Each month, XBIZ spotlights the career accomplishments and outstanding contributions of Women in Adult. WIA profiles offer an intimate look at the professional lives of the industry's most influential female executives.
As the content creator economy spreads its wings and soars to greater heights than ever, in both mainstream and adult entertainment markets, the value of brand protection has never been more front and center. To meet this challenge head-on, BranditScan Marketing and Relations Coordinator Jessica Hookimaw works closely with company CEO Gino Sciretta and his tight-knit team to equip cam models, clip artists and premium social media stars with automated and custom-tailored defenses.
The next big issue we want to solve is non-compliant and torrent websites, taking further steps with these types of pirates.
From automated DMCA takedowns for stolen content to tackling catfish accounts and 24/7 brand monitoring, BranditScan has hit the ground running since launching this year, with a suite of evolving products that Hookimaw serves up to would-be clients and existing members with a keen eye towards empowering them.
Given the demands of growing a tech startup, she wears many hats and stays flexible, from writing copy for social media to brainstorming with the product team and onboarding content creators. Now, as the Woman of the Month for XBIZ, Hookimaw opens up about her career highlights and future ambitions.
XBIZ: What was your professional background prior to adult?
HOOKIMAW: A walk down memory lane … this feels like ancient history to think back on. I’ve been in adult for the last five years and I’ve spent the majority of my professional career in this industry. It’s been an adventure to say the least!
Before adult, I was just starting off as a fresh university student and was trying to figure out my purpose, a common student dilemma. My journey took me many places, working in education as a children’s aide, a secretary, a janitor and I was even a bartender at one point.
Every opportunity that was presented to me was such a blessing and I learned so much from each experience. It’s honestly hard to think back on a time when I wasn’t typing away online with other folks in this industry.
XBIZ: Tell us what inspired you to join this industry.
HOOKIMAW: It’s a funny story, actually. It was my very first interview for a “real” job. Nervously, I sat in a trendy office, anxious and fidgety for whatever interview questions would come my way. I had practiced what to say and had even bought a button-up shirt for that very day.
Little did I know, the interviewer was just as nervous to let me know the position was for an adult website. The first words that came out of my mouth were “Wow, this is not what I had in mind for an adult website” and laughed away with the interviewer. I couldn’t care less that the position wasn’t in some vanilla industry, because it was too late; I had already fallen in love with the space and the office culture.
Vegan meals, ping pong tables, a donut shop downstairs … as my first office job, I couldn’t be more excited to tell my friends about it. I even remember crying tears of happiness after I got the call that I got the job!
XBIZ: Any major career milestones during your early days in the biz, leading up to BranditScan, that you’re especially proud of?
HOOKIMAW: A milestone that I’ll always remember was during my very last semester in the university. About to graduate, I had the opportunity to go to my very first trade show in Toronto and then had the chance to attend one in Las Vegas. I was the youngest person on my team, and it was an absolute dream come true to travel for work. Come to think of it, I’m more impressed that I managed to pull off traveling for those shows during midterms and finals.
XBIZ: Now, let’s discuss BranditScan. How did you end up joining the team?
HOOKIMAW: I’ll always be thankful for how I joined BranditScan. I was out of work when the pandemic hit, looking for new opportunities. I had just graduated from the university and was figuring out what my next steps would be. Little did I know, BranditScan had just started up.
BranditScan’s CEO Gino had heard of my situation and reached out to me with the chance to take on a freelance position; at that time I can only remember thinking how grateful I was. After a couple of weeks, I could not see myself working anywhere else and became BranditScan’s marketing and relations coordinator. Working alongside the BranditScan team and with Gino has been such an incredible and empowering experience.
XBIZ: What is your role at the company, and how do you stay on mission throughout the week?
HOOKIMAW: As the marketing and relations coordinator, behind the scenes, I am a jack of all trades. We are in startup mode right now, so it’s all hands on deck. This is the exact thing that keeps me motivated and keeps me going through the week. I love the different roles I play; it keeps me on my toes and keeps this brain learning. One day, I may be doing walk-throughs with content creators; the next, I could be writing copy for social media. At the end of the week, I may even be sitting with the product team working out a customer journey. Amidst it all, an organized calendar and jotted-down to-do lists keep me on top of my game.
XBIZ: Give us the elevator pitch for BranditScan and your overall approach to marketing the service.
HOOKIMAW: I have the elevator pitch packed down tight. BranditScan helps content creators take down stolen content from the web and empowers them to protect themselves and their brands, all for only $45 a month. If the elevator pitch isn’t enough, I have my very own approach to how I market BranditScan.
My personal marketing mantra is to remember that we do not exist without creators. Our mission is to help them, and our tools are developed for them. I consider feedback to be golden, and I use it to inspire and influence everything that I do. My ears are always open to how I can be better at marketing and how BranditScan can adapt to keep our mission strong.
XBIZ: Describe your collaborative process for teaming up with other members of the company, be they in-house or brand ambassadors.
HOOKIMAW: I like to keep my collaborative process simple. No matter who I might be working with, I always keep the following top-of-mind: communication, communication and more communication. I do my best to be as clear and as transparent as possible, and absorb the ideas generated by others. My goal is to ensure everyone can make fully informed decisions, and have healthy discussions where they can share their thoughts openly. Second, my focus when working with my team, content creators or simply others in this industry is to empower. Share opportunities when I can, share knowledge and be sure I am providing a space where we can all become the best versions of ourselves.
XBIZ: How do you hope to distinguish BranditScan as a unique product in the burgeoning creator economy?
HOOKIMAW: I think BranditScan has something really special. Our strength comes from the team: a group of passionate people who have worked alongside content creators for years. We’re looking at the struggles we’ve heard about, and we’re working hard to find solutions. To stand out, we’re doing something radical … actually listening to creators. We’re creating products based on their needs, and what they have been asking for has largely gone unanswered for a very long time. Accessible tools that are easy to use and affordable no matter the budget. We have a lot of things in store, and I am very excited to keep up this problem-solving.
XBIZ: What are a few of the most common misconceptions about protecting brands and content, that you seek to dispel?
HOOKIMAW: I’ll likely sound like a broken record, but misconceptions are so harmful. They can stop creators from receiving the help they need. To begin, brand protection doesn’t need to be expensive. This is a constant worry for most creators who want to protect themselves but simply can’t afford the hefty monthly fees. We’ve automated our service to give them the same level of protection at an affordable price. As well, brand protection doesn’t need to hurt a creator’s SEO. Yes, piracy can help bring awareness to a brand, and help increase one’s SEO. We recognize this; that’s why we’ve given creators the ability to choose what they want to keep up and remove. They have full control to use piracy to their benefit.
XBIZ: Give us a glimpse of the upcoming roadmap for BranditScan, as well as your own personal ambitions for 2021 and the coming years.
HOOKIMAW: BranditScan has so much to come. Being a startup, we’re jumping on every opportunity that comes our way and our coders are developing at light speed. The next big issue we want to solve is non-compliant and torrent websites, taking further steps with these types of pirates. They’ve long gone unchecked and models simply don’t have the resources to fight these websites by themselves. Together, I’m sure we can make a difference.
As for myself, in 2021 alone I’ve had the chance to do really exciting things that I couldn’t have ever imagined taking on, from working on the road to helping design BranditScan’s eye-catching green zebra gear with our team. I’d love to continue working on the road — it has such a positive influence on what I do — as well as return to conferences and trade shows when it becomes possible. Meeting new people in this industry has always been something I look forward to.
