A True Social Media Professional
With the instructions to analyze the social media usage of either a brand, person or organization, it felt like an obvious decision to analyze the individual who really took the online tool to the next level.
The way I see it, Kim Kardashian West is one of the most watched, followed, and stalked individuals on planet earth with over 120 million followers across her multiple social media accounts. If I’m being honest, I don’t think I could name another person more connected to social media than Kardashian herself.
When it comes to entertainment, there isn’t a feud bigger than the one between people that are pro-Kardashian and those who aren’t. But whether you love her or hate her there is no escaping the obsession our society has with Mrs. Kardashian West.
I almost feel like explaining her story is pointless because just about everyone knows who she is. However, for those that live under a rock it’s relevant to know where Kardashian came from and how her introduction to fame was parallel to the growth of social media.
Unlike many celebrities who struggled to make ends meet before getting a big break in Hollywood, Kardashian doesn’t come from a rags to riches story. Born on October 30th 1980, Kimberly Noel Kardashian was raised in the affluent suburbs of Los Angeles with her older sister Kourtney and younger siblings Khloe and Robert. While she wasn’t of A-list status at birth, her family were known to run in the same social circles as the rich and famous. The first time the world really took notice of the name Kardashian came from the fact that her late father was OJ Simpson’s defense attorney during the highly publicized 1995 trial.
It wasn’t until the early 2000’s that Kim was able to make a name for herself when she became recognized as the friend/assistant/closet cleaner to It-girl Paris Hilton.
But in 2007, everything changed.
As her family were on track to launch their reality TV series Keeping Up with the Kardashians (KUWTK), a sex-tape featuring Kardashian and then boyfriend Ray-J was leaked to the media. This scandal became the plot for the pilot episode and formally introduced the world to the newest generation of Kardashians.
KUWTK was a cross between The Brady Bunch and The Osbournes, with wholesome family moments, outrageous drama and a wild sense of humor.
Branded by her x-rated past and valley girl attitude not everyone liked Kim. She was (and still is) labelled as the girl who made herself and entire family famous with no talent at all. However, despite all odds against her, Kardashian was able to come out on top. She’s starred on TV for 10 years, nominated for 8 teen choice awards — winning 2, muse to some of fashion's top couture designers, has multiple million dollar ventures in the tech world, and just last year was listed by Forbes magazine as one of the most influential people of 2016.
But how did this D-list celebrity end up as one of the most sought after celebrities of this generation? People can argue she’s famous for simply being famous but I absolutely don’t think that’s the case.
I think Kim Kardashian is smart.
Maybe not ivy league smart (I mean…neither am I). But still pretty smart.
It’s easy to see the luxurious lifestyle portrayed on TV and wonder what she and her family did to deserve it. Social media played a huge role in shaping Kim’s career as well as all the many members of the Kardashian family. With the help of her momager Kris and ever so entertaining family, Kardashian was ultimately able to create an empire.
To illustrate how they were able to do this, I’m going to provide a brief timeline. (infoplease.com)
2004: Myspace is launched, shortly followed by Facebook
2005: Youtube is launched, Facebook is available globally for students
2006: Myspace at peak popularity in US, Twitter launches
2007: The first iPhone is released, Keeping Up with the Kardashian first airs
The social media landscape was very different when the Kardashians hit the scene. Everything was new and full of potential. As social media grew, so did the Kardashians and because of this, they’ve been able to control their own narrative.
Even though everyone knows reality TV is scripted, KUWTK has continued to appeal to fans by showcasing just about every part of the Kardashian’s lives in a way that engages with viewers. They’ve made fans feel part of the family by showing them more than just wealth and glamour — giving them something to relate to. With every season there came new topics that at times reflected issues such as:
- Struggles in the dating world
- Multiple pregnancy announcements
- Weddings
- Divorce
- Heartbreak
- Loss
- Health issues
- Fertility struggles
- Anxiety
On social media, (most notably Twitter) Kim and her family connected have been able to connect with fans in an unscripted and genuine way. The mere act of making fans feel they are valued has built up a large community of loyal supporters.
