Journalist, Foquinha left the newsroom to create his channel, and today he has more than 2 million subscribers
Fernanda Rocha Catania is 33 years old and a journalist by training. In 2014, she decided to leave traditional newsrooms to create her YouTube channel, but maybe you don’t know her by her registered name, but by her nickname.
We’re talking about the Seal.
At the time, the journalist worked at Capricho, and her face was well known to young people at that time thanks to the videos of interviews and articles she wrote for the teen magazine. As time went by, the journalist became increasingly interested in the video and that’s how the channel came about.
Contrary to popular belief, the project was not for the internet. Foquinha’s idea was to put the project on YouTube so that it would reach people on TV, but the path was different from what she imagined.
“It ended up working with the audience and I realized that I didn’t need to take it to any media and that I could create my own media there. The internet gave me a freedom that I didn’t have in traditional media”, recalled the journalist.
Time passed and Foquinha’s face and content became more and more known, which brought the marks to her. Currently, she has done projects with Globo both Globoplay and other services of the broadcaster, Skol Beats, Seda, Netflix, Bumble and many others.
You were a journalist for Capricho and you were one of the best known by the public, right? When and why did you decide that you would leave the newsroom and open the YouTube channel?
I was part of Capricho’s team for about 6 years and I did practically everything there. I started as an intern, I became a reporter, editor, presenter of TV Capricho on YouTube, columnist Anyway, but there came a time when I started to get more and more interested in video and decided to try something on television, so I created a program project to present to channels but I had no contacts on TV. So I decided to do the project on my own and play it on YouTube to try to reach people on TV. Of course, I took some time to gather courage, plan, save money and everything else. And so the challenge of Foquinha was born in 2015, my talk show that became one of the main frames on my YouTube channel. It ended up working with the audience and I realized that I didn’t need to take it to any media and that I could create my own media there.
Did you expect your channel to become the success it has?
Never! As I said, I planned a program to take to another media. I never imagined that I would create a channel, that I would create content on the internet and that this would become my job. Back then, there was no space to create content professionally on YouTube like there is today.
Was there a moment when you realized that channeling had become your profession?
Yes, especially when I started to close jobs on behalf of the channel, but, even before that, my first snap was when artists started looking for my channel to give interviews. I think one of the first was Rodrigo Santoro. I was like hi, Rodrigo Santoro is going to give an interview to MY channel?. Remembering that it was not like today, in 2015 these artists did not participate in internet channels.
You went to the Cannes Film Festival this year. How did the invitation come about and what was the experience of being in one of the most important advertising festivals like?
I was invited by Whalar, one of the world’s leading content creator agencies, to be part of a creative squad to represent the brand at the festival and share our experiences as content creators. It was one of the most incredible moments of my career. For a long time, content creators were not valued in this medium, so being one of the creators chosen to be in Cannes talking about my work and my experience shows how things have evolved. Back in 2015, when I launched my channel, I never imagined that this would be possible. I felt valued and proud of my trajectory so far. Not to mention that enjoying the event was awesome and I had experiences that I will never forget.
You are a journalist by training and your content is very journalistic. Despite this, you have become a digital influencer. Was there a moment when that key turned for you? Or do you see yourself both ways?
I see myself both ways. I am a journalist and my content on the internet is journalistic, I take information with great responsibility, but in a light, humorous and original way. The internet has given me a freedom I didn’t have before working in traditional media. Also, my work and what I say on the internet reach a niche of people, so I see that I influence doing journalism.
Of all the advertising work you’ve done, which one did you like the most?
My favorites are the ones that involve my work as a presenter, also encompassing my social networks and the brand’s networks. I will highlight Beats Manda Jobs, a reality show by Skol Beats that was broadcast on the brand’s Instagram. I even recently presented another reality show that will premiere on YouTube on 9/15 and I’m really excited because it’s on the list of my favorite works! I also really liked the work I did with Netflix, like presenting the Tudum festival twice and presenting two programs on the brand’s YouTube channel. It was really cool because the programs were ideas that I presented to the brand and they worked.
In addition, I am very happy with the publicity of my own projects. For example, every year since 2020, I’ve been doing a New Year’s Eve live with the pop retrospective of the year. Focus on 2020, Focus on 2021 and etc. I receive guests and remember the moments that marked pop culture in the year, in a fun way, with dynamics and interviews. It is a very large production and I am very happy that, in all the years, I have had the support of brands. In 2020, we had Telecine and C&A, in 2021, we had Globoplay and TikTok. Let’s see what happens in 2022!
What was the moment in your career, both as a journalist and an influencer, that most marked you?
Definitely present the Rock in Rio broadcast on Multishow channel in 2019. It was a dream! In addition, I participate as a commentator on Planto BBB, Ana Clara’s program on TV Globo, and, currently, I have an interview program on Gshow, Globo’s portal, called Foquinha no Gshow, where I promote unusual encounters between two personalities in common. It is very special to remember my trajectory and to think that I launched my YouTube channel in 2015, aiming to take the project to television and that, today, after more than 7 years, I work on television because of my channel.
What do you consider when starting a partnership or advertising with a brand/company?
For me, the work needs to be a partnership between me and the brand, that is, for me, it’s not worth being an imposition. I like to create and carry out the works in the same way as I produce my organic content. For example, I prefer to create advertising scripts instead of receiving something ready and just playing it. It needs to have change, I need to feel comfortable, and it needs to look my way. I will never do work that is not about me and what I believe in.
You make great productions on your channel, like in drag queens evolution videos, horror movies and rock movies. Does this also reflect in the advertising campaigns you do?
Yes, I would even love for brands to invest in these productions, an investment in their own right. But I work the same way when it comes to organic content and advertising.
You have multiple projects, channel boards, podcast, campaigns, etc. How do you divide your time to take care of everything?
I have a well-organized schedule for everything: channel, social media, podcasts, work, and personal life. Every week my team and I hit schedules. If everything is not organized, I go crazy!
You have a very clear positioning on your social networks. Has this already influenced your relationship with brands and/or companies?
I believe that many brands take this into account when hiring (or not hiring) content creators. I’ve always had a great relationship with brands and I know that many like to work with me also because of my responsibility and my positions (which are not just restricted to who I will or will not vote for in the elections, after all, politics goes much further than that). I’ve always positioned myself and I don’t usually have a negative reaction from brands. I only heard once that a brand didn’t want to work with me because of my positioning and it happened last week. On the other hand, I myself have stopped working with brands that have positions and ideas that go against what I believe.
How do you see yourself as a brand?
I see myself as a brand with credibility, responsibility and originality in its essence. I use trends in my favor, but with the aim of always escaping the commonplace, with the constant concern of renewing itself and understanding the new demands of the public. Working on several fronts, social networks, podcast, YouTube and TV, I maintain as my main characteristic to bring information with credibility and in an analytical, light and relaxed way. After 7 years of branding, I feel that all these factors contributed to my content becoming a reference in the digital entertainment market.
