Posts tagged with "YouTube"

Epic Gardening’s epic quest to win the booming grow-your-own and homesteading movements

March 24, 2023

Kevin Espiritu’s first foray into growing his own food was hardly an auspicious one. This was back in 2013—just after the Epic Gardening founder and CEO had graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Espiritu was kicking around at home in San Diego when his mom suggested that he and his younger brother find a bonding activity for the summer. Although they knew nothing about gardening, they decided to give and go and “hit the nursery together,” Espiritu recalls. And with that casual choice, he found his purpose, reports Fast Company.

“I went full nerd,” he says. “I got like a five-gallon bucket and tried to grow hydroponic cucumbers—so no soil, pro lights, and stuff. They were really, really bad. My brother said he almost threw up when he ate them. But for me, it kind of hooked me because of the science-y angle to it. That’s when I decided, hey, I’ll register the [Epic Gardening] domain and kind of journal about it.” (His brother, he said, watched in delight as his bucketful of basil exploded into a giant bush.)

A decade later, Espiritu is hardly winging it anymore. What started as a hobbyist blog that chronicled Espiritu’s coming-of-age as a green thumb has morphed into a direct-to-consumer gardening empire with original content on YouTube, TikTok, and other social media platforms; podcasts; and a line of products—from root pouch fabric pots to raised garden beds—available to buy online.

Last year Epic Gardening, which has an online audience of about 6 million, acquired the seed packet company, Botanical Interests, opening up a distribution pipeline to 4,500 stores around the country. This boost helped Epic Gardening generate $27 million in revenue last year. (Ironically, the cucumber seeds from that forgettable first experiment were from a Botanical Interests packet.)

Espiritu understands that he’s tapped into the culture’s back to the basics movement that has caused an uptick in home chicken coops and homemade bread, particularly amongst sustainably-minded young people. The trend was already underway before the pandemic, but went into overdrive once people were in lockdown mode.

“COVID was crazy,” Espiritu says. “The lockdown was announced on the 10th of March, and on March 11th I woke up and the main Epic Gardening YouTube channel was at like 220,000 views and we were getting 15,000 new subscribers a day.” He acknowledges that “partly it was because we’re named Epic Gardening, so if someone types in ‘gardening,’ we’re just there.”

But Espiritu’s relatable, I’m-just-a-regular-guy tone—accentuated by his uniform of a hoodie, baseball cap, and thin layer of stubble—has clearly struck a vibe with viewers. In a video about what mistakes to avoid when creating a raised bed garden, he says, “I kind of grew up just like a SoCal skater rat kid,” so “I’ve made just about all the mistakes I’m going to show you. And so I know the pain of them, so that gives me the experience to say, really avoid them.”

Yet his videos are hardly glib, clickbait clips. A recent one about starting a chicken coop (“Raising Chickens: Everything You Need to Know!”) runs more than 20 minutes long; and delves into everything from space requirements to different hen breeds and which are suited for warmer or colder climates. A video about how to grow ginger in a container gets into such nerdy details as what ginger roots are technically called (rhizomes) and how photosynthesis affects faster growth. The video has racked up over 10 million views.

With a $17.5 million investment from the Chernin Group behind it (that deal closed in late 2021), Epic Gardening is attempting to expand as steadily as well-fertilized bougainvillea. In addition to online articles, there are now two podcasts and four YouTube channels—including one devoted to regenerative gardening; and one built around Espiritu’s former assistant Jacques, who delves into farm-to-table cooking and sustainable practices. Espiritu’s started the Epic Homesteading channel two years ago when he bought a new house.

Unsurprisingly, Espiritu has talked to production companies about a TV show but says, “It would have to be really juicy, because we have no creative limits on us now.” Instead, he says, “I think a lot of what’s on the focus at least in the next year or so is looking at the industry and saying, ‘Okay, what awesome products could we develop and distribute through our network?”

Research contact: @FastCompany

Dad wows the Internet by modeling his daughter’s crochet crop tops

August 8, 2022

This dad loves to model his daughter’s crochet designs—from cool crop tops to beautiful bucket hats. But he’s not just any dad. He’s Jeff Beaver of Arkansas, reports ABC News.

