Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.comWhat do the most influential celebrities and creators know that most don’t? They know that you must be disliked first to become loved. But why is that?We break it down in today’s episode of “Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe”. We will be talking about the book, “The Courage to be Disliked” by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga.TOPICS DISCUSSED:0:00 - Welcome!10:40 - The truth about loneliness (especially as a creator) according to the book (page 52)20:16 - Why inferiority can actually be a good thing26:12 - The crabs in a bucket analogy and why you don’t want others around you to succeed27:33 - Why you shouldn’t compete with others in your niche30:00 - The idea of unburdened love between a creator and their audience32:32 - You must be polar to be popularPAID PORTION OF EPISODE AT COCOMOCOE.SUBSTACK.COM34:46 - Break the rules as a creator (Reesa Teesa + Alix Earle)39:47 - Allow yourself to flop to gain a loved audience47:00 - The most loved creators are the most disliked48:00 - Opening my hello kitty x lol surprise dollYou can comment on this video if you are a paying member of my best-selling Substack at cocomocoe.substack.com“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 mocoeEmail: cocomocoe@gmail.com

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.comIn today’s episode of “Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe”, we will be talking about why I could see Kim Kardashian running for president (and potentially winning). Could this be why she started a campaign to be a lawyer and began her baby political career by aligning herself with inmate reform? Kim Kardashian has seemingly aligned herself with new age,…

Dive into the tumultuous legal world surrounding Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively's high-stakes lawsuit. Explore the dramatic rhetoric and inconsistencies within the legal claims as well as the powerful dynamics of media manipulation shaping public opinion. Discover how celebrities navigate allegations and PR strategies in the film industry. This discussion encourages critical thinking about narratives of victimhood and power in modern media. A must-listen for those curious about the intersection of fame, law, and societal perceptions!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.comSubscribe to my best-selling Substack to unlock extended episode of the podcast: cocomocoe.substack.comIf you want to donate or volunteer in LA, check the @mutualaidLA instagram stories for hourly updates on what help is needed through out the city.DONATION LINKS:* The Lyles: Official GoFundMe* The Allisons: Official GoFundMe* Santiago: Official GoFundMeNEED DONATIONS DELIVERED TO YOU? FILL OUT THIS FORM (click here)Read my Substack article about the great migration out of LA that is just beginning (click here)Thank you everyone for your patience while I got this episode up a day late. I will keep you all updated on the on-going crisis and how to help or get help. Thank you. LA feels the love from all over the world ❤️“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 mocoeEmail: cocomocoe@gmail.com

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.comBecome a member of the best-selling Substack to unlock the second half of the episode: cocomocoe.substack.comI recently asked the coconuts in the Substack chat about the art of controlled controversy. I was going to script out an episode about times celebrities were able to drum up controversy on purpose without getting too much backlash from their core audience. But after watching the explosion of the “It Ends With Us” legal drama between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, I decided to dedicate the episode to accidental controversy.Why are some artists able to maneuver through controversy unscathed, like Sabrina Carpenter, while other artists seem to struggle to ever bounce back, like Katy Perry?“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 mocoeEmail: cocomocoe@gmail.com

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.comBecome a member of the best-selling Substack to unlock the extended version of every episode: cocomocoe.substack.comDisclaimer: Everything in this episode is alleged and is based on my own opinion. I always encourage you to do your own research and come to your own conclusions. You can read the 52-page filing for free here.After the Blake Lively filing broke major headlines last week, Justin Baldoni was hit with a second lawsuit, this time from his former publicist, Stephanie Jones.Stephanie Jones, who owns Joneswork, claims that a junior employee, Jennifer Abel, went rogue and ran the alleged smear campaign against Blake Lively without her knowledge or consent. Not only that, but she claims to have evidence that Abel and Melissa Nathan planned to pin the smear campaign on Jones and use the bad press to poach more of her clients, including Baldoni, to their competing PR agencies.All of this happened in the days leading up to the “It Ends With Us” movie premiere in August of 2024 and Jones includes dozens of texts and emails to back up her claims.In today’s episode of “Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe”, we will be diving into the second lawsuit filed against Baldoni and his PR team, we will discuss what this reveals about the underbelly of Hollywood P.R., what the accused might do next to fight back and the disturbing link between crisis comms manager, Melissa Nathan, and her journalist sister, Sara Nathan.Thank you for being a coconut and making my Substack a best-seller! You can unlock the extended episodes of the podcast by becoming a member at: cocomocoe.substack.comREFERENCE LINKS:* AOTC: Blake Lively’s Evidence Justin Baldoni Ruined Her Reputation* Daily Mail: Justin Baldoni Prepares Counter-Suit* NYT: “We Can Bury Anyone” Inside a Hollywood Smear Campaign* Business Insider: “Who’s Afraid of Stephanie Jones?”“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 mocoeEmail: cocomocoe@gmail.comLET'S GET TO 500 REVIEWS ON SPOTIFY! ⭐️ ❤️ 🥥

