[xtopherm]

Why? You see them using it. If they were putting trash on their Jeep and saying it was good, and then disguising when it blew up that would be one thing. Seems to me they endorse stuff that actually WORKS for them, and then they beat the crap out of it worse than I ever would, and it stands up to the abuse. I don't care if they got it for a discount or got it for free if they are going to torture test it and prove it works. As long as they are honest about their results, that's all that matters.

Yes sometimes they show the warts. For example, when they tore a hole in that MetalCloak 6-Pack rear shock, they were very clear about it. On the other hand, they are a little less forthcoming about the fact that Milestar gives them new sets of those 38" Patagonias every 5 mins...

 

[mikej]

This is so true. There are no manuals or instructions with most Jeep products that I have bought in the last year. You get the "watch the video on YouTube. These companies now depend on other freelancers to do the work for them.

This drives me crazy. During my last install (I’m looking at you, ACE Engineering), I had to watch five different videos to assemble all the instructions that I needed. Conversely, my LOD Sliders (remarkably simpler install), came with great written instructions.

 

[RubiRob]

What bothers me is that after a couple months of straight commercials, the channel looses all credibility.

I used to enjoy watching Max Powell videos on YT (he's got a taco but they're still fun) until he kept reviewing stuff I had ZERO interest in or real relevance to his channel. Stuff like backpacks and knives, which to me seemed like just anything he could get paid to promote. I feel you hit the nail on the head. There are some Jeep youtubers who are like this too.

 

[WilliePete]

The issue is most YouTube "personalities" make a choice it seems, they are either entertainers, or they have credibility, it's not as easy as one would expect to find people who inhabit both spheres.

The other challenge I see, is that it's hard to give credibility to folks with either limited experience, or only running one product. For example, there is a tire thread here, where folks are rating tires on multiple things, and I see some folks saying the tires they have are 10 in terms of being quiet. The catch is, if you haven't spent some time with more than one choice, how do you actually know how quiet it is? Your frame of reference is vastly different from people who have a wider breadth of experience. I rarely see people say "I spent $3,500 on this lift, and it's not as good as that "$800 lift." Or how often do you see people say "hey, my Mopar lift is awesome, it's better than a ton of higher priced lifts." (With the addendum that the person has actually run more expensive lifts.

All that leads me to two conclusions:

1) Most people think whatever they end up with amazing, and easily worth as much as more expensive products.
2) People almost never admit "yeah, I spent money and it was not money well spent."

Generally that's why I think ya gotta take YouTube and a lot of reviews with a huge grain of salt. It can serve as an intro to something, but I've learned my by talking, and wheeling with people, seeing what works and what doesn't work for them, and importantly how it holds up. As a side benefit, while I love wheeling, I'll take an afternoon every now and then, and ride a along with a friend, and try to see/feel how their products work for them. I always feel better about stuff that I can see, touch, feel, or experience, than taking some random dude on the internet, who I have no idea what their criteria really is.

Exactly.
min my JK I listened to a lot of bad info and spent a lot of money on stuff that just was not good. This go round, I bought only products that my local shop has used Before. In most cases, everything I picked is overkill, but if funds work out and I can get bigger axles next year, I won’t have to upgrade anything.

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