Who’s behind 6ixbuzztv? How the brand is going from Instagram to international empire

If you’re a Canadian on Instagram, you’ve most likely heard of 6ixbuzztv. The page with over one million followers has become the pulse of Toronto and its one-of-a-kind (and internationally recognized) culture.

With a following that includes Champagne Papi himself (Drake) to politicians like Ontario Premier Doug Ford, 6ixbuzztv has turned its Toronto (aka ‘the 6ix’) culture into a business with smart, yet subtle, branded content.

If this is your first time hearing about 6ixbuzztv, crawl out from under the rock you’ve been living under and check out some of their most popular posts:

So who are the people behind the 6ixbuzztv brand? Are they just another Instagram meme and gif page? Why is it getting so much attention?

Today marks 6ixbuzztv’s two year anniversary, and we’ve received the exclusive opportunity to interview the individuals behind it (a startup that is part of the DMZ roster).

Learn about their start, how they would describe what they’re doing, and where they see all of this heading, below.

How did 6ixbuzztv start out?

August 2017 – when I was attending George Brown College. It was called ‘NorthBound Buzz’, but then was switched to 6ixbuzztv. People quickly found the page’s humour was unique and very Toronto-centric. Through sourcing content and adding clever captions which were both comedic and informative, the account slowly started gaining traction.

Did you have any goals when starting out?

We found the way traditional broadcast shares news to be too traditional, censored, and un-engaging. And Canada has never had a platform that included breaking news, hip-hop and entertainment talent. As a team, we wanted to create a brand that also highlights stories, situations and relatable moments that never make the news, while also providing music artists an opportunity to receive much needed attention.

How do you get your content?

People DM (direct message) us (2000+ a day) on Instagram. Also, just searching online, you’d be surprised where the best videos are found.

How would you describe 6ixbuzztv today?

Canada’s #1 media outlet for buzzin’ news, entertainment, and hip-hop. Since then, we’ve fostered a unique community that is loyal to the Toronto brand, but is still relevant to the rest of the world.

Tell me more about the entertainment company you’re looking to grow 6ixbuzztv into?

1. Given that there’s no new age media outlets in Toronto, we wanted to give artists and entertainers a platform in which they can engage with an audience that traditional outlets have a difficult time reaching.
2. Given that we represent Toronto and Canada as a whole, we want to engage with the larger community to create positive change. This includes new initiatives like Cleanup Day, ThanksGiving Food Drive, Christmas Toy Drive, and more.
3. We want to create an experiential stream that runs exclusive events, concerts, and festivals that bring out our community and the best of our culture.

How do you pick the brands you work with?

Ideally, we like working with Canadian brands, specifically those that are innovative and open to engaging with our immediate community. However, we are growing out various other streams within the 6ixbuzztv brand and each one is open to creating great activations and curated campaigns.

Where is 6ixbuzztv headed next?

We want to continue growing original content series (i.e., not only content aggregation), while we work to release our website and app. You can look out for a special announcement from 6ixbuzztv in Fall 2019.

It’s clear that 6ixbuzztv isn’t your ordinary popular Instagram page, as the founder and partners behind the brand are far from ordinary. Time will tell how the rollout of their subsidiary brands will resonate with their growing audience. Given the household names that are clamouring to work with them and their hyper-engaged following, it’s safe to say that the 6ixbuzztv brand is destined to only go up from here.

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6ixbuzz is a proud member of the DMZ Black Innovation Programs (BIP), a free program designed to support very early-stage Black tech founders around the world with the aim to help them validate their business ideas and build their first prototype and MVP.