YouTube between creator economy, AI, cultural aspirations and user focus

Pedro Pina, VP of YouTube EMEA, opened the two-day event in front of international press representatives with a clear message: YouTube is "The most rewarding platform" - in creative, emotional and financial terms. The platform's success is therefore based on four central factors, as Pina explained in the Google premises in Europaallee: Investment in creators, responsible scaling, audience engagement and attractive monetization opportunities.

YouTube as a global cultural center

YouTube has long since developed beyond the fringes of digital subculture to become the "epicenter of global culture". Terms such as "viral", "unboxing" and "livestream" have been established worldwide thanks to the platform. "The only barrier to entry is the upload button", says Pina - access is open to everyone, according to the YouTube boss for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Creator economy as a growth driver

A key topic was the role of the platform in the creator economy. YouTube contributes 6.4 billion US dollars to the creative economy. YouTubers are "the start-ups of Hollywood" and their content is becoming increasingly professional. "YouTube is the new television", explained Pina, referring to the increasing use of the platform on living room screens. Millions of people are consciously choosing YouTube as an alternative to linear television.

Artificial intelligence as a game changer

The importance of artificial intelligence (AI) was also emphasized. "AI should put its power to work" - it will make content creation and optimization easier. Auto-dubbing in particular, the automatic synchronization of videos into several languages, opens up new reach potential.

Podcasts: An audience of billions

Another growth area is podcasts, says Pina, who worked at McCann Wordlgroup for over 8 years before joining Google in 2013. More than one billion people interact with podcast content on YouTube every month, making it the largest podcast platform in the world. According to Pina, brands and companies should use the enormous basis of trust between creators and their communities instead of imposing rigid guidelines on them. "If a creator doesn't suit the brand, you should choose another one," is his pragmatic-sounding recommendation.

Focus on users

YouTube consistently focuses on the needs of its users. "Our focus is our user," emphasized Pina in response to a corresponding question. The platform has evolved from desktop to mobile use and on to living room TV - always in line with user behavior. YouTube also relies on freedom of choice when dealing with journalistic content: "The beauty about YouTube is that you only upload if you want to."

Community guidelines and monetization

The handling of content guidelines was also a topic. The platform consistently enforces its community guidelines. Monetization is a privilege, not a fundamental right - anyone who violates the guidelines is not only demonetized, but can also be removed completely.

Gen Z and platform preferences

A remarkable study (Harris Poll/Zach Rausch) was also presented: When asked which platform Gen Z wished had never existed, most named Twitter (50 percent), followed by TikTok (47 percent), Snapchat (43 percent), Facebook (37 percent) and Instagram (34 percent). YouTube landed at the bottom of the list with just 15 percent of the votes - a sign of its relevance and acceptance among young target groups, Pedro Pina concludes.

YouTube's long-term vision

Pina concluded by emphasizing YouTube's mission: "Give everyone a voice and show them the world." The platform sees itself as an innovation leader that supports creators, brands and users in equal measure and wants to continue to shape the digital media landscape.

"YouTube is in its own swim lane" - says Pedro Pina. This is how he describes YouTube as a platform that follows its own course and operates in a league of its own. In view of the rapid developments associated with this claim, a high number of strokes when swimming laps is probably essential in order not to falter or lose the self-confident claim to leadership. Even a platform of YouTube's size must adapt to this pace in order to remain the epicenter of global culture.