Digital celebrities’ popularity rivals Hollywood stars’—and we found out in our Fame, Redefined research that for teens, they’re even more popular. Another recent study by a USC professor also revealed that female YouTube stars score seven times higher than female mainstream celebs when it comes to female empowerment. He says that makes stars like Zoella and Bethany Mota “the most influential, incredible role models within this realm today.” Their genuine personas, entrepreneurship, and fan engagement are all reasons for their comparatively high clout. (AdAge)
