James Koo

🎯 "It's the live event that drives the stream." This dynamic goes both ways, and the key is to seamlessly connect the physical and digital realms. That's precisely what I'm achieving with ZIPPYAR. We empower brands to leverage their own products to create video content that authentically tells their stories. #Marketing #Phygital #digital #product

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You remember this Spider-Man drawing meme from a few years back? https://lnkd.in/gXwXApdd You know, the one that shows the level of quality you get when you give an artist 10 minutes vs. 1 minute vs. 10 seconds? I remember when it started doing the rounds, a lot of creative types used it as an example of how much worse their work is when it's rushed vs. when they get enough time to truly ideate. What's funny is, this isn't even the best depiction of that. Imagine instead if you started by giving someone 10 seconds to draw a *brand new* superhero — one that doesn't already exist. My guess is the result would go something like "Uhhhmmmmm.... I dunnnoo.... (hastily scribbles rough silhouette with a cape)". Then give them 1 min and watch more detail get added. And then 10 and watch really rich character and story elements emerge. I see this a lot in organizations that put a premium on sprints and MVPs. It's one thing to put time constraints on refinement, evolution and optimization of an idea. It's another to rush the ideation itself. That's typically not a good recipe for innovation, since (as my example illustrates) when people are rushed, they tend to regurgitate/replicate the familiar. There is something to be said for putting some time constraints on ideation as a generative exercise. And when facilitated with a focus on lateral connections sparking new combinations, there is a way to hack novelty at pace. But often the main value is in getting all the obvious ideas out of the way, and getting the gears turning in the back of brains to let time do its work of mental marination. Then the real gems that team members can't stop thinking about can be prototyped/MVP'd/etc. Have you seen rapid ideation produce novel concepts (in product, comms, org design, etc.)? Or has it tended to churn out ideas that feel like replications/regurgitations, logical/linear progressions and slight incremental improvements on what already exists? #innovation #creativity #ideation #agile #mvp #prototyping #poc

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I am excited to announce officially today LOOR Distro! LOOR Distro is best summed up with two strategic goals. 1. License and distribute our artists content to create more revenue for them. 2. Share funding and viewing data with other streaming platforms so they can make safer content acquisition investments. LOOR Distro is our way of taking monetization to our artists and our platform to the next level. By using our technology and the insane amount of individual data, both in watch time and most unique to us, funding data for our pilots and TV shows, and providing it to distribution companies looking for new streaming content. We are now beginning the process of taking this information, and connecting with the distributors we've established relationships with over the years and licensing user funded projects to other streaming networks in partnership with our artists. Basically LOOR is a way for the streaming industry to analyze data from an individual pilot without having to make an entire series order on a guess. It can prove to a streaming platform that there is in fact a market for content outside of the typical niche family-friendly genre. This increases the reach of LOOR content, and creates another significant revenue stream for us and the film makers as well. But most importantly it shows other family-friendly streaming companies content and data that can reach new audiences. And we have the data, not just the gut instinct. The one thing that LOOR has, that other streaming companies do not is individual funding data. The difference between viewing data and funding data has been tremendously eye opening for us and even surprising. For example did you know young adults with children are less likely to spend their money to fund new content for their preschoolers? In most all instances subscribers fund content for themselves and their age group over that of children's content. Yet, because preschool content is usually watched on repeat as background noise throughout the day the viewing metrics have skewed the importance of this content to the paying subscriber. Causing streaming companies to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on basically background noise that's on repeat. Kids content as background noise doesn't create loyalty and increases churn. Our viewing metrics and funding metrics are able to read these conclusions. LOOR Distro is something we've been working on since we started forming relationships and building the technology. Data has always been integral to every bit of code we wrote. But it's also the result of going to film festivals and meeting with others in the creative space. Talking to distributors and learning about their inability to to test content on newer demographics without significant risk. So for now if you are a distributor, international or within the United States looking to expand your content library. Setup a time to connect with us.

