Hi everyone. Welcome to Mini Scroll, the
daily Internet culture podcast bringing you the biggest stories
from social media, the creator economy and the digital space.
Every Monday through Thursday and sometimes Fridays.
I'm your host, Lauren Meisner, the founder of the youth digital
media brand Centennial World. Welcome back to Mini Scroll,
everyone. OK, today's episode is a bit of
a different one. I'm not going to be doing a
traditional Mini Scroll episode. I do apologize because I know
Mini, she's tried and true. You guys are so loyal and I know
what you come here for, but I'm going to be doing a TikTok
awards recap for you guys because this was a huge moment
for us. We got to do the red carpet.
We were the only independent media brand on the red carpet.
It was so cool. Every other publisher there was
huge. They were part of a big
conglomerate like the ABC, Channel 10, The Daily Telegraph,
We had pedestrian group, Val Morgan, like huge, huge titles.
And then there was us. It was a really, really big
event for us. So I'm excited to talk about it
in general, but also it was a huge undertaking.
So it has really taken over the past two days for us.
And I just did not have time to put together a meaningful
episode for you guys today. So tomorrow for a Friday mini, I
will give you guys a meaty good episode, I promise.
But I didn't want to leave you guys hanging.
So before I get into it, Please remember to rate, review and
subscribe. We are trying to get to 1000
Spotify star ratings by the end of the year.
Please Spotify star rate US. OK, thank you.
OK, so let me set the scene in terms of our history with the
TikTok Awards. So the TikTok Awards, they
launched maybe just a year or two after Centennial launched.
And we've always been invited, like since their inception, we
have always had a spot on the guest list, which is really
cool. And they used to be much
smaller. And this year it was at the ICC.
Well, actually not. It's been renamed.
TikTok bought the rights to the Convention Center in Sydney.
So the name has changed from the ICC to the TikTok Entertainment
Center, which is so crazy. And that was only announced like
2 days before the TikTok Awards. I thought it was like a stick,
like for the TikTok Awards to be like, yeah, the TikTok
Entertainment Center. No, no, no, it's like fully
rebranded to that now, which is so wild.
So it's now this like huge scale event.
As I've told you guys so many times, Centennial, we were one
of the first ever publishers in Australia to use TikTok, first
of all, consistently, but also to report news.
When we started on TikTok in December 2019, which is when we
launched, there were some publishers on the platform, but
they were doing like office content behind the scenes.
Nobody was using it for news. And it was actually my husband
Sean who suggested to us, like, if you know, people are putting
news on Instagram and carousels and stuff and like basically
taking their stories that they would be reporting on on dot
coms in newspapers and magazines and putting them in digestible
formats for social. Like why don't you just do that
in short form video for TikTok. So our first video that we did
was the very first. I think it was like January 2nd,
maybe January 2nd or 3rd. We posted a video like that
about Nikki tutorials coming out as trans and it like went so
viral. It did so well.
And we were like, OK, this is our our strategy.
I guess young people want to consume entertainment news on
TikTok. And obviously that is like a no
brainer now. And none of us are surprised to
hear that. But that was like revolutionary
at the time. So it was very cool to be
recognized by TikTok early on for that.
We did some media for TikTok in those early days as well.
Like we were on TV talking about how we use TikTok and stuff
because they were really trying to build their legitimacy.
So for the first several years, like I said, we were always
invited. And then about two years ago, I
asked, can we be on the red carpet like we always get
invited? We're a TikTok first publisher.
TikTok is the main pillar of our brand.
We don't publish on Meta. You know, we really don't use a
lot of other socials like TikTok is our main one.
And obviously you guys know who listen to mini everyday.
Like TikTok is our bread and butter in terms of what we're
reporting on. Like we are reporting on
Internet culture And TikTok at the moment is the most
influential platform when it comes to Internet culture and
therefore culture at large in many ways.
When I first asked for and carpet access, like I said, this
was only a couple years ago. So publishers, yes, they were
covering TikTok by this point, but you know, it really felt
like people were cutting our grass like we were first.
So I was like, please. And they said there was, you
know, very limited access. And the publishers that ended up
getting access were the huge ones, right?
