Unicon '23, a visionary creator economy event conceptualized by Phyllo and Thousand Faces Club (TFC), successfully unfolded on August 18th and 19th. Hosted on Airmeet, the event brought together luminaries, creators, and industry experts from around the globe to delve into the world of influencer marketing and the creator economy.
Let’s dive deeper into the learning and experiences from Unicon ‘23.
Key Themes and Topics
Unicon '23 unveiled a spectrum of themes and topics, capturing the essence of the creator economy. Through enlightening sessions, fireside chats and panel discussions, the event aimed to bring together shared experiences among creators, innovators, and influencers.
A Quick Glance of the Event Highlights
Session 1: Inauguration and Keynote Speech
Unicon ‘23 was unveiled by Shubham Tiwari, Community Manager at TFC, and Akhil Bhiwal, Founder of Phyllo, who welcomed participants with a promise of transformation and connection. Joining him, Justin Moore (Founder, Creator Wizard) shared his journey as a pioneering creator, tracing the growth of the creator economy from its inception to where it stands today
Session 2: insightIQ Launch
Dhruv Kapuria and Ronit Ogra from the founding team of insightIQ gave a first glimpse of their revolutionary influencer marketing tool to the world. With the tagline "The only way to run influencer marketing if you care about ROI," insightIQ captured attention by redefining campaign analytics and ROI calculations. Attendees marveled at its potential to reshape the landscape of influencer partnerships.
Session 3: Fireside Chat 1 - The Future of Link-in-Bio Tools
Harsh Vijaykumar, founder of DotME and Brandemic, joined forces with Sachin Soundar, Content Creator at TFC in a fireside chat. The conversation revolved around the future of link-in-bio tools, emphasizing their pivotal role in creator revenue and audience engagement. Harsh highlighted the need for robust tools in the Indian subcontinent, infusing the topic with cultural context.
Session 4: Panel Discussion 1 - Reaching Diverse Audiences with Multicultural Influencer Marketing
Prateek Panda, VP Marketing at Phyllo, led an exciting panel featuring Gregory Curtis Jr, CEO of Arecibo and Jennifer Quigley-Jones, founder of Digital Voices. This panel delved into the art of multicultural influencer marketing, celebrating diversity and resonance. Their discussion ventured beyond borders, showcasing strategies to craft campaigns that bridge cultures and foster meaningful engagement.
Session 5: Creators' Attorney Explains - Top Brand Deal Mistakes
Tyler Chou, esteemed YouTuber and creator, held the stage to discuss the common pitfalls creators experience while landing brand partnerships. Armed with legal and practical insights, Tyler guided creators away from pitfalls that often mar partnerships. Attendees were treated to a masterclass in maintaining authenticity while nurturing powerful brand collaborations.
Session 6: Fireside Chat 2 - The YouTube Campfire
Trent Haire - founder of Creator Campfire and a seasoned YouTuber, shared insights on how creators can leverage YouTube. Hosted by Manya Kotian, Social Media Manager from TFC, the session navigated the strategies, analytics, and evolutions that shape a creator's journey on the platform. Attendees gained a fresh perspective on growth, engagement, and evolving algorithms.
Session 7: Panel Discussion 2 - Finding Authentic Fit Between Brands and Creators
Moderated by Pawan Rochwani, an Entrepreneur in Residence at inFeedo, this panel brought together industry luminaries, Colleen Stauffer, Head of Marketing at Creative Juice, Jessy Grossman, Founder of Women in Influencer Marketing, Justin Moore, Founder, Creator Wizard , Joseph Casabona, Podcast Producer & Coach, and Prateeka Kamath, Head of Global Strategic Partnerships at CrowdPad. The dialogue delved into the intricate relationship between creators and brands. Attendees gained a profound understanding of authentic collaborations, resonant narratives, and other key factors that turn partnerships into transformative stories.
