It’s been nearly two months now since The Tonight Show was unabashedly taken from the hands of Conan O’Brien, and while he received a $45 million buyout package, it came with the caveat of him being banished from television until September. Granted, this is purely conjecture on my part as I’m not a part of the entertainment industry and similarly lack any acquaintances that may be more intimately familiar with it, but logic would seem to dictate that, for a performer, being off the air for an extended period of time would serve as almost a death knell, especially given the pace at which things seem to move.
And yet, despite the odds being weighed against him, Conan has managed to remain prominent in the minds of his fans through savvy use of social media. While it would clearly be hyperbole to say that his brand is stronger than ever, it’s still fairly evident that the shrewdness of Conan and his team has managed to keep afloat what could have, and should have been a sinking ship.
Conan’s affable variety of self-deprecating humor has allowed him to quickly gain a large following on Twitter. Only one month and 28 tweets in, he already has nearly 700,000 users following his stream, filled with insights such as, “This morning I applied for a job at Home Depot, but they couldn’t find an apron big enough to fit over my head. Tomorrow: Staples.”
In terms of his actual career, his new, and substantial, social media following has allowed him to maintain demand for his product. As a result of the vast online support thrown in his direction in the wake of the whole NBC late night fiasco, Conan’s team has managed to leverage enthusiasm for him into a nationwide tour which will take him everywhere from San Francisco to New York. And, as the tour is being sponsored by American Express, the credit card company has been equally adroit in leveraging the former talk show host’s popularity, offering its followers on Twitter the chance to meet Conan.
While most of us likely don’t have the mass appeal that Conan does, his massive success using social media to remain relevant is just another indicator of its power. And, perhaps more importantly, it gives his fans a new way to enjoy his humor.
Written by Kenny K.