Across several social media platforms—including  Instagram,  TikTok  and more—the dedicated dad can be seen dancing, twirling, laughing, and posing in looks from the LoveBeav product line.

Emily has been crocheting since 2015, but started noticing her business really take off during the summer of 2021, thanks to social media. When she began scouting her parents to model her designs, the business saw an immediate upswwing.

“My dad has never been afraid to look silly, especially if he’s having fun doing it, so there was never any hesitation on his part,” Emily told ABC’s morning show, Good Morning America. “The most important thing for me and my parents is that we are spending quality time laughing and enjoying what we are doing.”

“We could care less what other people think about how silly it might look,” she added.

After noticing how well a video performed that featured her mother, Amy Beaver, wearing one of her crochet designs, Emily thought, “Why not try including Dad, as well?”

“The Internet totally ate it up and every time I included my parents, I knew that there was something special about the concept of a family wearing crochet tops together,” Emily said.

Since making the decision to include her parents in content creation, Emily’s business has continued to grow at a rapid rate and she has seen a large increase in followers.

The 28-year-old crochet artist and content creator was able to quit her previous day job to solely focus on art and content creation full-time because of the increase in engagement and sales.

“I went from barely any sales at all, to usually selling out my entire restock each month,” Emily said. “The biggest win for me, however, has been the opportunities I’ve had to partner with some of my favorite brands, like Michael’s Craft Store. I’ve been shopping at Michael’s since I started crocheting, so to be able to partner with them and create videos for them has been an absolute dream.”

When it comes to the Beaver family’s newfound Internet fame, Emily said they are all “loving it,” adding, “I’m still not sure we have even processed it completely.”

Emily recalls attending the Electric Forest Festival and finding it absolutely mind-blowing how many fans they met. “We were getting asked for pictures about every five feet. It has been such an awesome experience to do this together, and we are looking forward to seeing where this leads.”

From cool crop tops to beautiful bucket hats, all of Emily’s crochet designs can be found on her company’s website. However, social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and  Facebook are the best way to find her and her family’s latest viral moments.

Research contact: @ABC

Meet Murph, NERF’s first-ever official mascot

July 21, 2022

Rhode Island-based Hasbro is expanding the NERF team with the brand’s first-ever mascot, named Murph, reports The Toy Insider.

 Made entirely of NERF foam darts from head to toe, Murph personifies the playful spirit that kids can unleash through NERF. Murphy is a natural athlete, an expert at surprise NERF Super Soaker ambushes, and a fantastic trick shooter with any NERF blaster.

 Hasbro is placing Murph in the center of NERF’s new advertising campaign launching this  summer  to drive the new brand mnemonic: “Unleash the Play in You.” The campaign encourages families to get up and get active with NERF and Murph to create memories that will last a lifetime. 

 During the multi-year campaign, fans will begin to see Murph appear more and more, including in stores where NERF toys are available, pop-up surprise moments, and on social media. Stay tuned for Murph’s next moves on NERF’s official social media channels on TikTokInstagramFacebook, and YouTube.

 

Research contact: @TheToyInsider

Ashes scattered after dog dies form ‘miraculous’ shape in the wind: ‘They never truly leave us’

May 31, 2022

A photo shared on Reddit has gone viral, after thousands of people got emotional at the sight and others were flooded with memories of pets gone by, reports the Good News Network.

The picture—and video—show a woman scattering the ashes of her beloved departed dog, Biscuit, at a local park.

She called it a “miracle” after seeing the handful of ashes had formed into a familiar shape at the last second—the shape of her 12-year-old German Shepherd and collie mix, who passed away suddenly a few months ago.

Natalie Franko Larason, who had rescued Biscuit from the no-kill shelter, PAWS Chicago, told GNN that she scattered the ashes at one of their favorite parks in Southern California—where together they enjoyed long walks and many hours of romping with the ducks and turtles.

“I’m still shocked at this experience, and have found it healing to connect with so many …  and hear their stories of love and loss.”

When she posted the iPhone video capturing the moment, Larason wrote, “I was astonished. The shape they formed looked exactly like her. I took it as a sign of her final goodbye… It’s miraculous.”

