Jordan Schwarzenberger, manager of the content-creator phenomenon Sidemen, is the special guest on this week’s episode of PRWeek’s Beyond the Noise podcast.

Jordan Schwarzenberger discusses his background with the YouTube collective Sidemen, who have amassed 6.4bn views from almost 400 YouTube videos in a startling career spanning more than a decade.

Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR.

Schwarzenberger talks about influencer-brand collaborations and offers some dos and don’ts for brands, including the importance of creative freedom and having one key message for creators. He looks at how Sidemen work with influencers for their branded ventures, which include fast-food chain Sides, Best Cereal, and XIX Vodka.

Earlier this year the Advertising Standards Authority upheld a complaint that the use of XIX in a Sidemen video wasn’t identifiable as marketing communications.

Schwarzenberger slammed the ruling – and others, including one this week against Steven Bartlett – as “insane”, saying they set “super-dangerous” precedents.

Elsewhere, the guest talks about how he and the group responded to the crisis last year brought about by group member KSI using a racial slur on a Sidemen video, and other members of the collective laughing. Schwarzenberger stresses the importance of being authentic when apologising.

Other topics discussed include the value of AI-enhanced influencers; Sideplus, Sidemen’s paid-for subscription service; and which social platforms are the most important to them. Schwarzenberger, who manages Sidemen via his Arcade Media venture, also gives the lowdown on his decision to join PR agency Grayling on a new advisory board.

Joining Schwarzenberger on this episode are PRWeek’s John Harrington (UK editor) and Evie Barrett (senior reporter).

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