HOW DO THE RECENT YOUTUBE SPONSORSHIP CHANGES AFFECT YOUR VIDEO?
In February of 2015, YouTube amended policies on sponsorships. Instead of
letting creators continue to work directly with brands, they now have to run
sponsorship deals through Google’s sales team.
Google then receives an
additional revenue source by acting as the conduit between creators and
sponsors.
This is an important issues that deserves examination - and clarification
How does this rule affect your specific reality? This one depends on whether or
not you run graphical title cards paid for by sponsors at the beginning of your
videos. If you do, keep reading; if you don’t, consider this short chapter anyway
for a larger perspective of working with YouTube and paid product placement.
It is important to note here that the very nature of the Internet, and Google, is CHANGE I wouldn’t have to produce a new version of this book every year if
everything stayed the same.
Although I can point you in the right direction now
and then, I’m not a lawyer, don’t play one on TV (or YouTube) and you need to
do all of your own research on these kinds of topics. If you register this book, as
described in the first chapter, I’ll do what I can to keep you up to date with any
additional major changes made this year.
The February changes specifically deal with the issue of (PAID) Product
Placement inside of a YouTube Video. Specifics can be found here -
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/154235.
It is important to point out
that whereas many are claiming and treating this as a new rule, YouTube has
stated publically that it is more of an update of existing rules.
It is important to point out that, currently, YouTube allows paid product
placement in videos - but simply requires a check to the box that indicates such
placement when you are monetizing a video with YouTube. This has been the
standard for some time.
The February changes deal mostly with the use of “Title Cards” that run before
videos that include logo and branding Some creators have sold this spot for an
additional revenue stream directly to sponsors - and this is no longer allowed.
A few of the specifics - directly from YouTube:
We allow text-only title cards where there is Paid Product Placement for the
purpose of paid product disclosure only. Graphical title cards, including the
use of sponsor logos and product branding, are prohibited unless there is a full
Google media buyout on the Partner content by the sponsor.
You can contact
your Partner Manager for more information and assistance.
In short: you can still disclose a relationship with a paid sponsor with text, but
not with a product logo or branding, unless the brand pays for that kind of
positioning, directly through YouTube. The best estimate for a relationship like
this is that YouTube would take approximately 45% of such a deal - effectively
half of the take.
Regardless of this change, or any coming changes from YouTube, it is always a
best practice to disclose paid placement in any of your videos. In the U.S., the
FTC has some very specific rules for online disclosures that I recommend you
follow - as this element tends to change on a regular basis, I suggest you search
Google “FTC online disclosures” for the latest.
Here is my big picture take on this issue: YouTube is and should be allowed to
make money on their platform. The infrastructure they provide has made many
people a lot of money and they certainly are entitled to their share.
This specific Title Card issue is both a definable element of the sponsorship
game, and is also part of the bigger picture of YouTube being able to sell their
services without the client looking for a “cheaper” way in. If I, as a brand, have
to pay Google to make something specific happen, and there is a known
backdoor where I can pay the content creator far less to have them create the
same, the relationship quickly becomes antagonistic and takes on a bargain
basement mentality. This is good for neither the creator or YouTube.
Will YouTube make further changes? Historically, the answer is yes. Will these
affect your chances of making money from YouTube? Again, possibly.
However, keep in mind that YouTube needs to keep you as a partner for this
delicate dance to work and, as a result, they are forced to keep your best interests
in mind as well.
It’s not a perfect relationship, like all relationships, but it is based on give and
take and continues to mature as time goes on.
Here’s a fascinating and very informative video by a YouTuber not thrilled with
the rules - but who understands their place - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoqpBIRtIkw.
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