Damon Weaver has interviewed politicians and celebrities alike, yet is only 11 years old. Dubbed the "Future of Journalism", Weaver has become a viral superstar for the interviews he conducted for his elementary school's station, KEC-TV. His fame has already landed him a college scholarship and appearances on CNN, FOX and MSNBC.
Recently, he sat down with President Obama. When asked by Time Magazine about his expereince with the President, he remarked:
He was a very nice, tall guy. And he gives very good details. I liked interviewing him. He's just like a normal person.
You can check out the interview in its entirety here.
I would point it out as a great use of video by a nonprofit, but the tag says Petronas, which from seconds of research looks like an oil and gas company. Wonder what's up with that?
At first it looks almost like a video promoting Chicago tourism or something - then the ending makes me think it was funded by White Castle, unless the creators were just looking for a castle to end the "level." In that case, they could have also used Binny's Beverage Depot.
Social media blog Mashable posted 10 of the Smartest Big Brands in Social Media, which is some pretty interesting reading and viewing. Tops on the list is Blendtech, who increased sales by a lot through their YouTube campaign "Will It Blend?" Here's my personal favorite:
Mike and I saw the person who came up with this speak at a conference last year - he gave a really great presentation, but Mike and I were trying to figure out how YouTube ideas like this can work for a wonky policy report or an ask.
While it isn't as easy as destroying stuff and taping it, I think there are some ways nonprofits and activists can engage people with YouTube. Here are some examples:
Show the faces of your work or issue in a documentary style, like AFL-CIO and ACORN did in their Seven Days at Minimum Wage campaign. This can help the public, decision makers, and funders see what your work means at a human level:
Make a targeted ask for action or funding, like this video by the League of Young Voters. Depending on the audience, it can be a good change from a letter or postcard:
"Punk" the bad guys, like Greenpeace did by infiltrating a Kleenex campaign (Kleenex uses virgin rainforest their products):
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Damon Weaver has interviewed politicians and celebrities alike, yet is only 11 years old. Dubbed the "Future of Journalism", Weaver has become a viral superstar for the interviews he conducted for his elementary school's station, KEC-TV. His fame has already landed him a college scholarship and appearances on CNN, FOX and MSNBC.
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