Session 8: Fireside Chat 3 - The Podcast Growth Playbook
Lev Myskin of Fame joined forces with independent creator Shreevar Chhotaria to unveil the Podcast growth playbook. As the conversation unfolded, attendees got several insights into effective podcast management – from ideation to finding engagement to conceptualizing narratives that stick.
Session 9: Panel Discussion 3 - How to Become a Top 1% Creator?
A trio of creators - Evan Fisher, CEO of Unicorn Capital, Courtney Allen, CEO & Presentation Specialist at 16X9, and Ross Jenkins, Director of DigitalME, spoke to Shubham Tiwari. Shubham’s first question: "What was your first pay for your first project?" instantly evoked a feeling of nostalgia among the guests, who then went on to cover their journey from humble beginnings to massive success in more detail.
Session 10: Fireside Chat 4 - Embracing AI in Influencer Marketing
Jiajun Lu, founder of Akool, and Ismael El-Qudsi, founder of Socialpubli, engaged in an excitingFireside Chat with Prateek Panda. The discussion centered on the transformative potential of AI in influencer marketing. The chat delved into AI's capacity to optimize campaigns, its role in virtual influencers, and its promise in enhancing influencer marketing through deep analytics, automation, and campaign execution.
Session 11: DotMe Product Launch
Harsh Vijaykumar, the visionary behind DotMe and Brandemic, introduced a groundbreaking link-in-bio product. Attendees were amazed by what DotMe offers. It's a place where creators can combine their online presence, engage people, and share their story. This motivated attendees to improve their online presence and make connections that go beyond boundaries.
Session 12: Fireside Chat 5 - Micro-Influencer Strategy to Grow your DTC Brand
Cara Leahy - Director of Growth at Mavely and Brianna Siciliano - Community Lead at Mys Tyler spoke to Prateek Panda, journeying through the intricacies of micro-influencer strategies. The discussion delved on the extraordinary power of these micro-champions in the DTC landscape. A key theme that resonated across the conversation was how nurturing meaningful connections with influencers is far more impactful than reducing them to mere numbers such as follower counts.
Session 13: Fireside Chat 6 - The Science of Product and Content
Ian Johnson - A top product strategy consultant and Advisor and Manya Kotian from TFC engaged in a relevant conversation on content creation and product management. With experience spanning executive coaching, writing, and creation, Ian unveiled how principles from product management harmonize with content creation. Attendees discovered the significance of iteration, engagement, and sustained growth.
Session 14: Panel Discussion 4 - Closing Debate: The Future of Creator Economy
During the session, Akhil Bhiwal - the Founder/CEO of Phyllo, along with Jacob Choi - Product Lead at Beacons, one of the earliest customers of Phyllo, Corey Livingston - Founder of Splitzapp, and Shubham Tiwari from TFC, had an engaging conversation about the future of the creator economy. They spoke about how creators and brands work together, and use data to derive the best mutual benefits. The key thread of this discussion was maintaining the balance between what brands need and what creators offer. The panelists also discussed how partnerships and negotiations are becoming more standardized, and how measuring the success of campaigns is going beyond just counting likes, comments, and engagement into measuring true ROAS. They shared insights on how big companies like Meta and Google are leveraging creator data and how tools like Phyllo bridge this data gap in the creator economy.
Booth Partners and Collaborators
insightIQ
Beacons
Fair
Splitzapp
Akool
Kendal by CrowdPad
Stream Alive
Fueler
Creative Juice
Women in Influencer Marketing
Creator Wizard
Brandemic
DC Verse
Teamrise.
These esteemed booth partners played a pivotal role in enhancing the event's engagement and providing valuable insights and resources. We’d like to thank them for their support!
Unicon '23 was a massive success that highlighted several important and lesser-known developments in influencer marketing and the creator economy. As we look back on the interesting sessions and the new relationships fostered, we're excited for Unicon '24. We promise to make it even bigger and better, with more inspiration and newer ideas, thanks to the ever-evolving nature of the creator economy!
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