She hopes her fellow animal-lovers will take comfort in the video and photo, just as she has.

“Rest in peace, my sweet Biscuit,” she wrote on YouTube. “I’ll meet you at the Rainbow Bridge.”

Research contact: @goodnewsnetwork

Pinterest will remove content deemed climate-change misinformation

April 7, 2022

The social media platform, Pinterest, is rolling out new guidelines prohibiting posts that it says contains misinformation about climate change, as it continues to grapple with curbing the spread of false and misleading information, reports The Wall Street Journal. 

The social-media platform, where users post anything, from photos and links to recipes and home-decor ideas, said on Wednesday, April 6, that, going forward, it will remove content from users or advertisers that it deems as misinformation about the existence or impact of climate change.

Specifically, Pinterest is aiming to eliminate content that it says misrepresents scientific data; and false or misleading findings about public-safety emergencies, including natural disasters.

“For years, we’ve been working on our misinformation policy and defining what type of harmful content does not have a place on Pinterest,” said Sarah Bromma, Pinterest’s head of Policy. “Harmful misinformation does not. It is not additive to a positive inspiring experience on the platform.”

Pinterest said it worked with the climate-change experts to develop the policy based on common misinformation themes they’ve seen across media platforms. It will use automated systems and moderators to take action on content that violates the new guidelines, Bromma said. Pinterest will allow users to flag content that will get reviewed as well, she said.

Pinterest, founded in 2010, first focused on photos when it launched. More recently, the company has been pivoting to a focus on video, commerce, and creators. Last year, it was the subject of takeover rumors. PayPal had been in talks to buy the company but ultimately backed off of a potential $40-billion-plus takeover after its shareholders balked.

The policy change at Pinterest follows a report earlier this week by climate experts tapped by the United Nations that found that countries must make major, rapid shifts away from fossil fuels and to renewable energy to meet the goals in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

An earlier report found that greenhouse-gas emissions due to human activity may have irreversibly changed the climate in some ways.

Pinterest joins other tech companies that have taken steps to limit the spread of false information on climate change.

Alphabet’s Google said last October that it would no longer allow digital ads bought on its platform to appear next to online content that denies climate change—a ban that will also apply to YouTubeTwitter launched a program last November that created hubs users can find under various tabs on its messaging platform.

Meta PlatformsFacebook also added new guidelines in November that use fact-checking organizations to determine if climate-change content is false. If it is false, Facebook reduces its distribution so fewer people see it and applies warning labels to the posts.

Research contact: @WSJ

Five chilling revelations from ITV’s ‘Ghislaine, Prince Andrew & the Paedophile’ documentary

January 19, 2022

The real relationship between the disgraced Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein’s madam, Ghislaine Maxwell, has been revealed in yet another explosive documentary–this one, released by Britain’s ITV (also seen on YouTube in the USA), reports Bustle.

ITV’s latest must-watch documentary, Ghislaine, Prince Andrew and the Paedophiledelves deeper into the story of how the privileged daughter of billionaire Robert Maxwell became embroiled in the twisted world of pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Ghislaine Maxwell is due to be sentenced in late June after being found guilty in the United States of child sex trafficking charges in December 2021. She is awaiting sentencing in a New York prison.

Through a series of interviews with members of their inner circle, the documentary, fronted by ITV’s Ranvir Singh, explores Prince Andrew’s intimate relationship with both Epstein and Maxwell—as well as impending the civil court case he faces brought by Virginia Giuffre, who is accusing the senior royal of sexual assault.

The Duke of York, who m the Queen has been stripped of his honorary military titles, his HRH style, and his patronages, has denied all the allegations made against him.

Here are five key takeaways to note from the documentary:

1.     Prince Andrew gave Ghislaine Maxwell access to Buckingham Palace—Paul Page, the former Buckingham Palace Royal Protection Officer, reveals that he first met Maxwell way back in 2001. According to Page, Maxwell and Prince Andrew enjoyed a close relationship. “From the way she was allowed to enter and exit the palace, at will, we realized … suspected, that she may have had an intimate relationship with Prince Andrew,” says Page in the documentary. “A colleague of mine remembered her coming in four times in one day from the morning till the evening—she kept coming in and out, in and out.”

