This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit cocomocoe.substack.com Did you know that season 6 of “Love Island USA” had almost the same amount of minutes streamed as MAX’s “House of the Dragons” Season 2? How did a show with .025% of the budget as one of televisions favorite dramas compete in viewership? We talk about that in today’s episode of “Ahead of the Curve with Coco Mocoe”. What was the tipping point that made a dying show peak to the number 1 spot in it’s sixth, and potentially final, season? Was it the addition of host Ariana Madix from “Vanderpump Rules”? Was it the chemistry of the cast? Was it luck? This episode is inspired by an article I read in Forbes by Jamie Gutfreund titled, “Thinking Like A Creator Can Help Brands Build Trust. Here’s Why”. In this article, the veteran marketing strategist and long-time talent manager breaks down the virality of being authentic vs forcing it. She uses Alix Earle and “Love Island USA” season 6 as two case studies on how to do “authenticity” correctly. Links and references in this episode: * Forbes Article: “Think Like a Creator” * Deadline: “Love Island USA Doubles Viewership” * Screen Rant: “I Believe Love Island USA Season 6 Saved The Series” Episode Time Stamps: * 0:00 – Introduction  * 3:45 – Table of Contents  * 6:56 – The Success of “Love Island USA (Season 6)” vs Previous Seasons * 13:00 – How this season captured authenticity vs contrived reality TV  * 20:24 – Why Love Island was genius for casting Ariana Madix from VPR as the new host * 27:22 – The key to viral “authenticity” as a creator or brand  Paid Time Stamps (Extended Episode): * 31:27 – Two formats to go viral authentically on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram  * 44:50 – Predictions for the “Love Island USA” cast * 48:42 – The comparisons between “Love Island” and “Vanderpump Rules” early days Rate the podcast to help it grow ⭐️ Thank you for rating the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts! This helps the podcast grow and reach more people who love marketing and pop culture as much as we do. For business inquiries, email: [email protected] Listen to the extended episode by subscribing for $9/month on Substack: Download the Substack app to listen to the episode from your phone Follow Coco Mocoe on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube! * IG: @cocomocoe * TT: @cocomocoe * YT: coco mocoe