How 203 Media Conquered TikTok with Street Interviews. (And How You Can Steal Their Formula Today)

Josh Suggs didn’t invent street interviews. They’ve been around forever.

You’ve probably seen random creators on TikTok walk up to people in Times Square, asking them how much their outfit costs. Or interviewers quizzing people on random facts. It’s not a new concept.

But here’s the difference. Everyone was doing them for personal brands. Nobody was doing them for DTC brands.

Josh spotted this gap. And instead of asking people “what do you do for a living?”, he decided to start asking questions like “Would you ever drink hop water instead of beer?”

Instead of “how much is your rent?” he’d ask, “How do you know if creatine gummies actually work?”

And by doing that, he built a content machine where the brand became the punchline, the proof, and the star of the show.He walked twenty miles a day through New York City. Talking. Filming. Editing. Posting. Everysingle day.

At first, it was rough. Shaky edits. Awkward pauses. But within weeks, the formula began to click. One video turned into ten. Ten became a hundred. And suddenly, brands were calling.

In two months, he scaled to 34 clients and 8 employees.

And that type of momentum is almost never built by chance. It’s what happens when you hit a nerve.

The average CPM on Facebook is up over 40% in the last three years.

TikTok’s auction costs are climbing fast. And what’s worse? Two-thirds of all consumers currently describe ads as irrelevant.

That’s the uphill battle brands are fighting. And yet…

A street interview filmed with an iPhone can generate more attention, more trust, and more conversions than a big budget production a creative agency spent three months shooting and editing.

Why?

Because people want to hear from people like them. They want to laugh. They want to be surprised. They want a raw, unpolished moment that feels like life.

That’s why 203 Media has gone from one kid with a mic to a full-scale creative engine running content for dozens of brands in less than a year.

At first glance these videos might look random. A kid with a mic, random people in the street, and a bunch of questions flying around.

But if you look under the hood, it follows a pattern that works every single time:

1. The Hook: Always start with something that shocks, entertains, or promises value in under 3 seconds.Examples:

“Wait, you’ve never tried THIS?”

“Counterfeits are everywhere. Can you tell the difference?”

“Wanna look peachy by summer?”

2. The Question: A short and simple question that anyone could answer on the spot. Something that invites a quick reaction.

“Would you swap your beer for hop water?”

“What is the craziest price you would pay for sneakers?”

The kind of question that makes it almost impossible not to respond.

3. The Reactions: This is where the spark happens. Capture reactions of people laughing, raising eyebrows, being caught off guard.etc. Then make quick cuts, and ensure that the final version has a rush of authentic energy.

The answers to the questions themselves do not have to be perfect. The raw expressions are what will carry the moment.

4. The Product: Here is where most brands fail. They turn it into an obvious sales pitch. But when done right, the product is simply slipped into the moment.

Someone is holding a can. Someone takes a bite. It becomes part of the scene instead of the focus. That is why it feels like content, and not a sponsored ad.

5. The Punchline: Every good story needs an ending that sticks. These videos close with something memorable. A quick twist. A funny line. A reaction you want to show your friends.

6. The Close: And only after all that comes the invitation. Not a pushy pitch. Just a gentle nudge like,

“Available at @......” or “Link in bio.”

This CTA should never ever break the video’s tone.

Hook → Question → Reactions → Product → Punchline → CTA.

On the surface, street interviews look raw and chaotic, but underneath it’s one of the tightest systems you’ll ever see.And that’s why it works.

Most DTC brands keep chasing the wrong thing. They confuse attention with trust.

So they throw money at influencers who have big but hollow follower counts. They obsess over aesthetics, then edit and polish every frame until they end up with a commercial that has the soul of a Powerpoint deck.

And then they sit back and wonder why their CAC keeps creeping higher while their engagement flatlines..

The truth is, 93% of marketers already admit UGC outperforms branded creative. Yet most still run their ads like it’s 2015.

In today’s world, people prefer shaky iPhone clips. They prefer the chaotic unscripted laugh.

They believe the look on a stranger’s face when they try something new for the first time..

And that’s why these videos work. They don’t feel like ads. And they’re not supposed to. They’re the raw unfiltered experience of everyday people.

You don’t need a big crew. And you definitely don’t need a six-figure budget.

Here’s what you actually need:

1⃣ One product people can hold in their hands.
2⃣ Three smart, provocative questions.
3⃣ Ten strangers willing to answer on camera.

Film their reactions, and edit fast. Add subtitles and slip the product in naturally. Then end the video with a line that lingers.

Then post it. Watch what happens.

Every few years, the way brands win attention changes. First it was blogs. Then Facebook ads.

Then influencer partnerships.

Each time, the brands that adapted early won. The ones that clung to the old ways lost.

Right now, your audience is waiting to laugh, to be surprised, to see themselves reflected back in content that feels real. And you can give them that. With a camera. With a question. With your product in their hands.

The only thing stopping you is the belief that ads have to look like ads. Once you let that go, you will never run campaigns the same way again.

The brands that get this today will look untouchable in the next twelve months. The ones that don’t will still be fiddling with their UGC briefs wondering why nobody cares.

You already know which side you want to be on.

We’ll see you in the next edition!

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