For a long time, fans have criticized the “industry plant,” a well-known person or cultural product whose success appears to be inauthentic. What many of these accusers have not realized until recently is that this production line is more widely used than ever. Every suggestion we take from social media about songs to listen to or movies to watch is possibly a result of clipping.
Earlier this year, Jesse Coran and Andrew Spelman of digital marketing agency Chaotic Good made waves in an interview with Billboard. They revealed how they manufactured virality with what Spelman dubs “trend simulation.” This involves creating countless fake fan accounts for their (predominantly) musical clients, which both distribute fan videos and use their songs in the background of posts on other topics.
Claiming in the same interview that “everything on the internet is fake,” Chaotic Good presents itself as the place to turn for anyone who wants to cash in on the ruse. It has run campaigns for established names, such as Coldplay and Tame Impala, to newer faces like indie rock band Geese, who were particularly criticized for the revelation that these shady ad campaigns had aided their success.
This method of promotion has thrived in recent years, as the contributions that clippers make to our daily scroll are often indistinguishable from genuine creators who happen to be fans of something. Chaotic Good notes that one of the most important parts of their services is “controlling the discourse,” i.e., ensuring that the conversation surrounding a client is prolific and positive. “The second SNL drops at midnight, you should post 100 times saying that was the best performance of the year.” In other words, the exposure doesn’t come from the genuine excitement of those who viewed it but rather imitates it to get real people excited in the first place.
In a Vulture article exploring clipping and the work of Chaotic Good, writer Lane Brown complains, “we’ve locked ourselves in the stupidest possible version of Plato’s cave, where what looks like spontaneous consensus is often just shadows on a wall, put there by marketers.” Although we have long been warned not to believe everything that we see on the internet, the use of discernment has become more and more difficult as marketing tactics have adapted to evade it. A fan created by clipping is just as likely to stream a song or a show as one created organically. Ultimately, however, they are under the influence of a conversation that was created by strategy and not passion.
As it is so difficult to tell the difference between a genuine fan and a fake one, Brown also believes that a “dwindling number of gatekeepers,” such as journalists, are fooled into covering topics they may never have deemed as relevant without this way of stealth marketing. He points to the controversial “looksmaxxing” streamer Clavicular as an example of somebody whose fame is indebted to media attention that came from clipping campaigns.
The issue is not that these creative pursuits are getting exposure that they would not have otherwise. Arguably, one of the upsides of gaming social media like this is that these things are more likely to come across the algorithm of people who genuinely enjoy them. Also, the business behind it does it in a way that allows creators of all kinds to focus more on their art and less on the endless slog of self-promotion. The internet is the most popular way for most people to discover new media. Thus, a middleman with a collection of bot accounts is helpful in that process.
However, it does take away from the authenticity of fandom, and with it, some of the rewards. Fandom involves “using art as a compass for self-discovery, connection, and meaning,” according to Eliza McLamb, a musician and writer reflecting on her Substack about the Chaotic Good’s Billboard interview. “Some processes can be automated, but other things can’t be done by machines or even people who are invested in art primarily because that investment was made with real money.”
Art has only ever been as commercially successful as its advertising is. It would be foolish to expect the entertainment industry to opt out of marketing that is proven to work. At the same time, the product ends up being dulled by the expectation that it must fit into the short-form video content box, and delegitimized by the fact that a great deal of the hype around it is unlikely to be genuine. The most dedicated fans don’t just want to see the highlight reel, but to build a relationship that is just as idiosyncratic as they are. That is hard to do when their preferences are controlled by what marketing agencies think they should see.
