WINNERS OF STATESMAN’S SOCIAL MEDIA AWARDS
10 Social Media Awards presented to people, organizations.
When a new Rooster Teeth video goes online on its wildly popular YouTube channel, it can quickly generate hundreds of thousands of views. Legions of loyal fans not only soak up the video production company’s entertaining content but have also formed a strong online community that keeps conversations alive.
Rooster Teeth, a growing Austin-based company, has been named the overall winner in the Statesman’s Social Media Awards, which honor a total of 10 people and organizations whose social media efforts go above and beyond to connect with their communities.
“Rooster Teeth has created an Austin media empire out of
videos, podcasts, a huge annual conference and a vibrant website that’s inviting to fans,” says the Statesman’s tech culture writer Omar L. Gallaga, who also served as one of this year’s judges. “They’ve also become a huge presence on social media, where the personalities of the creators and strong connection to online community shine.”
Judges for this year’s awards also included Statesman social media editor Jackie Stone, food writer Addie Broyles and Whitney Bishop, who manages social media for last year’s overall winner, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Rooster Teeth’s videos often celebrate video game and online culture and have resulted in several hit animated shows such as “Red vs. Blue.” The company’s YouTube channel has more than 7 million subscribers.
The secret to the growing online fanbase?
“We try to keep fans as involved as possible ... keeping our fans in the loop, making sure they feel appreciated and listened to is the most important thing for us,” says Barbara Dunkelman, Rooster Teeth’s community manager who handles social media.
That can mean offering online contests, an-
The company’s YouTube channel has more than 7 million subscribers.
swering fan questions quickly or rolling out videos before official releases. Rooster Teeth has tweaked content in the past as a result of early feedback reports from fans, Dunkelman says.
Rooster Teeth gives its engaged online fanbase an opportunity to network offline, too. Its annual conference last year, according to the company, brought 10,000 fans to Austin. Before Dunkelman became Rooster Teeth’s social media guru in 2011, she was a fan. At a 2005 fan event in Toronto, she met others who enjoyed Rooster Teeth content as much as she did.
“We had this instant connection,” she says. And that’s the feeling she wants others to experience through social media.
Dunkelman says she’s humbled each time fans say that Rooster Teeth has helped lift their spirits
n the Statesman’s nomination form, fans showed an outpouring of support and filled about 14 pages with praises.
“If I’m ever having a bad day, I can simply pull up one of Rooster Teeth’s numerous videos and I’ll instantly feel better and have a giant smile on my face,” one online commenter wrote on the form. “I’ll never be able to thank the guys and girls at Rooster Teeth for lighting up my crummy days and making me laugh when it feels impossible to even smile.”