Subway Takes, the Instagram account the place folks share their sizzling takes whereas driving the New York City Subway, has grown to greater than 2 million followers and booked A-list superstar visitors like Cate Blanchett and Jason Bateman.
And host Kareem Rahma isn’t altering the present’s premise or format, irrespective of how massive it will get.
“I’ve been always pushing against changing the show, against any new variation of it,” he mentioned on stage at ADWEEK’s Social Media Week in New York. “I’ve always been very aggressive about trying to keep the DNA of the show to be mostly independent comedians, independent writers, independent filmmakers, independent models, independent whatever, with a couple of bonafide celebrities.”
To him, that’s genuine to who you would possibly see driving the subway in New York: “You can go on the subway and see Ethan Hawke. Sometimes famous people take the subway.”
It’s this dedication to authenticity that has made Subway Takes a breakout social media success. Rahma solely books visitors he finds attention-grabbing—folks he would need to seize a beer with. His bar for good content material is, is he entertained?
“My filter is, am I having fun? If I’m being entertained, then I am successful,” he mentioned.
That typically means turning down celebrities or creators, even when they’re well-known or have massive follower counts. Recently, for example, Rahma turned down a pitch from DJ Tiesto as a result of he’s not considering EDM.
He has an analogous barometer for measuring success. Rather than falling into the “data trap” of metrics, which might “suppress creativity and innovation,” he stays centered on what motivates him creatively.
“Cultural relevance is really what you’re looking for in success,” mentioned Reza Izad, co-founder and co-CEO of Underscore Talent, which reps Rahma. “Are people sharing it? Are people engaging with it?”
Brands make ‘everything possible’
Staying true to the present’s model is very vital when partaking with different manufacturers. But Rahma mentioned he was by no means hesitant about bringing advertisers into Subway Takes. When he began, he was self-funding manufacturing at about $2,000 an episode.
“I wouldn’t be able to make the show without funding from brands, and I wouldn’t be able to then take some of that money and invest in new shows,” he mentioned. “The brand component of it makes everything possible.”
But in line with Izad, conserving a “rigid structure” is vital to profitable collaborations.
He described the way in which manufacturers can interact with Subway Takes as “very, very specific”: they will combine with the present’s “100% agree/disagree” format or co-develop a brand new content material collection with Rahma.