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.comEverything in this video and article is based on opinion and everything is alleged. I am not a journalist or lawyer. I always encourage you to do your own research and come to your own conclusions.On December 21st, 2024 the New York Times published an expose article, detailing the online retaliation Blake Lively faced after raising concerns about on-set misconduct that she and others allegedly faced at the hands of co-star and producer, Justin Baldoni, along with his business partner and co-producer, Jamey Heath.News broke that Lively was filing a 70-page complaint (a prerequisite to a lawsuit) which detailed her team’s findings of a sinister smear campaign at the hands of publicists and social contractors hired by Justin Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios.I highlighted and annotated the 70-page court filing, which you can read for free on my Substack here.Today’s episode of “Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe” will be a complete breakdown of the court filing along with my own thoughts and theories as someone who works in marketing and PR.TOPICS DISCUSSED:Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni Introduction - 0:00Going through the 70-page lawsuit filing - 8:26“The Protections for Return to Production” Letter from Blake Lively to Wayfairer in January 2023 - 11:21Billionaire Steve Sarowitz who BL names in the lawsuit - 17:36What is astroturfing - 18:50Justin Baldoni’s PR Team Outlines Plan in Texts - 20:26How Ryan Reynolds blocking Justin Baldoni was the catalyst - 22:00Melissa Nathan’s TAG PR team proposal - 22:57Text screenshots - 24:50Baldoni sends Twitter thread about Hailey Bieber “mean girl” accusations - 26:39The mysterious Texas contractor - 27:29More screenshots - 30:30The journalist publishing stories was the sister of the publicist hired by Baldoni - 32:10More details of the inappropriate behavior on set - 33:55How Blake Lively was set up in the press - 48:15More screenshots of messages - 50:37The retaliatory plan in lead up to movie release - 52:29Lawsuit mention of Taylor Swift and her fans - 55:10Manipulating of journalists and the press - 56:00Saying goodbye to free listeners - 59:01*EXTENDED EPISODE ON SUBSTACK:Them talking about suppressing videos that reflect badly on JB in the FYP - 1:00:00Other women had filed HR complaints against JB - 1:03:27More journalist manipulation - 1:04:31Acknowledging BL silence - 1:05:19The timing - 1:07:53Putting on our Molly McPherson PR hats - 1:11:05The Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun connection - 1:15:30TAG Management PR patterns? - 01:17:09JB Publicist Speaks Out - 01:19:00Concluding Thoughts - 1:25:33Become a paying member of the best-selling Substack to unlock the extended episodes of the podcast: cocomocoe.substack.comREFERENCE LINKS:Free break down of the lawsuit on Substack: https://cocomocoe.substack.com/p/blake-lively-vs-justin-baldoni-iMy Amazon Storefront for Creators: https://amzn.to/3ltAuqsBaldoni’s publicist responds: https://www.deuxmoi.world/latest/publicist-jennifer-abel-allegedly-breaks-silence-on-explosive-text-messages-in-baldoni-lawsuitistMy last podcast on “It Ends With Us” movie: https://cocomocoe.substack.com/p/it-ends-with-us-pr-fiasco-or-genius?utm_source=publication-search“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 mocoeEmail: cocomocoe@gmail.com

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.comBecome a member of the best-selling Substack to unlock the extended version of every episode: cocomocoe.substack.comTwo 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 - 35:30BEGINNING 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” - 52:00Become a paying member of the best-selling Substack to unlock the extended episodes of the podcast: cocomocoe.substack.comREFERENCE 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 mocoeEmail: cocomocoe@gmail.com

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.comBecome a member of the best-selling Substack to unlock the extended version of every episode: cocomocoe.substack.comI 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 Miquela6:30 - TikTok Ban + Housekeeping7:39 - Why I have never run an ad on this podcast9:50 - 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 consequences16:13 - The Kardashians and the Tesla Robots (Kim Kardashian x Elon Musk)18:50 - Cyborg Fashion Trends22:04 - The rise of “fake” influencers23:58 - Why audiences don’t actually want “authenticity”26:06 - The risk of working with influencers28:15 - Why you shouldn’t feel bad for charging for a brand deal29:15 - The reason brands will lean into generated creators33:15 - Spotify using AI hosts for the wrapped podcast *38:50 - Why flaws will become much more lucrative40:18 - The commodification of “authenticity”43:28 - Why live streaming will be hard for generated influencers44:11 - The two things audiences will never stop cravingBecome a paying member of the best-selling Substack to unlock the extended episodes of the podcast: cocomocoe.substack.comREFERENCE LINKS:* Join my best-selling Susbtack to unlock the extended episodes: cocomocoe.substack.com* My Amazon Storefront for Creators: https://amzn.to/3ltAuqs“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 mocoeEmail: cocomocoe@gmail.com

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.comBecome a member of the best-selling Substack to unlock the extended version of every episode: cocomocoe.substack.comI 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 - Introduction8:43 - 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 videos24:27 - 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 202534:30 - 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.comREFERENCE 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 --“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 mocoeEmail: cocomocoe@gmail.com