YouTube sensation and entrepreneur Michelle Phan bringing 2 of her businesses to Asia

Michelle Phan, one of YouTube’s leading ladies with over 1.1 billion total views and more than 7.6 million subscribers, is moving to Japan. The Vietnamese-American web celebrity and entrepreneur, propelled to fame by her successful beauty tutorials, told Tech in Asia that she will be temporarily relocating to Tokyo in order to bring two of her businesses to Asia.

“It’s my third time [in Tokyo] this year,” Phan said during a recent media roundtable at YouTube Studios in Tokyo. “I’m learning a lot about digital markets, learning about infrastructure for creators to make their own content and brands […] I’ll be moving out here for six months to build a studio.”

Phan launched lifestyle network Icon on March 31 through a partnership with Endemol Shine Group, the world’s largest independent production company. Her ultimate goal is to bring a global network of talented individuals from the computer screen to the living room television and beyond.

Focus on creators

“Being a multi-platform network means that we’re not just going to be in one place,” she said. “We’ll be on YouTube, we’ll be on TV – any [outlet] that can play content, we’ll be there.”

Phan explains that she’s not interested in the multi-channel model (MCN), which entails aggregating hundreds of channels because it doesn’t provide direct support for content creators. This was the approach used by FAWN (For All Women Network), a MCN that Phan launched on YouTube in 2012.

“We’d rather pick around 20 creators who are very talented and gifted and put our muscle and resources into building their brands,” she said. “Quality over quantity […] We’re here on the ground looking passionately for people who can help us build a studio and the infrastructure necessary to have [Icon] available here in Japan – not only for creators, but as a new hub for everyone because we’ll need engineers and a massive team.”

Phan plans to launch Icon in Japan and “select countries in Southeast Asia” by the end of the year. Rather than blindly diving into new markets, she’s opting to test international waters firsthand.

“I’m not interested in just spreading my businesses like a weed, but really want to live the life and understand the culture of a region before cementing any plans to expand operations,” Phan added. “I plan for Icon to have a presence in many countries because there are talented people everywhere. Because Endemol Shine Group already has a global presence and infrastructure, entry will be relatively quick and seamless.”

Going glam

Icon isn’t the only product that Phan is bringing across the Pacific. Ipsy, her tailored fashion bag subscription service, is also headed for Asia. Ipsy’s “glam bags,” which cost US$10 a month, contain four to five beauty product samples each and are customized based on a subscriber’s personal tastes and style.