Middle Row w Coco Mocoe

Latest Episodes:

Every TikToker's worst nightmare just came true Dec 16, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.com

Become a member of the best-selling Substack to unlock the extended version of every episode: cocomocoe.substack.com

Two weeks ago, I posted an episode of “Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe” that was titled: “Stop trying to be a TikToker”. This episode was about my disenchantment with TikTok after attending their Creativity Summit in Los Angeles. It was so condescending and low-effort. You can listen to the episode on Substack here.

I had no idea when I posted that video that the ban was closer to a decision that ever before. A week later, a D.C. Appeals Court ruled against TikTok in delaying the ban that is set for January 19th, 2025.

You can read more about the ban here.

In today’s episode of “Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe”, we will be talking about why this is the worst possible news for TikTok. Even if the ban gets delayed, the magic of the FYP seems forever lost. Creators are jumping ship as it slowly sinks.

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

* Intro - 0:00

* Previous Episode: “Stop trying to be a tiktoker” - 6:30

* The magic of the FYP algorithm is gone - 11:00

* Why brands are pulling out of brand deals on TikTok - 16:08

* The TikTok Ban Vs. the Death of Vine - 17:30

* Steps to save your TikTok audience - 18:28

* Why TikTok became popular in the first place - 22:29

* How to find what makes you unique - 25:00

* What type of creator thrives on each platform - 28:08

* Why the magic of the TikTok FYP is officially gone - 32:30

* What TikTok should’ve done differently - 35:30

BEGINNING OF PAID PORTION:

* What platform will replace TikTok - 42:52*

* What do all big platforms have in common - 44:18

* Why Lemon8 and Clapper will never replace TikTok - 47:20

* The Rise of “Ghost Metrics” - 52:00

Become a paying member of the best-selling Substack to unlock the extended episodes of the podcast: cocomocoe.substack.com

REFERENCE LINKS:

* Join my best-selling Susbtack to unlock the extended episodes: cocomocoe.substack.com

* My Amazon Storefront for Creators: https://amzn.to/3ltAuqs

* “Is it cake?” YouTube Short

* Franchesca Ramsey: TikTok Ban Vs. Death of Vine

“Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe” is a marketing podcast that covers internet and pop culture but from a branding angle. Coco Mocoe is a trend forecaster and marketing expert who loves diving deep into why things go viral on the internet and how you can apply that to your own brand or creator journey.

Thank you for reviewing the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

Follow Coco Mocoe on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube!

* IG: @cocomocoe

* TT: @cocomocoe

* YT: coco mocoe

Email: cocomocoe@gmail.com

Your flaws are about to become much more lucrative Dec 09, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.com

Become a member of the best-selling Substack to unlock the extended version of every episode: cocomocoe.substack.com

I was driving through Los Angeles the other day and noticed an uptick in WayMos. Those are the driverless cars that originated in San Francisco. As I realized this meant that Uber and Lyft drivers could eventually get replaced by robocars, it made me wonder:

What other jobs are at risk of being replaced by robots or CGI?

Then the fear donned on me: influencers. We could potentially see a world in the next 10-15 years where our comfort creators are not actual humans but rather made up of Sim-like avatars. These “generated influencers”, as I am calling it, have no racist Tweets to be unearthed, they won’t call out for sick days or face creative burn out. But most importantly, they won’t ask for any money.

We already saw the rise of CGI-creators the last 10-years with influencers like Lil Miquela growing to 2.5 million followers on IG. Spotify Wrapped launched an AI podcast episode that recaps listeners music habits through out the past year. Boston Dynamic robo-dogs walked the runway alongside models at a 2023 Coperni fashion show.

Does the rise of A.I. and robotics for art foreshadow the end of human influencers, models and podcasters?

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

0:00 - The rise of robots as social status (Alexander McQueen 1999 show)

2:00 - The first CGI Influencer: Lil Miquela

6:30 - TikTok Ban + Housekeeping

7:39 - Why I have never run an ad on this podcast

9:50 - What I mean by “generated influencers”

11:10 - Future technology influences in media (Zenon, Back to the Future, The Jetsons)

13:00 - Robots don’t understand consequences

16:13 - The Kardashians and the Tesla Robots (Kim Kardashian x Elon Musk)

18:50 - Cyborg Fashion Trends

22:04 - The rise of “fake” influencers

23:58 - Why audiences don’t actually want “authenticity”

