IAB blog

Stuart Aitken

So, Britney Spears has overtaken the official Twitter feed to become the third most popular tweeter in the world (you heard it here first). But what exactly does this mean?

Spears is now hot on the heels of Barack Obama in her quest for Twitter domination. While she is still some way behind the current leader of the Twitter pack - an unofficial CNN breaking news feed - the emergence of a major pop celebrity is a big development in the short history of Twitter. But is it a significant moment in the evolution of digital culture?

Judging from some of Britney's tweets - recent sample: "Went shopping in Coral Gables, bought some purses and sunglasses!" - you'd be hard pushed to argue that her feed adds an awful lot to early 21st century culture. Snide comments aside however, this is a cultural phenomenon that cannot be ignored.

Britney's arrival in the top three marks the emergence of the second wave of twitterati, early adopter celebrities who have shown a willingness to get involved with the medium - but who must now figure out what to do with it. Amongst this second wave are Ashton Kutcher - sample tweet: "I often ponder as to how similar the name Adam and the word "atom" are to one another" - comedian Jimmy Fallon and baseball star Shaquille O'Neal, all of whom are now in the top ten tweeters worldwide.

So is Twitter safe in their hands?

I attended the Social Networking World Forum last week where Dirk Singer, co-founder of Cow, expressed his incredulity that many major brands have so far entirely failed to engage with Twitter. If these brands are serious about communicating with their audience, not for the first time they will be forced to look to unexpected role models for guidance as they attempt to plot a path through the new media landscape. Seen in this light, what Britney and co do from now on is crucial - and could just have an impact on how you and I interact with the medium in the months - and maybe years - to come.

Of equal concern though is the next wave that follows Britney, Kutcher et al. Just who's coming up behind? Who's set to take over? You might find some of the answers here. In the meantime, watch this space.

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