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I'm in a bit of a subscription conundrum. Currently, I've got YouTube Premium, Spotify, Netflix, MAX, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV on my plate. That's a lot, right? Here's the breakdown: YouTube Premium is a savior for my kiddos, keeping them away from ads during their YouTube binges, especially during election seasons. Spotify? Can't live without it for my all-day music fix. And Amazon Prime's quick deliveries with no extra charges are too convenient to pass up. But now comes the tricky part—Netflix, MAX, Apple TV, and Disney+. I've been making lists of must-watch shows on each of these services to help me decide which ones to keep. The plan? I'll rotate subscriptions based on what I'm itching to watch at the moment and cancel the rest until I'm ready for them again. Any of you been in a similar subscription overload? How do you manage your streaming services? There has to be an easier way. #SubscriptionOverload#CuttingCosts#EntertainmentChoices

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A class action lawsuit against Amazon and YouTube’s MrBeast is a stark reminder: the market is always watching. Filed in Los Angeles, the case alleges mistreatment of contestants on MrBeast’s Beast Games show, highlighting the risks of partnering with influencers. With over 239 million subscribers and Amazon’s global reach, this could shake the foundation of influencer marketing. You work hard to build brand equity and trust. When choosing partners—one misstep can have widespread consequences in today’s digital age. Huge thanks to Audrey Kemp at The Drum for bringing attention to this issue. The takeaway? Partner wisely to build, not break, your brand. What are your thoughts on the future of influencer marketing? #InfluencerMarketing #BrandBuilding #MrBeast #Amazon #TheDrum

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Can We Ditch the "Basement Dweller" Narrative? I attended a gaming forum recently and was surprised to still hear this outdated narrative, "Gamers aren't just kids in their parents' basement anymore" to describe the evolution of gamers to agencies and brands in 2024… Why? Because its old, like the gamer they’re describing. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve said that exact phrase 14+ years ago to talk about the shift in gamers and gaming perspective, but I was describing a different generation. And to bolster that argument, I’d show this image:  https://lnkd.in/e_K_ZFm8 Funny Right! Well, this episode of South Park ran in 2006 and that Basement Gamer I loved to bring up doesn’t represent the gamers today. From Stereotype to Stadium: Now, with esports tournaments filling arenas and millions tuning in to watch pros compete, it’s clear gaming is a mainstream force. It's entertainment, competition, and even a potential career path – a far cry from a solo basement activity. But the story goes deeper than just competitive gaming. Sure, esports has been a massive phenomenon (kinda), but there's a whole other side to the gaming world that's exploded in popularity: entertainment. We're not just talking about watching other people play anymore. Gaming content creators – streamers, YouTubers, and more – have built massive followings by turning gameplay into captivating content. They're not just showing off their skills; they're comedians, storytellers, and community leaders all rolled into one. Gen Z and Alpha gets this – for them, watching a gaming channel is like watching their favorite TV show, with the added bonus of feeling connected to the creator. This New Generation Gets It: For Gen Z and Alpha, growing up with smartphones and tablets, gaming is just another part of their world. They're not afraid of the "gamer" label; it's just one description of who they are. They're the generation that understands the social aspects of gaming, the creativity it fosters, and the community it can provide. Let's Ditch the Dusty Stereotypes: This ‘Basement Dweller’ that continues to be brought up in discussions needs to be retired. Even though this statement is supposed to move the narrative forward, I feel it does the exact opposite. It allows us to breath life back into a stereotype- for a generation that no longer fits the mold. #gamers #gamingcommunity #esports #gaminglife #gamerlifestyle #gamingentertainment #gamingcontentcreators #gamingyoutubers #gamestreamers #bentpixels

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Broadcast TV is exactly what it is—"broad" as in reaching people with no interest in your product or service. And many still believe sports broadcast TV (NFL, NBA, etc.) is the answer. NFL viewership has not increased in 10 years, but you're paying 10x more. And worse, your ad reaches fewer people as the NFL now broadcasts on 10 different networks to get more advertisers. Instead, place CTV/OTT ads to reach the audiences you want at a far lesser cost... even during the big game.

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The creator economy isn’t the same anymore❗️ 3 years ago, brands working with creators felt like a transaction. In 2024, it’s a relationship 🤝 There are millions of creators out there today. So brands are naturally more selective. We’ve worked with 100+ creators. This is what brands look for today: ✅ Someone whose built genuine trust + connection with their audience. ✅ Someone whose values align with the brand’s identity. ✅ Someone who they can build a long-term relationship with. My advice for creators: Build meaningful connections with brand owners and their marketing teams. They’re not looking for random promotions anymore but for partnerships. Who you know matters more than you think!

