Frisco, Texas-based Dude Perfect, the YouTube trick shot quintet, plans to build a $100 million sports and entertainment center, according to The Dallas Morning News.
The center will serve as a new headquarters as well as a family destination. The group said they would like to stay in North Texas, but they have received calls from Atlanta and Los Angeles.
In a tweet, Dude Perfect said the project will include a 330-foot trick shot tower, mini golf, a museum, “Trick Shot Town,” and more.
Dude Perfect started as a YouTube channel in 2009 at Texas A&M and now has 58.3 million subscribers. They have a cruise called Cruise Perfect, a live tour, and a television series.
According to Front Office Sports, “their corporate partners include ESPN, Nike, the Los Angeles Rams, the U.S. Olympic Team, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and EA Sports.”
This is the latest installment of online personas expanding their business to the real world. Notable other examples that made the transition from YouTube to real-world company include Mr. Beast’s Beast Burger and Emma Chamberlain’s Chamberlain Coffee.
“Wife guy” fired for affair with employee
What happens when you build your brand around being a loving husband and then turn out not to be?
The YouTube group The Try Guys (7.8 million subscribers) is finding out. According to NPR, Ned Fulmer, one of the stars, has been “released from the show” after admitting to having an affair with an employee of the show.
Each of the Try Guys has a persona, and Fulmer’s was being a “wife guy.” His affair isn’t just upsetting to fans because they morally oppose cheating on one’s spouse, but also because his entire persona appears to be a farce. This calls the authenticity of the other Try Guys’ characters into question, as well. The situation shows the potential risks of building a brand around one’s personality.
Other news
- Austin will be the pilot city of Backyard, an app that eliminates credit card fees for small businesses when you shop local.
- “This year’s South by Southwest, the first in-person festival since 2019, had a $280.7 million impact on the Austin economy,” according to KXAN.
- We love this Woolmark ad and the analysis by Kelly Montague.
- Austin is the fastest-growing (21% growth from 2016–2021) tech hub in Texas, but it’s still no. 3 behind Dallas-Ft. Worth and Houston, according to the Visual Capitalist.
- Austin was voted the most polite city in America. Meanwhile, Houston was voted the 10th rudest.
- Check out this solar system graphic, “If The Moon Were Only One Pixel,” for a great example of visualizing otherwise hard-to-comprehend data.
That’s all for this week‘s Marketing Roundup. Check back next week for more news. And subscribe to our newsletter below for additional updates.
