Launched in February 2005, since October 2006 YouTube is part of Google. And in terms of traffic, YouTube is second only to the parent’s search engine site, but somehow plays a complementary role to it. The video platform, according to Google itself, plays a crucial role in connecting users with brands:
70% of respondents claim they are open to learning about products on YouTube from brands.
50% of respondents also claims that they have used online videos in formulating their choice of what products to buy.
The strength of YouTube as a brand has always lived in its strong relationship with both content creators and viewers. According to Saffron, who was in charge of redesigning the brand identity:
interviews and research revealed that it enjoyed an equally strong relationship with the platform’s creators as it did with viewers. This presented a challenge for the company; there was a sense that YouTube was a shared resource for many different uses and motivations, roughly divided by those that create and those that consume. All parties felt the platform belonged to them and their culture