2.     Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell may have dated—Investment banker Euan Rellie backs up Page’s claims of the pair’s seemingly “intimate relationship”. Rellie, who first met Maxwell while studying at Oxford University, explains how she “described Andrew as being her friend, not Jeffrey’s.” Rellie then goes on to discuss how he “got the sense” that Prince Andrew and Ghislaine had probably dated in the past. “They had an easy warmth around each other,” he adds.

3.     Jeffrey Epstein threw parties in honor of Prince Andrew—Providing further insight into Prince Andrew’s relationship with Epstein and Maxwell, Rellie goes on to reveal that he attended several parties hosted by the couple and recalls how, during one event held at Epstein’s New York home, the disgraced billionaire claimed the party was “for my friend, Prince Andrew”.

4.    Prince Andrew had a stuffed toy collection that he was veryparticular about—Page also alleges that the Duke of York had a stuffed toy collection that he was very particular about. “[There were] about 50 or 60 stuffed toys position on the bed,” Page says of Prince Andrew’s private apartment; adding that a laminated picture of the Duke’s toy collection was kept in a drawer to ensure that household staff would place them correctly on his bed. “The reason for the laminated picture was that, if those bears weren’t put back in the right order by the maids, he would shout and scream and become verbally abusive,” Page reveals.

5.     Prince Andrew’s mobile number in Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous black book still works—ITV’s analysis of Jeffrey Epstein’s infamous black book,. which is filled with several high-profile contacts, revealed that the mobile number for the Duke of York is still in service. “I’m afraid I have not been quick enough to get to the phone before it went off to take your message. If you do have a message, please leave it and I will get back to as soon as I can,” a pre-recorded voicemail message from Prince Andrew requests.

 The documentary is started airing on Tuesday, January 18, on ITV.

Research contact: @bustle

Iceland takes a swipe at Zuckerberg’s ‘Meta’ announcement in new viral tourism video

November 15, 2021

If the goal was to get people talking about Iceland, a new tourism video is more than succeeding, reports CNBC.

Ineed, a video posted yesterday by Inspired by Iceland as part of a marketing campaign for Icelandic tourism takes aim at a Mark Zuckerberg video released in October announcing Facebook’s name change to Meta. In it, Zuckerberg hypes the so-called “metaverse”—a virtual world that “will be the successor to the mobile Internet.”

The metaverse’s defining quality, said Zuckerberg, is “the feeling of presence … like you’re there with other people.” Icelandic tourism authorities seem to think they can offer something better.

In the new video, a Zuckerberg lookalike—complete with his Caesar cut, minimalist garb and hand gestures—introduces viewers to “Icelandverse,” a place of “enhanced actual reality without silly looking headsets.”

“Today I want to talk about a revolutionary approach on how to connect our world—without being super weird,” the speaker deadpans to the camera.

The video extolls Iceland’s “completely immersive” experiences, such as its real rocks, real humans and “skies you can see with your eyeballs.”

Press materials sent to journalists continue the parody, explaining that Icelandverse was created “after millions of years in development” and that “users can explore and navigate their way through the many different layers of captivating reality, just by visiting.”

Officials, too, are in on the act.

“Icelandverse has been built with experts in government, industry, nature and academia, plus a few volcanoes,” said Sigridur Dogg Gudmundsdottir, head of Visit Iceland, in the video’s press release.

Reactions to the video have been overwhelmingly positive, with people praising the “Olympic-level trolling” by Iceland officials, and many expressing a desire to visit.

It isn’t the first time Iceland has relied on humor to draw attention to the Nordic island nation.

Videos by Inspired by Iceland use comedy to explain why not to wear jeans or high heels to Iceland. Its 2017 video entitled “The Hardest Karaoke Song in the World” has garnered nearly 14.5 million views on YouTube.

Research contact: @CNBC

Pinterest TV: Site launches live; shoppable QVC-style episodes to drive ecommerce sales

November 2, 2021

Pinterest wants to turn more users into buyers with Pinterest TV—a series of live, shoppable episodes featuring top creators, Variety reports.

