People are leaving social networks at a rapid pace. Amid outdated concepts and aggressive hate speech, consumers, especially Gen Z, are looking for new platforms that understand and respond to their needs.
Yubo, a social network for young people, is a community for young people to express themselves. Businesses enable a new generation to learn about the world and themselves. In 2021, the company hired Geraldine Cohen as Chief Marketing Officer to lead its growth strategy. In less than two years, the platform has attracted more than 60 million users in more than 140 countries.
In May, it became one of the first major social platforms to adopt a new age-verification technique, prompting users to take real-time selfies. This app uses real-time imaging technology to identify and separate minors from adults. The company has raised $65.7 million in venture capital to date, led by Insight Partners, one of the leading consumer technology brand advocates in the venture capital industry.
"This is a program where young people can come and expand their social circle and meet new friends from all over the world who live within the program itself," shares Cohen. “We are the first popular social app to include comprehensive age verification for all users, existing users and new users upon signup. We rolled it out for 100% of our users. We are currently working on another future industry that will be audio presenter... As a marketing leader, it is very humble and inspiring to put company values and ethics ahead of business goals.”
Cohen began his career in venture capital when e-commerce replaced the digital consumer experience. Her older sister works as the CEO of a beauty brand and finds that the industry is slow to take off. So Cohen decided to start a business when he realized that the internet had completely changed the power of the beauty industry; There is a gap between buying cosmetics and the previous generation.
She launched Beautyst, a social beauty marketplace where consumers can create profiles, access product reviews and photos, and view tutorials and educational blog posts. Cohen and his team have built the largest community of micro-influencers in European beauty and built a marketplace of over 300 brands. Eventually he sold Feelunique, which was acquired by Sephora five years later, and joined ba&sh as head of global marketing.
"I was able to develop this critical theory about what brands did right and what they did wrong," explains Cohen. “I got into digital marketing and influencer marketing at a very early age. I can bring that knowledge and be fresh enough with that knowledge and passion to build and transform this industry. Doing it yourself is more difficult. So it's great to be back working for this brand. I was there to call. I'm in charge of dollar marketing. I showed them the true power of this new digital marketing and why they need to convert.”
Cohen later became CEO of Global Digital at Fresh (LVMH). He leads international e-commerce companies, consumer-centric technology stacks, content strategy, performance marketing and social media. Although this position improved his leadership skills, Cohen knew he wanted to get back into the startup space.
A digital marketer sees themselves as an innovator, always looking for opportunities to create new businesses or products that fill gaps in the market. During the pandemic, Cohen has had a chance to reflect. He realized that existing companies, already integrated into mass digital commerce, had less room for innovation and creativity. Then an opportunity arose in Yubo. the opportunity to work in a team and create something new for him.
"This [Yubo] is from a new generation that needs more connectivity," said Cohen. “For the first Generation Z, who are fully digital natives, this has completely changed their lives. Yubo, if you look closely, is very representative of that generation because it's a new way for them to interact with the world; This is a new way for them to build relationships. And indeed, this is a new way for them to open up through social networks.
Social media has a very detrimental effect on many teenagers due to the high pressure it brings... So Yubo was a very refreshing and humbling moment for me to learn about the needs of the new generation. also wanted to see how the internet could benefit them beyond commerce as it affects their daily lives and how they interact with other people.”
As Cohen continues his career and helps develop Yubo, he's focused on the following key steps:
- Ask yourself what you are struggling with. Understanding what you are looking for in your position will help make the process hassle-free.
- Emphasize your strengths. When you focus all of your attention on your weaknesses, you avoid doing what you want.
- Don't think too much. Set a goal and go for it; adapt as you travel.
"If you're an entrepreneur for a day, you're more likely to be an entrepreneur for life," concludes Cohen. “I never got into the entrepreneurial game to be a boss. But I need to have an inspiring relationship with the team and be in a position where I can have a big impact on how the company works.”
