As princess Mérida once said, “You control your destiny, you don’t need magic to do it”. Starting this article by quoting a Disney princess was easier than announcing that fairytales do exist. Not the kind of stories where the frog transforms into a prince by a simple kiss. But the ones where everything is possible in the world of dynasties. At first glance. Nepo babies are real life prince and princess.
Who are they?
“Nepo”, is the acronym of nepotism which means favoritism that a person gets from their family relation. It’s a catchier way to say the successful child of a celebrity. Their parents gave birth to them while the digital world offered them notoriety. Tiktok users are on top of the list when it comes to guessing the origin of each celebrity. It even became a trend. Hashtags were created in honor of these internet babies. This practice made the real world realize that the list of “nepo” babies is longer than expected.
Raise to the throne through media
The magnificent Jennifer Aniston, for example, before becoming the world’s sweetheart, is in fact the daughter of both well-known actors Nancy Dow and John Aniston. The lord of elegance, Timothée Chalamet, is the grandson of the filmmaker Harlod Flender and Nicole Flender’s son. Lily Rose Depp, doesn’t need to be introduced, her last name speaks for itself, is the result of a perfect match between Johnny Deep and the diva Vanessa Paradis.
If not for the internet and social media no one would know about these nepo babies. They wouldn’t have as big of an influence as they do now. Making babies seems to be an art and same celebrities are simply De Vinci’s.
Take Kendall Jenner, for example, thanks to the TV show “Keeping up with the Kardashians’”, is known worldwide. No need to be an expert in modeling, or in fashion to be familiar with her name. The Internet showed the world how fast she has grown from the digital perspective of growth : the number of followers. In fact, she has 294 million people following her daily on instagram.
Digital marketing 101
Nepo babies are generating curiosity highlighted by the internet’s attention. The whole world wants to know how it feels to be a modern princess. But not everyone is pursued by the meritocracy of their achievements. Their biggest supporters are social media, TV, magazines, radio… in fact they are the cherry on top for their business strategy. Where others spend millions of dollars for building a marketing strategy. Nepo babies only need to put themselves out there in order to promote their business.
The simple act of posting their product on Instagram generates a wildfire advertisement for their business. Mrs Bieber, for example, previously known as Haily Baldwin, did a genius digital marketing strategy. She first changed her last name, catching double the attention of her online audience, by adopting her husband’s.
Before announcing the launch of her skin care brand , she started posting pictures on Instagram of her “no makeup” natural look which generated lots of views and attention. Her attitude became a trend. She is known for being a digital trendsetter. Her glazed skin was the main topic of Instagram and Tiktok suggestions for weeks.
The real impact of all these digital baby steps was noticed when her skin line, Rhode, completely sold out within just ten minutes of its pre-official announcement.
TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube were Hailey Bieber’s skin care weapons.
Rhode was the hot topic of all platforms. Even before its launch it was already clear to tell that it was destined for success. It was definitely not a shock to its competitors that a skin line with such a big name on it will be a serious threat.
How can a small business survive with such business moguls roaming around? Having a strategy, being active on social media and following all the marketing trends will never come close to having the same influence on customers.
Undisclosed ads: Digital marketing trap
Nepo babies will always be one step ahead. Thanks to their high engagement rate, and how much their audience actively engage with their content, they often get away with undisclosed ads.
The fact that they don’t clarify whether it is an ad or a spontaneous video. This is a modern type of scam. Their audience is convinced that they are getting the most authentic version of their favorite celebrity. Meanwhile, they are just consuming an illusion. While falling for another marketing trap. This strategy affirms that the digital marketing field is such a lawless land.
Maybe, after all, nepo babies aren’t babies. But they aren’t the ones to blame. In fact, many of them succeed in overshadowing their parents and proving their merit.
Ameni EL AMRI
M2 Cyberjustice – Promotion 2023/2024
Sources :
https://www.vulture.com/article/what-is-a-nepotism-baby.html