26:06 - The risk of working with influencers

28:15 - Why you shouldn’t feel bad for charging for a brand deal

29:15 - The reason brands will lean into generated creators

33:15 - Spotify using AI hosts for the wrapped podcast *

38:50 - Why flaws will become much more lucrative

40:18 - The commodification of “authenticity”

43:28 - Why live streaming will be hard for generated influencers

44:11 - The two things audiences will never stop craving

Become a paying member of the best-selling Substack to unlock the extended episodes of the podcast: cocomocoe.substack.com

REFERENCE LINKS:

* Join my best-selling Susbtack to unlock the extended episodes: cocomocoe.substack.com

* My Amazon Storefront for Creators: https://amzn.to/3ltAuqs

Thank you for reviewing the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

Follow Coco Mocoe on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube!

* IG: @cocomocoe

* TT: @cocomocoe

* YT: coco mocoe

Email: cocomocoe@gmail.com

Stop trying to be a TikToker Nov 25, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.com

Become a member of the best-selling Substack to unlock the extended version of every episode: cocomocoe.substack.com

I went to the TikTok Creativity Summit last week and left disappointed. As someone who championed the platform since you could only upload 15-second videos in 2019, I have seen it’s meteoric rise. I loved that TikTok was a disruptor and completely changed the way platforms source content and made it easy for anyone to become a creator.

But the magic of TikTok’s discoverability became it’s achilles heel, as well. The FYP does not prioritize showing users content from their favorite creators. But rather places emphasis on showing hundreds of new creators to users, every day. While this is great for initial exposure, it means that over time the platform’s creators are abandoning the platform because they know it is not meant for longevity.

In today’s episode of “Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe” podcast, I am going to be diving into my thoughts on the grim future of TikTok. Is it even worth it to try and be a TikToker anymore? With a looming TikTok ban and an algorithm that prioritizes off-putting TikTok Lives & concerning TikTok Shop items, has TikTok lost the plot? I wrote more about this in Friday’s trend report on Substack, which you can read here.

TOPICS DISCUSSED:

0:00 - Introduction

8:43 - Substack Chat Responses to “Is TikTok Dying?”

12:00 - Where did TikTok’s algorithm go wrong?

15:15 - Creators are frustrated with TikTok

16:53 - Brittany Brooks’s Rise and Separation from TikTok

18:30 - How the potential bans are affecting TikTok

20:12 - “TikTok became boring to me”

23:36 - TikTok’s fatal flaw: Short form videos

24:27 - Why big creators are no longer reliant on TikTok

29:15 - How TikTok can course correct

33:33 - What other platforms should you prioritize as a creator or brand in 2025

34:30 - The 5-Year Cycle in Marketing

40:00 - What new platform might “replace” TikTok

42:49 - The three features you should use to grow on TikTok in 2025

50:31 - How to make content that is bigger than any platform or trend

Become a paying member of the best-selling Substack to unlock the extended episodes of the podcast: cocomocoe.substack.com

REFERENCE LINKS:

* Join my best-selling Susbtack to unlock the extended episodes: cocomocoe.substack.com

* My Amazon Storefront for Creators: https://amzn.to/3ltAuqs

* “The death of the follower” SXSW Talk:

* “This is your sign to start a podcast” episode: https://cocomocoe.substack.com/p/this-is-your-sign-to-start-that-podcast

Thank you for reviewing the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

Follow Coco Mocoe on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube!

* IG: @cocomocoe

* TT: @cocomocoe

* YT: coco mocoe

Email: cocomocoe@gmail.com

"This is your sign to start that podcast" Nov 18, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.com

Thank you for making me a Substack best-seller! To become a paying coconut and unlock extended episodes of every podcast episode, go to cocomocoe.substack.com 🥥

In today’s episode of the “Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe” podcast, we will be talking about how to start a podcast in 2025. And more specifically, why you should be uploading your long-form videos to Spotify as they aim to compete with YouTube in 2025.

