Branding, Icons and Religion

We are our own media companies. We create ourselves and ‘brand’ ourselves anyway we like. We are empowered by the web, and the web is empowered by us. But is this really the case? How much are we really in control of our own identity? As Einstein writes in her article, “identities are constructed through consuming”. Therefore, we are not the product of our hard work, dedication and beliefs, but a consequence of what we buy (clothes, cars, laptops etc.). The brands we wear and the things we buy are more than just goods and services, they play a vital role in communicating our ‘true’ identity to the rest of the world. This branding translates to the online world, where the things we share, tweet and like become the primary means of revealing our characters.

This communication is very critical for the “like generation”, not because it reveals their personalities but because it provides a source of validation, as well as connection to the celebrities and the online community. One source of validation comes from the idea of being liked by lots of people. If that happens, you become an icon, a secular source of  “divine representation” that can inspire others. This is where religion and identity branding meet. Tyler Oakley and Steven Fernandez are true icons in this sense, they have the capacity to induce powerful and transformative experiences within a group. Their fans look up to them for a number of reasons, either in search for a life advice or simply to be entertained. Neither Tyler nor Steven expected to reach these levels of followers at first, yet the idea of being liked and “worshiped” as a celebrity was definitely flattering.

After reaching this level of celebrity adoration, how much are they still in control of their own identities? It seems like both had to give up parts of who they are in order to reach that status. Inevitably, both of them had to adjust their content according to their needs or the desire of the fans, whether it was advertising their sponsors or adding naked girls to the videos. In the end, it seems like it’s the fans and the followers who are the true marketers, they have the ultimate power to make Tyler and Steven alter their identities in order to meet the demands of the web community.