Rally's CMO/CRO. Bremner Morris
The world of cryptocurrency, built on the Blockchain can often be complex as new forms of the currency seem to pop up overnight. But there’s a side of “crypto” that’s gaining steam that focuses on a specific niche within the world of cryptocurrency serving the needs of “creators”—the people making content online which gives the average person an opportunity to show support and in a way, invest in their success which could pay off for them. I had a chance to connect with Bremner Morris, CMO/CRO at Rally.io, one of the first movers in this space where creators can build an economy around their community from the ground up that isn’t dependent on a single distribution platform like YouTube or other social networks. Bremner is no stranger to how creators building audiences and communities and monetizing them, having come from Patreon where creator fans can fund the efforts of their favorite creators directly. Recent creator additions to Rally.io include Xcelencia, a latin recording artist and music producer from Puerto Rico (Xcelencia/$EQUIS), and Clothia.com, a curated online marketplace for emerging fashion designers in the accessible luxury category. (Clothia/ $CLOTH). And full disclaimer, I have recently been approved as the creator behind $DAVID. Bremner and I chatted about the future of the creator economy, the creator-community dynamic, and the potential that crypto-powered creator coins/tokens possess to create a modern-day fan club directly between creator and community.
David Armano: Let’s start with a bit of you in the context of this thing that everyone seems to call “the creator economy”. Having helped build the go-to-market strategy for Patreon, you are one of the early movers focusing on the “economy” part of working with creators (i.e. YouTubers live streamers, social media influencers etc.). Why did you dive headfirst into this fast-moving field?
Bremner Morris: Growing up in San Francisco, I had a front row seat to the city’s vibrant arts, culture and technology scenes. Facebook launched during my first year in college and these social platforms promised to democratize the opportunities for artists and creators but it became clear that these platforms did not value the artists and creators that ultimately built them. I was drawn to the idea that technology could actually benefit artists and creators and they could shift out-dated and unfair business models. My sister and her husband are also both creatives and I was inspired to find opportunities for technology to help artists be fairly valued for their contributions. In short, I wanted to be a part of this creative revolution.
When I joined Patreon, the company represented an almost unheard-of notion that creators and artists should have complete control and ownership of their work and to be fairly compensated for their craft. During my tenure at Patreon, I saw first-hand the benefits of what a direct-to-fan model offered and how it ignited creative communities and put the power back in the hands of the creators.
Crypto builds on this foundation and opens up even more possibilities for creators and fans to benefit simultaneously. Rally is tapping into that same spirit of rethinking old norms. In this case, it's the idea that fandom is truly a symbiotic relationship between creators and fans and not a one-way street. This is truly the next era for the creator economy or what we call the creator crypto economy.
Armano: While we are on the topic of the creator economy—what is it exactly in your own words and how do you see it changing over the next year or two?
Morris: The creator economy is a recognition that the people who create the value and beauty of the internet should be fairly compensated and valued for their contributions. Up until a few years ago, the platforms that had enabled creators to build an audience only saw these creators as a means-to-an-end rather than as the primary driver of their value. The creator economy is a shift of value that allows creators to capture more of the value of what they create.
That said, today, the creator economy model mostly consists of a one-way financial relationship: audiences either support their favorite creators directly or creators monetize their followings using sponsorship from brands.
But that’s misaligned with how creators and fans see each other. Creators are dedicated and dependent on fans, viewing them as extended family, wanting to do right by them, and grow with them, in any new ventures. Fans see themselves as a critical participant and a driver of the creator’s success. The relationship is strengthened when both sides believe they are empowered and in it together - operating as a creative community.
As a result, we’re now at a turning point, where fans and creators are trying to figure out how they can grow together and create more unique, interactive experiences. This is where crypto and creator coins come in. Fans get to be literal holders of a token demonstrating their superfandom of a creator or artist and can use that token as an access pass to exclusive content, experiences, and communities. Creators can offer physical and digital goods and services in exchange for their currency and both fans and creators can participate in the growth and success of this economy.
Armano: Let’s get into what you are doing now. Rally.io is positioning itself as something of a crypto-currency for creators and their communities. At a time when most people are still trying to figure out Bitcoin and get their heads wrapped around Doge, how would you explain the emerging phenomena of creator coin?
Morris: Rally operates on a meticulously engineered foundation that empowers the next frontier of creation, connection, and community. Rally.io was specifically designed to be user-friendly and easy to understand so that creators and fans with no previous experience in crypto can actively participate.
Think of creator coins as a modern-day fan club where coin holders unlock benefits and direct interaction with the creator/artist.
Let’s say hypothetically that an independent musician launches a creator coin. She can decide to offer benefits exclusively to her community of coin holders like ticket pre-sales, exclusive merch, one-on-one interactions, or even unreleased material. This way, she gains a new level of control over his brand and content. She can also use the coin to pay mods and vendors, and reward super fans.
But it doesn't stop there. If you’re a holder of a creator’s coin, not only do you get access to the benefits, but you also share in the value of the coin. This isn’t a new concept for anyone familiar with crypto, but it's groundbreaking when you consider this marks the first time where creators/artists and their communities are able to earn as a collective. Not only are community members fans, but they now have a stake in the continued success of a creator’s overall economy. As an example, when that independent musician starts playing large arenas, her fans can hold a token of their fandom and demonstrate that they were there from the early days!
We’re seeing strong traction out of the gate. Right now, Rally’s top creators and their fans are driving more than $100K USD weekly within their creator coin economies. Furthermore, creators and fans are incentivized to actively participate in creator coin economies by the community activity rewards program, through which $RLY is programmatically awarded to the most active communities. Right now, top creator coin economies are receiving more than $1M USD in $RLY rewards each week.
Armano: Twitter is one of the latest platforms to give influencers/creators a way to monetize their content and YouTube has been doing this for some time—what’s unique about the Rally version of creator/community monetization and how do you envision it influencing this space?
Morris: Rally is one of the first web 3 platforms for creators and their communities that signifies a massive shift in thinking that the relationship between the two is symbiotic and not one-directional.
For creators, Rally is the entry point to a whole new way of monetization and community management. Rally smooths the adoption process for a creator to launch their own economy and provides intuitive APIs that allows each creator coin to act as programmable money that creators and artists can integrate anywhere they engage with their audience. Creators can offer up a myriad of benefits ranging from NFTs, exclusive access, content, merch and more within the existing platforms where they engage with their fans. The opportunities are truly endless.
There are zero fees so creators get to keep 100% of the proceeds of their economies and we’ve designed the experience to be easy for creators and fans alike, so there’s no need to have any prior background in crypto to participate. Fans can set-up an account and buy creator coins in less than 60 seconds. And every transaction generates rewards for the creator and their coin holders.
Furthermore, many creators have audiences on more than one platform — Rally enables them to have their own currency that travels with them across all of their channels. This is especially important for creators who rely on this revenue for their livelihoods: if YouTube decides to suspend or demonetize them, they’re in a difficult position. Rally is a decentralized network, so these decisions about who can or can’t monetize are made by the community instead of a centralized entity.
We believe that similar to how big tech social media platforms shaped the last decade in tech, crypto and decentralized technology will shape the next one. Creators and their fans want independence; this technology gives them the tools to have that independence.
Armano: You work closely with creators from different backgrounds—are there any common themes or traits that come to mind that makes a creator successful?
Morris: Time and again we find that the most successful creators are looking to build a long-term connection with their fans, not just turn a quick profit. Both in the creator economy and in crypto, people that are only in it for the money tend to come and go fairly quickly. It’s the creators, projects, and communities that share common values and interests that rise to the top.
