Bringing the celebrity a closer connection to their fanbase
The celebrity or influencer is usually seen on video or on a stage only. Many fans wish they had the opportunity to speak to the celebrity, to pick the brain of the person they adore and find out how they were able to succeed. Some fans wish for a closer connection to the artist or to feel as special or viewed with as much love as the celebrity they adore.
As a fan base increases the chance for a singular fan to be able to access the celebrity becomes smaller by the second but one project hopes to do something completely different and change that around. We at Solanews/MetaFi had the absolute pleasure to speak with Maxime Berger the CEO of Metabay, a platform that wishes to bridge the gap between celebrities and their fanbase with a new novel way of doing things. The platform is relatively new but has seen tremendous growth and interest, we pick Maxime’s mind and learn more about Metabay in this interview. We hope you enjoy!
The interview
SN: For the benefit of our readers please give us more info about your background and how you came up with the idea for Metabay.**
MB: I’m Maxime, based in Singapore since 2018, and entrepreneur. I have been twice a tech cofounder ; one Insurtech startup and one Crypto robo-advisor. Already experienced in web 3.0, I got deeply passionate about NFTs and started supporting projects, interacting with the community, and discovering many innovative utilities. This has greatly enlightened me about the capabilities of NFTs, blockchain technology, and the power of the community.
With the desire to work a model around communities, I started brainstorming with friends about Metabay. I refined the idea further until finding the angle: a platform to connect deeper the content creators and their community leveraging blockchain-enabled utilities.
SN: Please tell us what problem Metabay is solving.**
MB:As a celebrity or a content creator gets popular, it comes with hundreds of thousands or millions of new followers. The proximity with the community is then lost.
Metabay is restoring the connection between both, by issuing 1000 digital passes from the content creator that will be distributed to the community. Each pass holder will access a private group chat with the influencer himself/herself, get exclusive content, and have the unique chance to interact with him regularly, sometimes through personal video calls.
On top of that, they will receive rewards and gifts directly related to the content creator’s universe: exclusive album edition and concert tickets for artists, signed jerseys and discounts to games for soccer players. Those are examples, and there will be many more included.
SN: On your site it is claimed that Metabay is using NFTs but users ‘won’t even see it’ can you please tell us more, what makes NFT use seamless on the platform?**
MB: Absolutely. We have chosen to focus on the value for the content creators and the community.
Blockchain is only the technology used, and that should not interfere with the user experience. We wanted to be inclusive to as many as possible, not leaving anyone behind from our value proposition.
As a result, no technical skills are needed. Users purchasing a digital pass only need an email address and a credit card to complete the transaction and access all the rewards.
SN: Can we refer to Metabay as an example of a web2.5 application?
MB: We can say that, in the way that Metabay is leveraging on blockchain technology and strong added value in terms of offering, but all seamlessly integrated into the user interface.
SN: We have seen many attempts by web2, and now web3, platforms to improve the fan-creator experience, what do you think can make Metabay succeed in this endeavour?
MB: Indeed there were a lot of attempts by web 2 platforms, and some became successful leaders: Patreon, OnlyFans, Cameo, Instagram & TikTok monetization features, and more.
Many platforms are emerging in the web 3.0 space creator’s economy, but there is no yet leader position taken someone could name. It is all very early and still in the building phase.
We believe the key is to care about providing a double value chain for both fans and content creators, while building a top-notch user experience for them.
SN: Why should a creator join Metabay as opposed to launching his own NFT collection using available tools online?**
MB: One main difference lies in the title, as our mission is not to create an “NFT collection” but only to serve our mission of connecting fans and content creators like never before. And we have been building model as well as proprietary technology as we establish our brand as the go-to platform for valuable fan-creator experience.
Above all, we offer a time-free and cost-free experience for all content creators. No upfront cost, and no time spent in project management, technical details, or time dealing with users requests. Everything is taking care of, from the technical aspects, to the onboarding of the fans and the customer support afterwards.
In that way, the content creator focuses on what he loves to do best: bonding with his community and producing meaningful content.
SN: We understand this is a recent venture, what are the next steps and the first milestones you wish to reach?**
MB: Indeed, the company was founded three months ago. We have been growing fast and were lucky to see strong traction from investors, partners, and most importantly content creators themselves.
We just completed the first milestone, as our platform is now live right now for a demo. Everyone can already experience getting a digital pass for free, with just an email address, and using it to access exclusive group chat.
The next milestone is the launch of the first content creators from our waitlist. We also plan the integration of a community marketplace where fans can exchange their digital passes between them, seamlessly and with the same level of simplicity. Many more exciting features will come next…
SN: if you wish to share email addresses or social media links for creators and beta testers to try out Metabay please do so.**
MB: Sure, I am mainly reachable on LinkedIn here Feel free to connect with me; I’ll be happy to hear your thoughts, ideas, and feedback on the platform.