With Pinterest TV, creators can showcase and tag products to let users purchase them on the retailer’s site. Episodes air each weekday and will be recorded and available for users to watch on-demand. Beginning November 8, episodes will air at 3 p.m. (PT)/6 p.m. (ET ) in the United States. on the iOS version of the Pinterest app.

To view Pinterest TV episodes, users can click the TV icon in the upper left corner of the Pinterest app. In the livestreamed episodes, viewers can interact with hosts and ask questions via chat.

And each Friday, products will drop in a live shopping setting in which Pinterest users will be offered discounts from brands including Patagonia, Allbirds, Crown Affair, Melody Ehsani, Outdoor Voices, and Mented.

According to Variety, Pinterest isn’t disclosing specifics on revenue-sharing deals for Pinterest TV at this stage. A company spokesperson says each show and partnership has its own structure.

The image-sharing site recently rolled out several new ways for creators to monetize on Pinterest, including by earning commissions through affiliate links on Pins and by teaming with brands on sponsored content.

Creators on the platform who are among the first to launch shows on Pinterest TV,include fashion designer and “Project Runway” alum Christian Siriano; director and screenwriter Monica Suriyage, who will be joined by Pinterest food creators to show how to “unfail” holiday dishes; Tom Daley, Olympic diving gold medalist and knitting fanatic; beauty entrepreneur Manny Mua; and comedian Robyn Schall, who will showcase products from brands including Patagonia, Melody Ehsani and Crown Affair.

Pinterest hosts who are part of Pinterest TV will have tools to enable live shopping experiences, including a “product drawer” with prices and product details, product drops and brand collaborations, a display of how much inventory is left, and a “limited-time-offer” module to offer discounts.

According to research firm eMarketer, the number of U.S. social buyers on Pinterest grew 30.5% in 2020, for a total of 12 million. By the end of 2021, they expect that number to grow another 16.4% to reach 13.9 million.

Alongside Pinterest TV, Pinterest is launching a virtual studio where Pinterest producers work directly with each creator to develop unique content, providing “backstage” A/V support, and go live with engaging episodes.

Separately, last week Malik Ducard, VP of content partnerships at YouTube, left to join Pinterest as its chief content officer, tasked with driving the company’s push to tap into the creator economy.

Research contact: @Variety

This crumpled, derelict Jaguar sold for six times its value

June 2, 2021

For some collectors, the fun is buying a car they even can’t drive—yet. Indeed, Bloomberg reports, according to Jay Leno, some cars are so special that even if you find the scattered pieces of one, you should buy it.

And he should know: In the years since his final hosting gig on The Tonight Show, the 71-year-old car enthusiast has presented the popular Jay Leno’s Garage on NBC and YouTube and has grown what is one of the most valuable and diverse car collections in the world.

Indeed, that philosophy certainly applied to a 1960 Jaguar XK150 S that sold for $127,552 in a Bonhams auction on May 22. The hammer price on the crumpled, patina-riddled drophead coupe was six times over the sale estimate.

“The enthusiast market is in rude health at present,” Rob Hubbard, the head of Bonhams MPH—a car auctioneer in Bicester Village, Oxfordshire, England—told Bloomberg in what the business publication calls “the understatement of the month.” 

Sales of classic and collectable cars across the world have returned healthy numbers in recent weeks, with Bonhams and RM Sotheby’s selling more than $60 million worth of old cars in a single weekend in Florida. Dozens of the six- and seven-figure cars at the Amelia Island auctions sold for far more than even the high side of their estimated values.

According to Bloomberg, the “barn find” is a segment of car collecting that has exploded in the past year, with garages and restoration shops bulging at the seams with businesses. The term “barn find” applies to any variety of derelict vehicles that have been left forgotten for decades; they come in various states of disrepair—from rusted-out bodies and frames to non-existent or half-missing components like seats, brakes, headlights, wheels, and even engines. Most are riddled with cracked paint…and worse. Rodents living in the underbody, inhabited by stray cats, and covered in droppings from birds and bats are all expected scenarios. At least one car is rumored to be protected by a malicious ghost.