TOPICS & TIME STAMPS:

Introduction - 0:00

The current creativity crisis (i.e. Mr. Beast) - 1:20

Spotify’s new video feature for creators - 4:45

Why you should use new features to grow on platforms - 6:15

Spotify’s new monetization model for video creators - 8:00

Why artists won’t get paid as much as podcasters on Spotify - 10:55

Why podcasts are so influential - 12:50

Why audio isn’t enough for a podcast anymore - 15:30

The camera, mic and lighting I use to record a podcast - 16:00

Why you should turn all your YouTube videos into a podcast - 20:28

The comeback of vlogs and lifestyle creators - 21:54

What I use to edit podcasts (CapCut for desktop) - 22:15

How to film in a podcast studio (PeerSpace) - 24:05

How to get an RSS Feed for a podcast - 25:25

How to record virtual interviews using Riverside.fm - 27:46

How to find your viral format for a podcast - 30:30 *

The importance of contrast - 34:00

The importance of a consistent setting - 38:30

“In order to be interesting, you have to have interests” - 41:15

This is your sign to start a podcast in 2025 - 50:00

REFERENCE LINKS:

How to start a podcast & upload clips to Spotify: creators.spotify.com

AOTC: “The Empty Marketing of the Kamala Harris Campaign”: https://cocomocoe.substack.com/p/maybe-social-media-doesnt-matter

My Amazon Storefront for Creators: https://amzn.to/3ltAuqs

Thank you for reviewing the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! 🌟

Follow Coco Mocoe on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube!

* IG: @cocomocoe

* TT: @cocomocoe

* YT: coco mocoe

Email: cocomocoe@gmail.com

"Maybe social media doesn't matter": The Empty Marketing of the Kamala Harris Campaign Nov 12, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.com

As someone who has dedicated their whole professional career to marketing and understanding the power of the internet, I had a huge reckoning last week when I watched one of the best run marketing campaigns, Kamala HQ, not end up moving the needle at all when it came to voting for a President.

Not only did Kamala Harris lose the electoral college, but for the first time in Donald Trump’s three elections, he won the popular vote, as well. Kamala Harris put tons of effort into her marketing and her “Kamala HQ” TikTok account gained over 5 million followers in less than 3 months. She broke the internet with phrases like “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” and Charli XCX tweeting that “kamala is brat”.

It seems maybe the lesson here is that Kamala Harris focused on short-form marketing while Donald Trump focused on long-form marketing. He appeared on dozens of podcasts, some that lasted over 3 hours, while Harris went viral using trending sounds on TikTok and posting YouTube Shorts with Jennifer Lopez.

In today’s episode of “Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe”, we will be talking about the brilliant marketing campaign ran by Kamala Harris that did not end up helping her win the election, at all.

Topics + Time Stamps:

* The Power of Speech & Marketing - 0:00

* Why Americans love an “underdog” - 5:10

* Why celebrity endorsements from Taylor Swift, Beyonce, etc didn’t move the needle - 13:00

* Why Trump embraced podcasts - 16:57

* Why the right side is better at gaining popular podcasts and influencers as talking heads - 24:58

* Why the top podcasts in the US are right wing - 27:30

* Why the left side pushes out influencers - 31:30

* The political paradox that influencers like Drew Afualo and Brittany Broski have faced - 33:22

* Why America was put off by Kamala HQ being run like a fan account - 44:00

The extended episode begins at 24:58 and is only for paying members of the Substack. You can become a member for $9-a-month at cocomocoe.substack.com

Reference Links:

* Colin & Samir: “How YouTube Podcasts Predicted the 2024 Election”

* Kamala HQ on TikTok

* Donald Trump on Joe Rogan

About the Podcast:

Thank you for reviewing the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

Follow Coco Mocoe on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube!

* IG: @cocomocoe

* TT: @cocomocoe

* YT: coco mocoe

Email: cocomocoe@gmail.com

How to become a household name using the "Halloween Costume Theory" (+ "Anora" film review at the end) Nov 04, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.com

In today’s episode of “Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe”, we will be talking about the “Halloween Costume Theory” in branding. Artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Charli XCX and Chappell Roan have been putting out music for 10+ years. So what changed in 2024 that sky rocketed them to household name fame? There are of course many factors like talent, skill and determination. But because this is a marketing podcast, we will be discussing the “halloween costume theory” and how it is used to sky rocket someone to massive fame.

At the end of this podcast, I will be analyzing the new “Anora” film by Sean Baker, starring Mikey Madison. It currently has a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and is one of the best films I have seen all year.

Thank you for making the Substack a best-seller! Join the community to unlock extended episodes of the podcast at cocomocoe.substack.com

Time Stamps:

0:00 - What is the halloween costume theory?

Examples of the Costume Theory:

8:26 - Jojo Siwa

12:03 - Addison Rae

13:36 - Marilyn Monroe

14:00 - Judy Garland from “Wizard of Oz”

14:42 - Millie Bobby Brown in “Stranger Things”

17:34 - Sabrina Carpenter

19:49 - Tate McRae

20:45 - Miley Cyrus

22:10 - Chappell Roan

Extended Episode:

26:18 - Analyzing “Anora”

Thank you for reviewing the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

Follow Coco Mocoe on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube!

