In an age when platforms dictate the rules of engagement for millions of creators, a startup is looking to put power back into the hands of individuals. COY Creator is launching a “business-in-a-box” platform that allows creators to consolidate content, live events, and merch without giving up ownership of their data.
The first word in COY Creator’s name is an acronym that stands for “Capitalize on You,” and that phrase is an apt summation of COY Creator’s mission. The platform provides its partners with the assets they need to build custom sites where they can engage with fans while controlling multiple revenue streams.
In an email to Tubefilter, two of COY Creator’s leading execs explained that the company emerged as a response to the current state of affairs on social media platforms. CEO Matt Silk and CRO Will Keenan said that COY aims to “address a significant gap in the creator economy” by developing a platform that isn’t beholden to shareholders. COY was incubated in TMW Capital’s venture studio TMW Labs, according to its LinkedIn page.
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The issues that can arise out of that “significant gap” are multitudinous. Top-down changes can cause chaos for the creators who rely on those platforms to support their careers. Rules designed to support advertisers make monetization difficult for channels that push the limits of “ad-friendly” content. To get noticed, creators must study the whims of recommendation algorithms and adjust their approach to feed the beast.
And those snags are just the tip of the iceberg. Sometimes, platforms that support creator careers fold entirely, as Vine did back in 2016.
“For years creators expressed frustration over their lack of control and the exploitation by traditional platforms,” Silk and Keenan said. “COY’s mission is to offer a platform where creators can fully own their content, data, and revenue streams, ensuring long-term success and autonomy.”
Some of COY’s initial partners are creators who understand the frustrations that stem from platform-level shifts. Prankster Ed Bassmaster likes to push boundaries with his practical jokes, while King Bach was once the most-followed creator on Vine.
Bassmaster’s COY-minted website gives us a taste of the company’s creator-first approach. Visitors will find a feed of the prankster’s videos, with a few paywalled posts sprinkled in. Additional tabs provide listings for Bassmaster’s tour dates and merch items. The overall vibe falls somewhere between a creator-centric app and a link-in-bio service.
Silk and Keenan see those sites as places where creators can set their own rules, though the two execs also acknowledged that major platforms provide certain guarantees in terms of viewership and growth. They hope their partners will take advantage of COY’s business-in-a-box toolkit while continuing to benefit from the “safety nets” provided by the YouTubes, TikToks, and Instagrams of the world.
Available COY features include “tools for brand sponsorships, creator collaborations, e-commerce, and financial services,” according to Silk and Keenan. Revenue streams like subscriptions, paywalls, gifts, personalized video requests, and sponsorships can also be integrated into COY-developed sites.
Keenan, an accomplished creator economy vet whose career includes stints at the multi-channel networks Maker Studios and Endemol Beyond, has been put in charge of COY’s creator roster and revenue models. As he did at those previous stops, Keenan is bringing digital stars together with traditional media celebrities. “My extensive network and experience in talent relations will be key to maintaining this balance while expanding COY Creator’s reach,” Keenan told Tubefilter.
So far, Keenan has brought that “balance” to COY by inking deals with a variety of partners, ranging from Bassmaster and Bach to Sopranos actor Drea DeMatteo and Bollywood celebrity Shweta Pandit. He told Tubefilter that more “exciting announcements” are on the horizon. He also noted that COY is developing some AI-powered tools, such as chatbots and marketing guides, but he stressed that those features are meant as complements to COY’s creator-powered approach.
Creators who are frustrated with the unpredictable whims of big platforms should keep an eye on COY’s development. If you’re interested in partnering with the company, you can fill out the form here.