Amid Covid-19 fears, “car guys” have more time than ever to tinker in the shop or send their heretofore tabled restoration projects to the shop. But there must be more than bullish pandemic-pent-up buyers to make a smashed car worthy of such a high price. The Jaguar model itself is special enough to merit barn-find project status, even if the sum of its auction-price and the amount of money spent on restoring it might exceed the resulting value. 

“To be honest, we don’t really know why that much money is being spent,” says John Mayhead, the manager of Hagerty’s automotive Intelligence in the UK. He noted that sometimes it’s about timing—the exact right buyer finds the exact perfect project, and the two just click.

Other times, it’s about becoming a part of history: “The story to it sometimes encourages buyers to pay over the odds,” Mayhead says. “Owning a car like this is about continuing that story, and you want to be a part of it.”

Launched in 1957, Jaguar XK150s came in fixed-head or drophead coupe versions. They were known for their rounded, mod styling and progressive mechanics, like disc brakes (compared to the old-fashioned drum brakes) and powerful 3.8-liter engines that produced up to 265 horsepower engines. They could hit 60 mph in 7.3 seconds; top speeds exceeded 130 mph. All told, Jaguar made fewer than 3,000 Drophead coupes and even

In pristine form, the best Jaguar XK150 S is worth around $280,000, according to the Hagerty Price Guide. But prices vary widely. Most in good condition — the typical collector car— are worth closer to $163,000, Mayhead says. Last year, a pretty 1958 XK150 sold at auction for $176,000. In January, Bonhams sold a white one for $145,600. Meanwhile those in less-than-mint condition can be had for well under $100,000.

Owned by a single person since 1969, this XK50 in particular had a longstanding working history until “a wet day” in September 1996, according to the auction catalogue, when the owner of the car lost control and crashed it into a tree. The driver walked away unscathed; the car fared rather worse. It has remained inside a garage swathed in rust-riddled glory ever since. But it is actually good the car stayed squired away; it helped preserve what was left of it.

“Considering the date of the crash and being kept in dry storage, the car is still in a salvageable condition, and offers enormous potential as a rewarding project car,” the Bonhams auction catalogue notes. The dry storage is crucial, as it stalled the development of extreme rust, which can render a car nearly hopeless when it comes to repair.

Bonhams declined to share who bought the crashed Jag. But for those who buy such relics of time past, of course, the time and expense are all part of the fun.

Research contact: @Bloomberg

News Corp and Google form multi-year partnership to provide ‘trusted journalism’ globally

Febraury 18, 2021

There will be no “fake news” on the Google News Showcase, News Corp announced on February 17—now that Rupert Murdoch’s media and information empire has agreed to a profitable, historic multi-year partnership with Google to provide trusted journalism from its news sites around the world.

As part of the deal, News Corp will receive significant payments from Google. Among the News Corp publications joining Google News Showcase will be The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, MarketWatch, and the New York Post; in the UK: The Times and The Sunday Times, and The Sun; and in Australia a range of news platforms, including The Australian, news.com.au, Sky News, and multiple metropolitan and local titles.

The landmark three-year agreement also includes the development of a subscription platform, the sharing of ad revenue via Google’s ad technology services, the cultivation of audio journalism, and meaningful investments in innovative video journalism by YouTube.

News Corp Chief Executive Robert Thomson stated in the announcement that the deal would have “a positive impact on journalism around the globe as we have firmly established that there should be a premium for premium journalism.

“I would like to thank Sundar Pichai and his team at Google, who have shown a thoughtful commitment to journalism that will resonate in every country. This has been a passionate cause for our company for well over a decade and I am gratified that the terms of trade are changing, not just for News Corp, but for every publisher.

“The deal simply would not have been possible without the fervent, unstinting support of Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, and the News Corp Board. For many years, we were accused of tilting at tech windmills, but what was a solitary campaign, a quixotic quest, has become a movement, and both journalism and society will be enhanced.

“Particular thanks are certainly due to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Rod Sims and his able team, along with the Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who have stood firm for their country and for journalism.”

Research contact: @newscorp