CREATOR ECONOMY NEWSLETTER
Issue #98 | Jan. 10, 2023
SungWon Cho, aka ProZD, is an iconic voice actor known online for short-form skits about games, anime, internet culture, and fandom. Known for an infectious blend of satire, blunt honesty, and nerdiness, Cho cultivated a dedicated audience for around eight years and monetized primarily off of sponsorships and ad revenue.
Cho has a reputation for speaking his mind about the hypocrisies and pitfalls of the internet landscape—like YouTube’s recent profanity demonetization move—giving voice to what many creators might be thinking but are too afraid to say.
In an interview with Passionfruit this week, Cho described this knack for honesty and his desire to avoid being a “phony” to his loyal fanbase. He also discussed his approach to parasociality and healthy boundaries with fans.
– Grace Stanley, Newsletter Editor
TIPS AND TRICKS
Internet legend SungWon Cho discusses parasociality, boundaries with fans, and more
“I’m not out to maximize every single thing to be the biggest, most successful internet person.”
By Grace Stanley, Newsletter Editor
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ONE GREAT TIP
“Keep a kind of distance or kind of a bigger picture of what you put out there. … Kind of be in your head your own manager and say, ‘All right, I get this amount of hate right now, that doesn’t represent who I am.’”
—TikToker Pierre Boo on reading the comments section. Read more in our September 2022 interview.
SEEKING A TREND
Plus-size model and creator goes viral after sharing brand’s ‘alarming’ edits to campaign photos
“Gave you a whole new face.”
By Charlotte Colombo, Passionfruit Contributor
TOOLS REVIEW
5 influencer marketing trends to jump on before they blow up in 2023
Here are the top influencer marketing trends to pay attention to.
By Jen Glantz, Passionfruit Contributor
IN THE BIZ
- The creator economy demonstrated its prowess at tech conference CES this week. (via Insider)
- Elon Musk met with creators like Marques Brownlee, Trung Phan, Colin Rosenblum, and Samir Chaudry. (via the Publish Press)
- Tickets went on sale for the Information’s creator economy summit in April. (via the Information)
- Instagram is removing the shopping tab from its homepage. (via TechCrunch)
- Meta limited targeting advertising on teens. (via TechCrunch)
- TikTok is testing sleep reminders. (via TechCrunch)
- Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase laid off a fifth of its staff. (via CoinDesk)
- Logan Paul is facing heat over allegations he abandoned his pet pig on the side of the road.
- Donald Trump Jr. is the latest conservative figure to land a podcast deal. (via the Verge)
- Seattle schools sued TikTok, Meta, Snap, and YouTube for the mental health crisis. (via Reuters)
- YouTuber Andrew Callaghan is facing sexual misconduct allegations on TikTok. (via Rolling Stone)
TIKTOK MADE ME DO IT
Discourse around the latest AI filter went viral this week.