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See I’ve had some fun VC convos over the last 24 months. One misunderstood part of Liitho’s strategy centers around our approach to finding new gamers and customers by leaning heavily on Social Media platforms like TikTok. This has had a lot of traditional gaming thought leaders scratching their heads. I get it. Just focus on making the game only and the audience will find your game when it’s done. How is that working out? I see an awful lot of game studios shutting down or laying off their team shortly after launch. The audience they were hoping for just didn’t show up. Meanwhile the unexpected odd outliers are blowing up. Isn’t that a head scratcher? Unless you’re owned by a major 1st party studio, its very risky hoping your game/IP will find an audience. Even the major studios are struggling to compete for eyeballs. Post the pandemic, the big shows aren’t as big anymore…. Some are gone completely. E3, SDCC, Blizzcon, etc I think San Diego was a huge contributor to the rise of Marvel films and now they don’t showcase like they used to. Maybe that’s the right strategy but also maybe not. It’s too early to tell. Today, we need to figure out who the audiences we are building for while we build. We need to know what kind of content they like and they don’t like. And we should engage with them and have them engage with us. This does not mean, don’t make YOUR game. It means, validate what works now and iterate fast. Shape with data, learn with the gamers/audience and have fun along the way. In the last 90 days alone, our content has reached 3.5M people with 500k actively engaging in the content. But it’s TikTok, so that doesn’t mean they will convert to game sales. It may not but our content on TikTok matches the content in the game in some meaningful way so I believe the odds are better. The cost of doing this is far less than $1-3M it costs to make a game trailer. Maybe a single game trailer will reach the same numbers.. but what if it doesn’t? Can we afford to think the old ways will work fine while the audience around us changes. I don’t think so. I think we need to evolve with them and think differently. It is a HITS driven business and we probably should start concider playing a little more Moneyball while we get more insight into player behaviors before commiting 1/4 of a Billion dollars on a single at bat. Maybe I’m incorrect in my assumptions but I don’t believe so. Liithos is determined to carve a path that shapes with the audiences and I do believe that is the strategy we need in this uncertain market. #gamedevelopment #vidoegames #tiktok #socialmedia #engagement #disruption #web3 #ip

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The Next Generation Is Not Watching TV," the MrBeast team wrote in many of the pitches. "Traditional media reach older audiences. Next gen consumers have drastically shifted to digital media — and specifically digital creators." Clear. Concise. Honest. YouTube is taking over. TikTok is taking over. The Gatekeepers are losing control. Creatives are now in charge of their own destiny. Brands are now able to create their own entertainment and distribution models. #film #entertainment #business #brandedcontent

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The brief to Mischief @ No Fixed Address two years ago was to have people ask, “wait, WTF is Tubi?” And then go find out about it. Before the streaming service debuted at Super Bowl 2023, many didn’t know what Tubi was or what it did—despite the app already being on most smart TVs. Some actually thought it was a virus of sorts or even a scam, with a prompt Google search of “is Tubi legit?”. Mischief’s been helping Tubi build its brand ever since. Today, it is the most-watched free movie and TV show service in America. It reaches more than 80 million viewers every month and accounts for 2.1% of all TV content consumed. It outranks the likes of Paramount+, HBO, Apple TV+ in terms of viewership. And it even tied with Disney+ recently. Because of its popularity, people have a hard time believing it’s free (more than 60% don’t know it is). #marketing #creativity

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Should creators be transparent about their earnings and success? 🤔 Kane K. is shaking up the industry since going full-time as a creator and shares the ins and outs of his progress, success and experiments (I may be bias but seeing his experimentation mindset is the coolest part)! Aptly named ‘Blueprint’, Kane gives users a weekly insight into what he’s been trying on his channels, how those experiments have performed and even shows you his channel insights - engagement, follower growth, revenue and so much more. Whether it’s testing a new style of social media clips, the impact of changing your profile bio or finding ways to overcome the follower growth ‘stall’, Kane has likely covered it. It’s really refreshing to see a creator share this much insight with the world and help others on their journey to success by learning from each other. It’s worth taking a look into his learnings and insights from his weekly Blueprints. Let me know what you think and if more creators should be this transparent 👇 (Image: Kane's Dashboard from his Blueprint 043)

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Check out my blog post https://wix.to/z6JyJHn When legends collide: Trump joins Rogan for an unfiltered, rule-breaking conversation you’ll have to hear to believe! This isn’t just another episode—it’s the future of media, where voices meet raw truth. Are you ready to listen? 🎙️ #PodcastingPower #EpicConversations #FreeSpeechRevolution" #newblogpost

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As a manager, if you’re advising your talent to make clickbait content, you are doing your talent and any brands you work with a disservice. Viewer satisfaction is quickly becoming one of the number indicators on performance for creators and this is the fastest way to ruin that. If you’re trying to trick a viewer to watch your content, you’re going to create a distrust within your community. So when it comes time to monetize your content with ads, your audience will also start to distrust the products. Always try and stay away from clickbait content 🤝🏼

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