Denise Teo | One of Singapore’s Up-and-Coming Twitch Streamers (Credits : *SCAPE)
Denise Teo, more affectionately known as supercatkei, is one of Singapore’s up-and-coming Twitch streamers. She is also one of the few full-time streamers hailing from our little red dot.
Most in her field stream as a hobby or side gig, but Denise decided to pursue streaming full time just six months into her foray.
The 23-year-old launched her first stream in August 2020, but has since amassed 9000 followers on Twitch.
A self-professed “variety streamer”, Denise’s streams touch on topics from gaming to music and even mental health issues.
The making of a bold move to become a streamer
Denise studied in Film and Media Studies in Singapore, and had been based in New York for the past 2 years. There, she worked in two start-ups, where she honed her skills in community and programme management.
In mid 2020, the Covid situation in New York was becoming increasingly dire, and Denise decided to return to Singapore, “to be close to (her) family.”
“I started streaming because I was bored during the stay-home period because of Covid,” she said. “I had a lot of fun streaming, and soon I found myself spending most of my free time creating new content and building my Twitch community.”
There was also a push factor. Denise was concurrently working a full-time job on New York hours while based in Singapore. “It was exhausting,” she admitted.
Building her community
As every influencer or business owner knows, building a community of loyal followers takes time, effort and consistent work.
Denise’s Twitch channel was well received from the start, and to her disbelief, the numbers just kept growing.
“I was sure (the number of new subscribers) would slow down after the first 3 months, and was so surprised when I continued to grow every month,” she said.
She attributes the continual growth to the type of content she creates, and the nature of her community members. “I like to think of us as a safe place on the Internet, which can be pretty hard to find these days. The Internet isn’t always nice and safe, but my community is so friendly, wholesome and supportive,” she shared.
Denise’s followers range from all walks of life, and a significant portion are teenagers from Singapore and our neighboring countries. To keep this group engaged, Denise delves into topics as such education and mental health.
“I like to discuss topics that are relevant to my followers but are not talked about enough. For example, I recently did an episode on whether you need a university degree to succeed in life. I also hosted two talks with therapists on mental health, which I think can be helpful for anyone right now,” she said.
Attracting brands’ interest and partnerships
Despite being so new to streaming, Denise has already been approached by multiple brands for ambassador partnerships and giveaways. This includes big names in the streaming and PC world, such as Asus, Riot Games and Poison PC. Closer to home, she is also working on a gaming segment partnership with Shopee.
Denise Doing a Sponsored Post
How did a self-professed leisure gamer attract all these brands?
“To be honest, I was really surprised by the brands interest too, I initially started streaming games for fun, and I’m definitely not an expert player.”
“I think my prior experience working in advertising has helped me understand how to be a content creator that goes a little bit beyond just marketing their products, and being sure that it resonates with my viewers and audience in a relatable way,” she said.
“My viewers play a huge role in us having these opportunities as well – we’ve built a supportive and intimate community together. I think that’s hard to come by in the digital world today. I can always rely on them to keep me grounded and to celebrate wins together.”
She added that she will not take up engagements unless she feels she can commit fully, or accept any brands that don’t align with her values.
She also credits staying grounded and being grateful to her success.
For example, Denise hosted a giveaway in December, gifting her viewers with items she’d purchased with her streaming income.
Having a Meet Up with Her Viewers
“I also try to get in touch with viewers who make a donation to thank them personally, and the partnership with Poison PC actually started from there!” she said.
To those who are considering building a career in streaming, Denise has one final piece of advice: “Be willing to put in the hard work on and off stream, trust the process and to always stay true to yourself.”