It’s official: Robert Pattinson’s fan site is up and running. The “Poppins” singer-turned-actor officially launched his Russian version of the site, robert-pattinson.ru, on Tuesday, November 20.
The news comes as a bit of a shocker to those who knew that the 28-year-old was actively trying to keep his private life under wraps. He famously turned down a reported $20 million offer to appear in an Elle UK Esq. special issue, and he reportedly turned down another $50 million to star in an HBO fantasy series. Pattinson also reportedly turned down a $5 million deal from Playboy to be their Playmate of the Year. The Yorkshire-born star also famously banned his social media accounts from being accessible to the public.
However, the famous “Privacy” singer-turned-actor is apparently doing the exact opposite of keeping his private life private. His team announced in March that they were working on a Russian fan site for the singer-turned-actor. The site is now live and apparently focuses on “high-quality content from the Russian entertainment industry.”
The official description for the site reads as follows:
“Robert Pattinson is probably the biggest international celebrity in Russia. His films, music, and fashion influence the lifestyle of many people here. As a celebrity, he regularly collaborates with local designers and decorates his Instagram account with lavish snaps of his travels. Fans from all over the world regularly visit our site looking for new content. Our editors work hard to dig up the best content from all over the internet to bring you fresh news, interviews, and high-quality content.”
The news of the fan site’s launch was first reported in March and was followed by its official Instagram account (@rpattinson_ru) which was quickly followed by its Facebook page. While the Instagram account is fairly small and features a mix of celebrity shots and behind-the-scenes content, the Facebook page is filled with interesting stories, videos, and images. It seems like the Russian audience has other ideas about what they want to see from their favourite celebrity compared to the rest of the world.
The site also has some interesting social media metrics. Thanks to Triberr, we can see that 81% of Robert Pattinson’s 77.7 million followers are from Malaysia and Indonesia. Not your typical international fans.
Why Russia?
With the exception of the United Kingdom, France, and Japan, the world’s most followed country is — you guessed it — Russia, with 321 million followers. This makes it the most followed country on social media globally. Following closely behind is Indonesia with 310 million followers and Malaysia with 309 million. These are followed by Brazil, India, and Mexico. According to Statista, there are currently 400 million active users on TikTok, a mobile app that allows users to create short-form videos and share them across social media platforms. The most followed celebrity on the app is…you guessed it…Robbie.
The question is: what is attracting so many Russian users to the Robbies’ social media accounts?
Robbie in Russia
According to the most recent statistics from the International Advertising Association (4P), there are 12.4 million people in Russia actively using TikTok, the most followed country on the app. This makes it the third-largest audience on the app. The second-largest audience is Indonesia with 17 million users, and the largest audience is the United States with 48.5 million users. If we combine the audiences of all three countries, we get a massive audience of 65.9 million users. This is more than the audiences of Brazil, Mexico, and India combined. It would also make it the second-largest country-specific audience on the app (after the United States).
However, these figures do not tell the whole story. When you look at the demographics, it becomes clear that Russia is a very different place to the United States. The largest audience on the app is likely between the ages of 18 and 24, and 41.2% of these users are from Russia. Just 19.7% of American adults between the ages of 18 and 24 use TikTok, according to a study by Ipsos. This makes the app very appealing to younger audiences in Russia. It’s also possible that the high usage numbers on the app are thanks to TikTok’s freemium model. The app is available for free but offers in-app purchases for users who want to purchase virtual goods.
The Influencer And The Actor
Actors and influencers have always been seen as one and the same — your typical celebrity. And while that may be true, the line between the two has become far more blurred in recent years. Influencers use platforms like TikTok to connect with their audience, and this audience can then follow them on social media platforms like Instagram.
This is how influential blogs became the digital influencer. An influencer’s influence grows as they gain more and more followers, and therefore, more and more monetizable content. Whether you call them bloggers or vloggers, digital influencers have started to emerge as a standalone entity, completely separate from traditional forms of celebrity. They can be just as influential (if not more powerful) than celebrities, and they can have just as large an audience. The most followed digital influencer is…you guessed it…Robbie.
The Future of Film And Music
With all the talk of influencers and social media platforms, it’s easy to forget about the significance that films and music have in people’s everyday lives. Thanks to things like Netflix, Stan, and YouTube, people can now enjoy content whether they are at home, in their car, or on their mobile device. This has created a revolution in the way content is consumed and opened up a whole new world of opportunity for influencers and content creators.
It’s important to remember that while film and music influence people’s everyday lives, they can also be a lens through which people experience the world. This is why it’s important to keep an eye on which countries content is being consumed from and who is behind the creation of this content.
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, we cannot know for certain why so many Russians are following Robbie on TikTok. However, we can assume that it’s either because:
- They’re really into his music
- They want to see pictures of him
- His social media accounts are filled with interesting content
- They love fashion and want to see his lavish lifestyle
- They want to know more about the UK economy
- They want to hear his voice
Whatever the reason, the future of film and music looks extremely exciting. Content will be created and consumed by audiences across the globe, and stars will continue to inspire people.