Fred Coates is the current senior executive of Trend Pop, an awesome platform that uses software as a service. This amazing tool helps marketers, record labels, & brands identify and discover talent and trends. The company believes that they are in fact a smarter way for artists to go viral amidst the current shift in today’s entertainment industry. Coates extensive background in the business & intense understanding of what the platform could become made him the perfect fit for the emerging company & he was brought on to bridge the gap between the worlds of tech & entertainment. Trend Pop is also the leading analytics & insights (AI) platform for short-form video marketing. The state of – the art – algorithm has been powerful help for marketers across industries though they all have different goals, they all need help in the tracking, analysis, and synthesis of the overwhelming amount of social data. Aside from this Fred also has expertise in Music NFTs (Non-fungible Tokens) or digital currency & has ambitions that reach even further past his current role with Trend Pop.
How did your career begin in Creative Marketing & Branding?
I began my career in creative branding and marketing in 2014 when I founded Mezzo Link, a company focused on crowdfunding and utilizing influencer marketing to drive awareness and fundraising efforts for nonprofits. One of my most successful projects was a viral campaign for Homeboy industries, an LA nonprofit that offers job training, tattoo removal, and other services to previously gang-involved individuals. Our efforts raised north of $300,000 for their tattoo removal program.
What was your first industry job?
My first job was at Sony in the business development offices and legal affairs. (15+ years ago). It was a great intro to the industry that allowed me to see the inner workings of the music business and helped set me up for success later in my career.
Was artist marketing always amongst your immediate industry goals?
Artist marketing is a destination that I never really initially sought out. My original overall goal was just to be a part of the culture I grew up in; including the music, movies, and intellectual property that shaped my childhood. I saw the impact of these cultural phenomena and where they could go, and I just wanted to be involved. But, over the years, I have been fortunate to gain experience with several different aspects of the business and I have really enjoyed where I have currently landed.
You have experience specifically in digital strategic marketing. How important is having a strong social media presence in a celebrity’s career?
Having a strong social media presence is everything in today’s digital age- for both mega-celebrities and niche influencers. Spreading awareness of your skills on social media sets you up for financial success by way of brand deals, name recognition, opportunities, and more. It’s your online resume.
How significantly has social media platforms such as Instagram & Tik Tok changed the game for artist and entertainers over the past few years?
Instagram and Tik Tok have revolutionized the industry. The artist can connect straight to the consumer- their fans. Social media allows the artist’s fans to see and feel like they are a part of their daily activities. They get to interact with them in a more personal way that could not be done before. Plus, it’s a lot cheaper to produce content on those social media platforms versus traditional platforms which could be a financial burden to the artist and hinder their success.
You also possess knowledge as well of NFTs as collectibles & investments for fans of the celebrities you represent tell us more about this. Name one of the most popular if possible.
I absolutely love NFTs. I love what it does for the community and how it helps creators take agency over their content and earnings. Like social media platforms, it allows creators to get directly to the fans, which is especially beneficial to early adaptors who can be at ground level and grow with the artist. As the artist grows the NFT grows in value and the early adopter is rewarded with those earnings as well. One of the more popular NFT collaborations I was involved with was with Juicy J and the company Everipedia.
What client would you like to represent that you have not yet?
That is definitely a great question. I would love to start to represent deals, mergers, & acquisitions, not so much individual talent. I would like to represent a brand and really work with the business development team to raise awareness and the value of the company.
The music industry has undergone a few key changes in the past few years, such as the way album sales are tracked to receive Gold & Platinum certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America to now include streaming services spins on such platforms as YouTube & Spotify from fans in addition to traditional physical sells. Fred Coates has made it clear that he is the man that is more than capable of further advancing this progression through tech & social media marketing with his role at Trend Pop where artists can now more easily directly connect with their fans & post relevant content as artist & influencers to take their careers to the next level, while also saving money on their project budgets at the same time. Fred has almost two decades of experience under his belt & shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. In fact, when asked what upcoming projects he has coming up he was a little coy with the details but assures he has a few in the works with Trend Pop that he is extremely excited about, but he cannot quite disclose now. He can only assure that “record labels, A&R’s, and Publishers are going to be taking him out to dinner “promising that it will be big. As he has already helped to revolutionize the industry & push culture forward to an entirely new generation & demographic, we are sure his future announcements will indeed be worth the wait & we are ecstatic to hear more about them as updates become available.
Follow Us On Social Media!