* IG: @cocomocoe

* TT: @cocomocoe

* YT: coco mocoe

Email: cocomocoe@gmail.com

Addison Rae's Marketing Playbook: The Importance of "Social Proof" When Breaking Mainstream Oct 28, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.com

Today’s episode of “Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe” is all about the three stages of fame online: trial & error, repetition then social proof. Most creators never make it to the last stage of “social proof”. But what is it and how did Addison Rae, specifically, use the concept of “social proof” to break out of the social media algorithms and become the next music industry darling and collaborate with artists like Charli XCX?

Addison Rae's new song “Aquamarine” even got a shout out from Ariana Grande on her Instagram stories this past weekend! Watch the music video below:

https://youtu.be/Qt6YiVZLhG0

We will also be discussing other creators that have used social proof to their advantage; such as, Emma Chamberlain, Victoria Paris and more.

To unlock the extended version of the podcast, you can join the Substack at cocomocoe.substack.com 🧡

Thank you for reviewing the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

Follow Coco Mocoe on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube!

* IG: @cocomocoe

* TT: @cocomocoe

* YT: coco mocoe

Follow the "Middle Row" playlist on Spotify to hear new music before it goes mainstream: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/19x3n1ZRyN4eeikwSy8sL9

Email: cocomocoe@gmail.com

The "Victoria's Secret" Dilemma: Evolution Vs. Identity Crisis Oct 21, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.com

In today’s episode of “Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe”, we will be discussing the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show that has the internet divided. What can we learn from looking at VSFS as a case study for how to evolve with a changing audience without having a branding identity crisis?

You can watch the video version of the podcast for free, exclusively on Substack. Become a paying member to unlock all extended versions of the “Ahead of the Curve” podcast: cocomocoe.substack.com/podcast

REFERENCE LINKS:

* Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2024 on YouTube

* StreamCharts: VSFS Breaks YouTube Record for 2024

* Affiliate Link: “Find Your Why” Book on Amazon

Thank you for reviewing the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

Follow Coco Mocoe on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube!

* IG: @cocomocoe

* TT: @cocomocoe

* YT: coco mocoe

Email: cocomocoe@gmail.com

How to find viral inspiration without stealing from other creators: "Steal Like an Artist" by Austin Kleon Oct 14, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.com

If you enjoyed this book advice episode, let me know in the podcast reviews on Apple + Spotify for more!

Did you know that “The Beatles” started as a cover band? A lot of the greatest creatives of every generation learn the difference between plagiarizing and inspiration early on and use that to break through the noise of their competition.

In this episode of “Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe”, I will be breaking down the advice from Austin Kleon’s best-selling book, “Steal like an Artist” and applying it to those of you who are creators online. How can you use the advice to make better videos and find your life-changing format, without copying the work of others, in a trend-based algorithm?

Buy the book on Amazon: Here

Creatives that I have found inspiration from online:

* “Chicken Shop Date” by Amelia Dimoldenberg

* “Hot Ones” by Sean Evans

* “Colin & Samir Podcast”

* Robyn DelMonte (GirlBossTown on TikTok)

Only paying members of the official Substack can listen to the extended episode of the podcast.

Susbcribe to the Substack to unlock all of the extended episodes at cocomocoe.substack.com

Thank you for reviewing the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

Follow Coco Mocoe on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube!

* IG: @cocomocoe

* TT: @cocomocoe

* YT: coco mocoe

Email: cocomocoe@gmail.com

"Start now when no one is looking & you'll be 10 steps ahead when they are" Oct 07, 2024

Show notes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.com

In today’s episode of “Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe”, we are talking about the value of working hard on your creations when no one is looking that way you have archived content that helps build a more devoted fanbase when luck eventual strikes for you.

At the end of the episode, I dive into my thoughts on two pop culture topics, which are below:

* The “Joker 2” Movie: Reaction

* “Love is Blind” on Netflix Season 7

Do you want a follow up episode about the “archived effect” in marketing with specific examples? Let me know in the reviews.

Thank you for reviewing the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!

Follow Coco Mocoe on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube!

* IG: @cocomocoe

* TT: @cocomocoe

* YT: coco mocoe

Email: cocomocoe@gmail.com

Become a paid subscriber to unlock all of the extended episodes at cocomocoe.substack.com