Emma Chamberlain is a well-loved internet personality. The now twenty-two-year-old started to gain internet popularity around the age of sixteen. When she started, she prominently posted funny and relatable vlogs on YouTube with a unique editing style. Her candidness and humour attracted popularity and she soon started to branch out her content to adapt to topics such as lifestyle, fashion, travel, and wellness. Emma is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area and has now permanently moved to Los Angeles to pursue her career as a content creator and influencer. She attracts the Gen Z as well as the millennial demographic by creating content on engaging apps, such as Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify.
Emma gained her following in 2017 following the launch of her YouTube channel. She has currently grown to 12 Million subscribers on YouTube, 15.7 Million followers on Instagram (Instagram: @emmachamberlain, YouTube @emmachamberlain). Her authentic self and the relatable personality she chooses to share with her audience are what have established the majority of her following. Emma also indulges in her podcast, titled “Anything Goes”, where she “prefers to share her thoughts with a microphone rather than a physical human being” (Spotify INCLUDE TRAILOR SOUND).
Emma Chamberlain employs many interests that grasp the attention of her audience such as lifestyle interests, fashion and design, entrepreneurship, podcasts and an authentic aim at connecting to her community. Personally, watching Emma throughout my early adulthood shaped my appreciation for entertainment. The style of her videos, her unique humour, and her ambition to be her true and authentic self were the appeal.
Her multiple platforms create an opportunity for her to connect with her large following, as well, as to share her personal thoughts and ideas that her followers adore so much. As a person in the social media spotlight, she is subjected to a great deal of scrutiny and bullying. She uses her podcast and various outlets to project mental and physical body positivity. Her audience, being part of the teen demographic, can be very easily influenced into negative and consuming stereotypes. However, she intentionally represents the importance of social issues in a positive light and truly values authenticity over perfection. She says in a Vouge Australia interview that she keeps it real: “I’ve never been scared of vulnerability. I don’t care if telling a story about myself makes me look stupid if it can help someone else feel understood in some way. That is more important to me than feeling embarrassed. I’m not scared of sharing the parts of us that we’re scared of sharing” emphasizing the importance of authenticity and understanding people do not have to go through things, mental health struggles, confidence struggles, and uniqueness struggles alone (Vogue). An article published by the Department of Communication Sciences at Ghent University channels this exact discourse: “Between the recognition of self-representation as a potentially empowering practice and its dismissal as something mundane, [is] between a desire for authenticity and a wish for Instagrammable popularity” showcasing the struggle to be truly authentic (Calderia, Bauwell, De Ridder). The discourse to achieve social media popularity can enhance mental health struggles. This is why Emma truly epitomizes her relatability throughout her platforms and attempts to create a positive influencer persona.
In 2019, Chamberlain Coffee was founded by Emma Chamberlain. Her passion for the brewed beverage was a recurrent theme across her many social media channels. Her journey from a casual coffee enthusiast to a connoisseur is documented in her posts, which feature her sampling a diverse array of coffees. She evidently recognized her love for the drink, which led to a sensing opportunity for her to create her own coffee company. Chamberlain Coffee did not emerge as merely commercial but as a venture of brand growth and entrepreneurial motivation to create something of her own. Through her authentic approaches on social media, she was able to create and advertise a product she made that resonated and related to what she and her followers enjoyed. She fashioned a shared experience, showcasing her perceptive grasp of consumer trends as well as maintaining the importance of keeping her company sustainable and organic. Refinery29 asked her in an interview “What’s the story behind the brand? What made you decide you wanted to start a coffee company?” to which she responded “My love for coffee started when I was maybe 10. I used to go to coffee shops with my mom and get, literally, a latte that was just a bunch of foam and that was it. I was also going to cafes throughout my childhood with my dad, and it was such a great memory” illustrating her company and love of coffee stemmed out of beautiful memories (Refinery29).
Many aspects of her company focus on creating high-quality, specialty coffee while also maintaining sustainability strategies. The brand has a range of products, selling whole bean coffee to single-serve bags as well as cold brew. The coffee is sourced ethically, from sustainable farming practices, and personally chosen by Emma. She has been involved in the selection process, ensuring the flavour profile meets her standards and reflects her personal taste. Her packaging is aesthetically pleasing with a minimalist design. Her brand focuses on environmentally friendly packaging and also offers an educational experience. It teaches her consumers aspects of building a knowledgeable base on how to improve their techniques to enjoy their home coffee experience.
