Shooting ‘Yohani’ to Global Stardom: A Teaching Case of Social Media Strategy of a Top-10 YouTuber

Abstract

This teaching case is about ‘Yohani’ – a Global YouTube sensation. Yohani’s song ‘Menike Mage Hithe’ reached the top hits of Amazon music and Spotify, eventually making its way to the YouTube Top-10 global charts in September 2021. Gathering in-depth insights from the executive staff behind her record label company and her creative company, this teaching case demonstrates (i) the role of social media strategy in contemporary businesses and entrepreneurs; (ii) social media hygiene factors that one must consider; (iii) how social media insights gained through analytics assisted in delivering a carefully orchestrated business strategy and (iv) how a combination of social media platforms was employed, considering a range of technological, geographical, financial and social factors. The case and its teaching notes are suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying a contemporary information systems management course.