Like the ABC Channel 9, like all the mainstream ones.
OK. And that was honestly a little
bit disappointing to see because I really believe for the TikTok
Awards, the access should be first and foremost granted to
social first publishers like TikTok first publishers,
publishers that are new media that are trying to change the
game. Like that's what TikTok is
trying to do, and that's what they're celebrating at the
TikTok Awards. But whatever, I was like, I get
it. Like it's building that
legitimacy to have the huge name brands that are willing to be on
the red carpet. But I mean, I wouldn't say
actually willing, like people are fighting to get on that red
carpet because we know that like creators are the new celebrities
for young people and everybody wants to tap the young audience,
right? So that was fine.
OK. And then last year we were in
conversations about doing the red carpet, but it ended up not
working out. We ended up not getting a spot.
I think I was really gutted because I, I really, I believe I
thought we were more in the running than we actually were to
get it. And I was really upset when it
turned out that we didn't. And so I actually pushed back
and this was a really big moment for me because, you know, I just
become a solo founder. And in becoming a solo founder,
it's been quite the journey of me, like finding my voice and
being able to stand up for myself and my brand without
having, you know, like a business partner alongside with
you, like having to do everything yourself and like, be
that boss. It's been a challenge for me
these past couple of years. And so I really pushed back.
And I was like, you know, we are a TikTok first publisher.
We cover TikTok every single day.
Like what is happening with these creators, what's happening
online? And that has been our bread and
butter since we launched. For years.
I stayed in my case. And ANYWAYS, they were really,
really sweet about it. Like there was nothing that
could be done at the time, but they understood my frustrations.
And so, yeah, this year I didn't have to fight for it.
They offered us red carpet. And it felt like this full
circle moment for me, this moment where I was like, Oh my
God, like standing up for myself and making my case.
And, you know, just being like, This is why we deserve to be
here. Like fighting for that and
knowing we deserve to be there. It worked because I didn't even
have to ask this year. They offered it to us.
And like I said, we were the only independent media on that
carpet. It was so cool.
So the event itself was pretty amazing.
Like I said, the scale was massive this year.
There were floors of activations.
I'm going to say there are probably thousands of people.
It was huge. It was amazing.
Everybody was like dressed to the nines, OK.
However, the weather was crazy yesterday.
We had this wild tropical thunderstorm in the middle of
the day. So the red carpet, which was
supposed to be outside was moved to inside because of the
weather. Obviously makes sense.
I'm sure you guys have been getting content on your For You
page, especially if you're in Australia, about like the red
carpet situation and about the TikTok awards like before where
the award ceremony actually started and how it was really
busy and over stimulating. And that I believe is because of
the weather. Like as somebody who was there
like the whole day and like understood what happened
logistically because they had to move things inside because of
the weather. Like obviously that just changes
things in terms of like event logistics.
So we got to speak to so many huge creators in Australia.
We spoke to Leticia Clark, we spoke to Leah Halton, sofa dopa
and Bailey Rowie sing like it was so cool.
Oh and I asked Rowie about being Chapel roans makeup artist and
she said that Chapel just DM her out of the blue and was like I
want you to do my makeup And Rowie was like I don't do other
people's makeup. And she was like, that's fine.
Like I still want you to do my makeup.
Let me just play the clip. This DMS me like she.
Literally just DMS me maybe like a.
Year ago and was like, hey, I love your makeup.
Would you do like one of my shows or like, for like a red
carpet? And I was like, I don't do other
people's makeup. And she was like, that's fine, I
don't care. And then it just so happened
that we were in New York at the same time, and it made it work.
Also, friend of the pod, Cody Simpson, he was there.
We actually didn't get to talk to him because he had to present
an award or something. So he could only do a few quick
interviews and then he was whisked away.
But he saw us and he like tried to photobomb one of our videos,
but Annabelle didn't quite catch it.
Like he wasn't quite in frame, but he was like, Oh my God, hey.
And I was like Cody, my bestie. So we started posting the
content. It's all doing really well on
Centennial's TikTok and the videos of Leah.
Like, I, I mean, I know she has so many followers, but I didn't
realize she was so culty. You guys.
