In a time when viral fame can vanish quickly, Haliey Welch, the “Hawk Tuah” girl, faced a common creator’s dilemma: transforming overnight internet stardom into a sustainable career.

Enter Fanfix, a platform that’s rewriting the rules of the creator economy.

As traditional social media giants face uncertainty, Fanfix is betting big on safe-for-work content and consistent creator income. 

With the White House taking notice and industry veterans at the helm, the stakes couldn’t be higher. 

In an exclusive interview with Net Influencer, Fanfix CMO Loren Piretra dives into how the company challenges stigmas, empowers creators, and aims to make a lasting impact on the industry.

Safeguarding Creator Brands

Loren brings over 15 years of experience in the social marketing industry and creator economy to her role on a subscription-based social media platform. 

With previous leadership positions at Playboy, Twitch, the NFL, and Red Bull, her expertise lies in establishing creator-centric business strategies for globally recognized brands.

“When I met [Fanfix’s] founders, I was inspired by how closely connected they were to their community of creators and their core consumer, Gen Z,” Loren reveals what drew her to Fanfix.

Fanfix focuses on safe-for-work content. 

“There’s no nudity, no explicit content,” Loren tells us. “It’s a safe place for creators who don’t want to be associated with the adult space and don’t want any of their brand deals or partnerships compromised.”

The platform offers multiple revenue streams for creators, including tiered subscriptions, pay-per-view content, and messaging paywalls. 

“Creators can leverage Fanfix to give a completely unfiltered, unedited look at their daily lives and form true friendships [with fans],” Loren says.

Fanfix aims to provide stable income opportunities for content producers. 

“The landscape of brand deals and partnerships is evolving and changing,” Loren observes. “Fanfix gives creators a consistent stream of revenue and the ability to make what you will of it.”

Diversifying Income Streams for Gen Z Creators

Loren emphasizes the importance of multi-platform strategies for content creators, especially given recent uncertainties surrounding popular platforms like the potential TikTok ban in the U.S. 

“Creators are positioning themselves to have a diversity of audiences across more platforms,” Loren explains. “Your audience is your currency, and you want money in multiple banks.”

Fanfix provides creators with a stable income source, with Loren noting that “for many Fanfix creators, this has become their primary source of income.” 

The platform offers a safe, advertisement-free environment where creators can connect more intimately with their fans.

The shift towards subscription platforms is driven by the recognition that creators’ time and content are valuable. 

“It’s not fair that creators are expected to give away their content and their time and their access for free all the time,” Loren argues. “We don’t see that happen in any other [industry].”

To maintain its position as a top choice for Gen Z influencers, Fanfix focuses on understanding and quickly responding to creator needs.

“Our team is a bunch of young creators; they’re Gen Z, and we have creators coming in and out of the office at all times,” Loren says. 

She adds, “We can best continue to position ourselves ahead of the curve by staying really close to our creators and deeply understanding their needs, frustrations, wants, and then just being able to iterate on that with the product quickly.”

Fanfix Partners with Viral Sensation Haliey Welch

Fanfix recently partnered with Haliey Welch, known for her viral “Hawk Tuah” moment. 

Loren explains this collaboration’s rationale and initial reception: “Hailey has a very relatable element to her. She wasn’t on social media before her big viral moment, so her fans wanted to see a more personal side of her beyond the infamous moment.” 

This desire for a deeper connection aligns with Fanfix’s mission to provide a platform for more intimate fan-creator interactions.

The partnership was established shortly after Welch’s rise to fame. 

Loren stresses the importance of brand alignment: “We wanted to make sure that it was a brand fit for her, get to know her on a more personal level, understand her career aspirations, and make sure, like with any relationship, it’s a match.”

Welch’s desire to stay authentic and connect with fans made Fanfix an attractive option. 

“She doesn’t want to be this big Hollywood figure. She wants to stay true to herself,” Loren notes. “You can see that with her philanthropic endeavors and purpose-driven work that she’s doing.”

The platform’s safe-for-work policy was a key factor in Welch’s decision. 

“She wanted to ensure she aligned herself with a brand-safe platform, which didn’t allow for nudity or explicit content,” Loren reveals.

The initial response to the partnership has been positive.

“The sentiment was overwhelmingly positive,” Loren reports. “People were pleading for an opportunity to get to know Haliey and speak with her one-on-one. And that’s exactly what we’re offering through Fanfix.”

As Loren tells us, Welch plans to use the platform to offer dating advice and share unfiltered glimpses of her life.

Empowering Creators Through Tailored Monetization Plans

Fanfix offers tailored support to its content producers. Loren outlines the company’s approach to empowering creators and viral sensations like Welch.

“We start by understanding their goals, dreams, and aspirations,” Loren explains. “Then we align these with our business objectives to help creators connect more deeply with their fans and earn a consistent income stream.”

The platform’s strategy revolves around providing a safe, intimate space for creators to share exclusive content with their most dedicated followers. 

Loren reports that such an approach has yielded significant results for many Fanfix creators. 

“We constantly have creators coming to us to share significant milestones,” she notes. “We just had one creator say that they bought a house. With their Fanfix income, they’ve paid off student loans and debt.”

Fanfix’s model addresses the inconsistency of brand deals. 

“This gives them a safe place and a safe home to know that they’re always able to kind of earn and grow with us here,” Loren says.

For Welch, Fanfix launched her presence with a short, entertaining lip-sync video that playfully addressed fan demands for more access. 

Looking ahead, Loren emphasizes Fanfix’s commitment to reaching new heights with Haliey: “We plan to be right there alongside her and continue to iterate based on how she’s using the product.”

From Stigma to White House Recognition

Loren sees a shift towards subscription platforms in the creator economy.

“It’s caused creators to rethink their long-term plans and strategies and be more inclined to explore other platforms,” Loren notes.

Fanfix is adapting to meet creator needs, recently reintroducing live streaming. 

“Our creators are having a lot of fun and leaning into that,” Loren tells us. “The live format provides a different kind of connection between fans and their creators when you can hear them move and see them interact in real-time.”

The industry veteran advocates for destigmatizing subscription-based platforms. 

“There’s still a bit of a societal stigma around the space and an unfair association with subscription-based platforms and adult platforms, which is not the case with Fanfix,” she explains. “The stigma is very deeply rooted in societal misogyny.”

The recent White House Creator Economy Conference Loren attended signals growing recognition of the industry’s importance.

Image: Loren attending the Creator Economy Conference at the White House

“President Biden [came] in, speaking to us and thanking us for our kind of contributions to culture and society and the economy,” Loren reports. “This industry is here to stay, and it’s only going to grow in its power and influence and economic and cultural contributions.”

Regarding the future, Loren anticipates more discussions about creator protection. 

“This is the first step towards regulations to protect creators regarding fair compensation, mental health, and AI misuse,” she concludes.