“She’s a savvy business woman, who was one of the first to turn those millions of eyeballs watching her online into millions of dollars. She posts pictures and gets paid for clothes she wears; products she uses, brands she endorses.” — Bill Whitaker
In an interview with 60 Minutes, Kardashian agrees that the level of success her career “monetizing on the act of living” gained, can be credited to social media. But don’t be fooled — this was not dumb luck. When I said the Kardashian’s control their own narrative I truly meant it. How else have they managed to stay in the spotlight for 10 years?
A reality TV show is great way to get those 15 minutes of fame but it takes a greater effort to actually remain relevant. This is where social media came in and filled the cracks that reality TV couldn’t. Over the years it became the tool for Kim to market herself, her livelihood, and a wide variety of businesses, sponsorships and endorsement deals to fans around the world. It turned her into more than a just a reality TV star — it turned her into a lifestyle brand that just about everyone wants a piece of.
Like a Barbie doll, Kim comes with hundreds of accessories for you to purchase. To give you an idea, here are only a handful of ventures Kim earns money from:
- Monthly-subscription website/app ($2.99/month)
- Mobile game “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood” (in-app purchases)
- Publish book “Selfish” ($19.99)
- Emoji pack: Kimoji ($1.99)
- Kimoji Merch ($12-$98)
- Sponsored social media (~$10,000-$25,000 per post)
- Kardashian Kollection clothing
- Kardashian beauty line
- Kardashian tanning products
- DASH boutique
Now, I won’t lie and say I believe Kardashian achieved all of this on her own. It’s probably safe to say she isn’t a coder or artist and therefore likely wasn’t the one hand design or create her numerous apps and websites from the ground up.
But just because she didn’t make the tangible product doesn’t mean she wasn’t part of the process right? I’ve heard people say she couldn’t possibly be responsible for her success due to the fact that she lacks proper education from university or business school. But can someone tell me why having a degree would make Kardashian any better? Would a degree also help high school dropouts such as Richard Branson and David Karp both of whom are world renown billionaires? Everyone has had help at some point in their lives to get them to where they need to be. You can’t do everything on your own.
She’s had a lot of help to get her where she is but that doesn’t mean she didn’t put in the work. Kim Kardashian is a serial entrepreneur who, so far has successfully capitalized on herself by aligning her personal image with consumer trends on social media. This has allowed her to turn the name “Kim Kardashian” and everything she stands for into one of the most influential brands both online and offline — a feat not many people have been able to achieve.
In 2016, Kim provided fans with something they didn’t know they wanted — inappropriate emojis. The app, cleverly titled “Kimoji” gives users a wide range of images and gifs to send to one another. It uses many of Kardashian’s most identifiable features such as her ugly crying face, giant engagement ring and unrecognizable asset.
It not only paved the way for other celebrities to follow suit with similar apps such as Justin Bieber, Beyonce, and Lady Gaga but also the ability to use certain images in new ways. Similar to the poop and heart eyed emoji pillows sold everywhere, just this week Kim launched another collection of merchandise featuring some of the most popular Kimoji icons.
All of these ventures that have made Kim Kardashian the successful entrepreneur she is today, would not have been possible without the growth of social media. It was the tool that gave the career of a young reality TV star worldwide status.
Kim not only uses social media for communication purposes, but continues to push it to the limits by creating new and profitable ventures. On numerous occasions she’s used her voice and platform to bring attention to certain human rights issues all over the world.
There will probably always be people who credit Kardashian’s sex-tape as the foundation for her fame and fortune and they aren’t entirely wrong. What they are missing is the fact that she took this humiliating situation and turned it into a multi-million dollar empire. She used social media like no other to shape how how she wanted the world to see her.
It is without a doubt that Kim Kardashian will go down in history as a trailblazer during the advent of social media professionals because let’s be honest, with an estimated net worth of $51 million, she’s got to be doing something right.
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