YouTube isn’t going anywhere – in fact, in 2023 its user base is projected to grow even more and it’s where Gen Z is spending most of their time online.
Creating and executing a YouTube strategy for your brand pays off in dividends if done correctly (for more reading on why, enjoy our article 4 Reasons Your Brand Needs A YouTube Page).
But translating your brand’s product or service to compelling video content isn’t always an organic or easy feat. To beat the best, you’ve got to learn from the best – so we’ve gathered our list of the top brands on YouTube.
NBA 19.6M Subscribers
Repeatable formats:
- Notable, classic games in full (i.e. Shaq and Kobe Matchup on Christmas Day 2004)
- Longform compilations of the current 2022-2023 season (i.e. 2 Hours of the NBA’s Wildest Endings)
- Daily Top 10 Play Compilations (i.e. NBA Top 10 Plays of the Night | January 1, 2023)
For any basketball fan, the NBA YouTube brand page is the mecca for all you may desire. They have consistency and frequency down to a science with daily repeatable formats – meaning they post at least 4 videos a day (and on busy game days, a whopping 20 videos a day). Aside from game highlights and round-ups, the NBA page also offers content outside of exhibition games.
Their most popular video is Top 10 NBA Celebrity Reactions (with 66M views), followed by fun game-ified videos like Stephen Curry Wins The Skills Challenge and Jingle Hoops.
The page has been around since 2005 and doesn’t shy away from digging into the NBA Vault to highlight legendary players and moments from NBA history.
Vogue 12.4M Subscribers
Repeatable formats:
- A single shot interview comprised of 73 rapid-fire questions (i.e. 73 Questions With Dua Lipa)
- 7 Days, 7 Looks compilations of every outfit a celebrity wears in a week (i.e. Every Outfit Keke Palmer Wears In A Week)
- 24 Hours With… compilations that highlight a day in the life of a celebrity (i.e. 24 Hours With Shay Mitchell)
With access to a ton of top-tier celebrities and successful models, Vogue has cornered the market on fashion and beauty video content.
Huge names like Margot Robbie, Kendall Jenner and Zendaya give home closet tours, an inside look into their beauty routines and fashion tips. Their YouTube brand page is where the superfan or the fashionista can go to recreate Selena Gomez’s Perfect Cat Eye or to see a Supermodel From The 1980s Complete Her Anti-Aging Regimen.
Though they’re showcasing the most beautiful people in the business, fans seem to gravitate most towards unfiltered interviews that strip away the facade of perfection.
Pixar 6.89M Subscribers
Repeatable formats:
- Iconic clips from legacy and recent films (i.e. Cars 2 – Japan Race)
- New release promotional teaser trailers (i.e. Incredibles 2 Teaser Trailer)
- Meet X compilations that introduce a younger YouTube audience to a specific character from a Pixar title (i.e. Up – Meet Russell)
Because animated studios don’t release a lot within a given year (spoiler: animation takes a very long time), Pixar doesn’t have as much content to work with as a traditional live-action studio would. Though they only release a handful of videos a month, Pixar’s brand page understands the value of quality versus quantity. Their page gives a lot of real estate to their feature film titles like Turning Red or Luca – each film has its own playlist comprised of official trailers, featurettes, compilations and behind-the-scenes content. But the wisest choice the Pixar page makes is highlighting standalone animated shorts from up-and-coming artists – Kitbull has 92M views!
NPR Music 7.47M Subscribers
Repeatable formats:
- Tiny Desk Concerts, both in-studio at the NPR Music office and “Home” concerts
- Louder Than A Riot podcast episodes connecting music to social issues
- Coverage of concerts and festivals (i.e. SXSW, 15th Anniversary, etc.)
The NPR YouTube brand page is proof that you can succeed just doing one thing exceptionally well.
The Tiny Desk concert, a lo-fi, simple repeatable series put NPR on the map for video content.
There’s nothing more enjoyable for a music fan than seeing their favorite artists stripped down to the basics, with only enough instruments that can fit inside the frame of a camera, playing a low pressure, relaxed set of four songs. Fellow music-related brands, take note!
Red Bull 10.8M Subscribers
Repeatable formats:
- X Sets A Record – a clip showcasing a Red Bull athlete attempting an extreme or record-breaking stunt (i.e. Travis Pastrana Sets Record For Mt Washington hillclimb)
- Red Bull cartoons that go back to their roots
- Red Bull Backyards – extreme builds in a backyard (i.e. When Your House Has Its Own Airfield)
Red Bull has long rebranded themselves as not just an energy drink brand but an extreme lifestyle brand – and their YouTube content illustrates that.
Their expertise is extreme sports like snowboarding, BMX racing, motocross, parkour, F1 racing… the list goes on.
And their SEO and titling game is strong – I mean how do you not click on I Jumped From Space?! They frequently partner with professional athletes like Kris Bryant and Lindsay Vonn that bring the brand further credibility…and views!
Netflix 25.4M Subscribers
Repeatable formats:
- Talent content (i.e. Lindsay Lohan Reads 12 Days of Christmas)
- Promotional trailers and clips
- Inside looks and behind-the-scenes
With its vast catalog, Netflix’s brand page does a solid job distributing the right amount of content to their originals, but giving extra special love to trending titles and talent. In the last year, Netflix’s Youtube page pivoted from custom compilations to almost entirely promotional – trailers, clips, behind-the-scenes, inside looks, etc. They take chances every now and again with talent content, but it’s hard not to miss the old chaotic Netflix YouTube page – whoever pitched The Kissing Booth Cast Kisses A Hairless Cat needed a raise!
LEGO 15.5M Subscribers
Repeatable formats:
- 90 Second Lego Challenge
- Building Tips (i.e. Advanced Building Tips From A LEGO Minecraft Designer)
- LEGO scripted entertainment series (i.e. LEGO NINJAGO Season 4)
LEGO redefines how a toy can come alive on social content. Their YouTube page has a wide array of content that speaks to the diversity of the LEGO fan – from kids to adults, from the superfan to the LEGO-curious, the pro builder to the amateur. Each of their playlists speaks to a different sector of their fandom – scripted narrative episodes, behind-the-scenes mini documentaries inside the LEGO factory, LEGO building hacks and challenge videos. But their As Told By series specifically takes the cake for highest views – Cars 3 As Told By LEGO Bricks has an impressive 108M views, followed closely by Moana As Told By LEGO Disney Princess Bricks with 101M.
If you need help building your brand’s YouTube strategy or leveling up your existing brand page, contact us at Movement Strategy.
