Meet the creators of rising brands @Raps and @Channelfoods

You may have come across an extremely viral food video on the Instagram Explore page and noticed it was uploaded by an account called ChannelFoods. Or you may have noticed a controversial post with a very opinionated perception of the hip hop industry by @Raps (instagram.com/raps). These two brands have one thing in common - they are intentional efforts by their respective owner, Blackcard Media.

Unlike most brands that are singularly and independently owned, Blackcard Media has taken things a step further by building an eco-system of media brands through social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The reason you see their content on your Explore page is that the owners behind Blackcard Media explicitly target audiences that are likely to engage or share the content. We sat down with one of the co-founders, Karan (also known as Wayne Singh) to understand their envision.

What is the purpose of Blackcard Media?

Our main objective is to connect with a new generation of audiences that are looking for content to engage with. We want to create amazing content that has a shareability factor that is also true to its core. We're looking to build valuable brands that will sustain in time and age well on today's top social media platforms, and even have the influential power to transcend onto succeeding platforms. How did it all start, did you guys just wake up one day and decide you wanted to create a hip hop and food page? 'laughs' No, we actually are a group of passionate creators and visionaries who wanted to do something more with social media. The person next to me in a bus may use their Instagram to like and share content with others or connect with family and friends, but then there are people like me who see social media purely as a tool that can greatly incentivize you to reach your goals. I grew up around my cousins who were mostly gangsters and in the opposite walks of life. Through them, I built a heavy addiction to Hip Hop from when i was probably 3 years old. So it's always been in my blood, and I was fortunate enough to build a team that has taken the brand @Raps to a whole other level.

The food brand, ChannelFoods also came out purely from the interest of being a foodie. I acquired that brand in its very early stages around 80,000 followers and actually handed it over to a fellow marketing friend. She helped me take this brand to a million followers in only a year, with over 30 million weekly impressions and 20 million unique visitors on our posts. When a good group of us realized we're all creating these amazing brands, we decided to collaborate and create Blackcard Media. We have a common goal in mind and leveraging each other's skills and resources has dramatically helped us expedite our road to victory.

So how many people are in the company now?

What started as a group of friends is now a team of 12 people. We're hustlers and only getting started. Our team consists of filmmakers, designers, marketers, and journalists.

So what is next for you guys now?

In 2020, we're looking to go head-on with building raps. We've already gained a lot of traction from record labels and rappers that have charted in the top 20 on Billboard. There were a few resources we were working on bringing together, and now the brand is ready to take off to the next level. Expect to see and hear this name a lot more in the future.

As far as ChannelFoods goes, we're partnering with a handful of chefs and our own in-house creators to create beautiful recipe videos, a format that everyone knows and loves, but this tie with a new twist and exploring recipes that are often not given the spotlight. We also have a beauty brand and a luxury brand, but we'll share those details once it's time.

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