Despite the promotion of her brand Emma also promotes other avenues of interest. The fashion and design aspect of her career has been popularly influenced by certain brand engagement. To date, Emma has partnered with Louis Vuitton, Levi’s, and Cartier. These collaborations create an opportunity for her audience to bridge the gap between the often-intimidating fashion industry and creating more accessibility to high fashion. As well, Emma has attended the Met Gala, Vanity Fair Oscar Party, Venice Film Festival, and Streamy Awards. Emma often documents her experiences at these shows for her viewers, offering an inside look into the world of fashion. These partnerships create an opportunity to influence her audience and her choices in clothing have enough power to drive certain trends and purchasing. Along with her company’s promise to be sustainable, so is her choice in fashion. She promotes thrifting, reuse and recycling of old clothes encouraging overall sustainable fashion practices. Throughout these channels of fashion accessibility and privilege, Emma has developed her identity within the fashion community, inspiringly authentic yet keen on luxury. While offering her audience a unique perspective on fashion, she also offers a look into tailoring her individualistic style and environmentally conscious attitudes.
In conclusion, Emma Chamberlain overall stands as a modern digital influence on the teen and young adult demographic. Her relatable persona intertwined with her entrepreneurial motivations creates an admirable role model. Her journey started from an everyday teenager to a multifaced, successful, authentic, and ideal internet influencer. Throughout her presence on various platforms, her footprint in the realms of lifestyle, coffee, and fashion has all redefined what it means to be an influencer. Her ability to navigate the entrepreneurial world with Chamberlain Coffee, creating a commitment to sustainability practices resonates with her audience. As a fashion icon, her trendsetting also impacts the fashion industry as a whole, adapting to new faces and personal touches. Emma Chamberlain’s journey is a testament to the possibilities that people can achieve within the realm of social media. Her accomplishments and digital success are unique, connected and continually evolving.
Works Cited:
Chamberlain, Emma. “Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain.” Spotify, Emma Chamberlain, open.spotify.com/show/5VzFvh1JlEhBMS6ZHZ8CNO. Accessed 4 Nov. 2023.
Changing Perceptions of Aging and the Aged – JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/44878414. Accessed 2 Nov. 2023.
Cortés, Michelle Santiago. “Emma Chamberlain Just Wants to Run Her Own Little Coffee Shop – Same.” How Emma Chamberlain Turned A Coffee Order Into A Brand, Refinery29, www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/09/10042481/emma-chamberlain-coffee-merch-brand-interview. Accessed 4 Nov. 2023.
“Emma Chamberlain.” YouTube, YouTube, www.youtube.com/c/emmachamberlain. Accessed 4 Nov. 2023.
“Emma Chamberlain’s Red Carpet Journey from YouTube to High Fashion.” W Magazine, www.wmagazine.com/fashion/emma-chamberlain-red-carpet-fashion-evolution. Accessed 4 Nov. 2023.
Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/chamberlaincoffee/. Accessed 4 Nov. 2023.
Frye, Mya. “Emma Chamberlain.” VANITY STORIES, VANITY STORIES, 23 Dec. 2022, www.vanitystories.com/theedit/emma-chamberlain.
Harrington, Jessica. “Emma Chamberlain on Skin Care: ‘People Who Have Dealt with Acne Can F*cking Do Anything.’” POPSUGAR Beauty UK, 21 Dec. 2020, www.popsugar.co.uk/beauty/emma-chamberlain-beauty-habits-interview-48074564.
Preparation, chamberlaincoffee.gorgias.help/en-US/articles/preparation-88149. Accessed 4 Nov. 2023.
Stivale, Shelby. “Emma Chamberlain Hair Transformation Photos: Blonde, Brunette.” J, 23 May 2023, www.j-14.com/posts/emma-chamberlain-hair-transformation-photos-blonde-brunette/.
Vogue Australia, www.vogue.com.au/celebrity/interviews/emma-chamberlain/news-story/9eefdc6942c0e397b7eeb9248e0dac86. Accessed 5 Nov. 2023.
YouTuber Emma Chamberlain on Succeeding as a Creator Today – Fast Company, www.fastcompany.com/90904004/emma-chamberlain-on-succeeding-as-a-creator. Accessed 5 Nov. 2023.
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