Like she has dance. Like literally the second those
videos are going up, people are like, first, Oh my God, live
laugh, Leah. I love you so much, Leah.
Like, it's crazy people love her.
So yeah, it was about two hours of red carpet interviews.
It was so buzzy. Like, there was such a rush.
It was so cool. You're like wrangling
celebrities, like pulling creators over and being like,
please talk to me and, like, firing questions off at them.
And it was just like the most exciting, exhilarating
experience, experience. And I feel like if you're
somebody who really enjoys a fast-paced whirlwind type of
experience like that, like if you work in event planning or
PR, you know, you understand what I mean by this.
And it is such a rush and it's so exhilarating, but it is so
exhausting. So when the carpet was mostly
over, we were like, OK, we want to start getting this content
up. And they had a media room.
So we went to the media room and we started getting our content
up as the award started and they were playing the awards in the
media room and they actually brought in catering for the
media. So, you know, we had like French
fries, pizza, chicken fingers. There was like healthy
sandwiches, salads. Like I didn't have any of that.
I obviously had the fries and pizza, but it was really good.
So All in all, it was honestly a really fun experience.
I genuinely had such a good time.
The content we got is doing really well on socials and I
don't know, I just had a really good time.
I felt like I was in my element and like Centennial finally got
there after like years of fighting for a spot on that red
carpet. Like we finally did it and I
think it was worth it. Like I had a really great time
and I think the content that we got is going to really perform
and hopefully that shows TikTok and TikTok awards in the future.
Like This is why we should be there, you know.
So I wanted to go over some of the awards for you guys.
So creator of the year was Javea video of the year was Leo
Haltons iconic inverted behind the scenes video.
It has 150 million views. Insane.
I remember when that video was everywhere on the free page
TikTok Business of the year was all for Mimi, which is sofa Dove
and Bailey White's company Beauty and fashion creator of
the year was Ask Ellen Beauty. Actually, I think it was Rowie
that said to me on the red carpet that So one of the
questions I was asking attendees or nominees was what is 1
category that doesn't exist at the TikTok awards that you wish
did. And she actually said, I think
fashion and beauty should be separated because fashion and
beauty as art forms, as disciplines are so completely
different. And I couldn't agree more.
I am absolutely a beauty girl. But if you asked me anything
about fashion, like I barely have a sense of personal style.
Like I don't know anything about fashion, but beauty, I could
tell you everything. Like I am such a beauty girl.
And like they are so completely different in such different art
forms. So yes, I actually really agree
with that. But ask Allen, beauty is mostly,
I would say a makeup creator, food creator of the year was
Andy Cooks. You know, what I would love to
see next year is media brand or like TikTok journalist, like
news fluencer type of category that I think is absolutely
missing. TikTok has been so influential
in media, but media has also been so influential in Tik Tok's
growth and Tik Tok's influence. Oh, and then one of the craziest
things that happened at the event was Jonathan Bailey showed
up as a surprise to present the TikTok for Good award.
He's been showing up all over Sydney at these press events.
Like so many people I know have just gone to random like brand
events, different things like this, like media events, and
he's just shown up there doing like a performance or a
presentation or like an award, like whatever.
It's so funny, it's so random. So that was really cool.
And then, yeah, like I said, while the event was going on, we
were publishing our content. I actually published mini scroll
from yesterday at the event at the Tick Tock Awards backstage.
And then we went home with our box of fries and our pizza.
It was so much fun. It was such a great experience
for us And yeah, that's the T on our experience at the TikTok
Awards and how that all went down for us.
And I hope you guys enjoyed this.
I guess more like behind the scenes of the business kind of
episode. Obviously the TikTok Awards is
very relevant to mini scroll. I didn't want to leave you guys
with nothing today, but like I said, I it's important that I do
my due diligence when I am, you know, reporting on different
stories and I just did not have time to do the proper research
into the stories that I wanted to cover today.
So all that to say, thank you guys so much for listening.
I love you guys. Please remember to rate, review
and subscribe. Please Spotify star rate US and
I will talk to you guys tomorrow for a mini scroll episode that
will be back to normal. Bye.