Social Media as a Gateway to the Entertainment Industry

Julia Hasler

Graphic by Laura Lu

After she hit one million subscribers in April 2018, Emma Chamberlain’s platform is now at almost 11 million. Although some may have heard her name for the first time as a result of her appearance at this year’s Met Gala, others have kept up with Emma Chamberlain since she began her Youtube channel in 2017. Then just a sophomore in high school, Emma has grown to become a widely-known influencer and expanded her platform by creating her own podcast, working with companies such as Louis Vuitton and Levi’s, and launching her own coffee brand, “Chamberlain Coffee.” 

Initially launched in 2019, Emma Chamberlain relaunched Chamberlain Coffee in September of 2020, redesigning the brand with new blend options behind a theme of cartoon animals. When asked about the relaunch, Chamberlain explained to Refinery29 that “we realized down the line that there was a lack of personality in the brand.” In addition to adding both ground and whole-bean options to the brand, the relaunch included four new flavor options: Early Bird, Careless Cat, Social Dog, and Night Owl; these options offer variety in both flavor and caffeine levels. Sustainably sourced and made, the brand aims to minimize packaging and deliver fair trade and organic coffee. 

Chamberlain Coffee recently partnered with Levi’s to host a nine-day popup shop in Times Square beginning October 1. With options of customized coffee and merchandise like t-shirts, mason jar glasses, and tote bags, customers received a complimentary Levi’s x Chamberlain Coffee patch with every purchase. After hearing about the pop-up for a week, I finally made the trip to Times Square and got a look at it myself. I arrived just before it opened, and the line was already down the street. As I walked in, I was a little underwhelmed with the presentation. The shop was in a small corner right by the entrance of the store, as opposed to taking up a larger presence throughout. However, the coffee completely made up for it. I got an iced oat milk latte, which I finished in about two minutes because of how good it was. Some of my friends got hot coffee with customized designs, all of which looked so precisely done. Overall, I think the pop-up served exactly its intended purpose: to draw in customers, get people to try the coffee, and represent the personality of the brand.  

Many influencers begin on platforms such as Youtube or TikTok and later expand their reach. For example, Addison Rae began gaining popularity on Tiktok in July 2019, and now has a music career, makeup line, and starred in a Netflix Original movie, He’s All That. This begs the question: how much is too much? 

In the case of Emma Chamberlain, I personally think that she has spread herself in the right directions with the opportunities she has been given. Since starting her channel, Emma has been known for both her style and love of coffee. She has had multiple videos dedicated to these two subjects alone, such as “TOO MUCH CAFFEINE,” “Emma’s Legendary Coffee Recipe,” and “Try-On Thrift Haul #1”, all of which were made in 2017 before she gained as much fame as she has today, so it would be logical for her to branch in those directions with her career. However, with other influencers, they may be trying their hand in areas they have no knowledge of.

It is incredible that Addison Rae has been able to explore such a wide range of industries after getting her start on social media, but  some of the areas she’s gone into are too far-fetched. After attending Louisiana State University with the intention of pursuing sports broadcasting, Rae dropped out in November 2019 and shortly after moved to Los Angeles as a result of her growing platform on TikTok. Of course interests can change, but Rae has not been known to have a love of singing or acting in the past, and it seems as though these opportunities have presented themselves in light of her large following as opposed to talent. 

The line of broadening one’s platform is impossible to define, especially when it comes to those who got their start on social media. Should influencers be expanding their reach, or should they stick to what they started with? If the former, how much should they expand? It can be argued that many social media influencers that try their hand in industries such as acting are only given opportunities as a result of the platform, and lack the necessary talent to maintain it. If that is the case, how should they be expanding the opportunities they have been given? In the case of Emma Chamberlain, she ventured into areas that she previously had interest in, such as fashion and coffee. How is that different from other influencers who attempt to make it in the music or film industries? Is there a way to define what is the proper way to expand?