Ads are direct come ons from another century. In the 21st century, brands need to connect through cultural currency. Which is well and good, but brand managers need to know where their next content opportunity lies. Their highly paid advisors may not know.
On another front, independent producers are getting their films/projects made, come hell or high water, thanks to production and distribution costs being at an all time low.
If only the two groups could meet someplace safe online…
Enter PlaceVine, a web-based brand integration information service connecting marketers and content producers.
Greg Neichin, co-founder of the company, sees his technology offering like a dating service. Producers and brands each set up profiles on the site and then start clicking through for a match made in silicon.
Neichin and co-founder, Adam Erlebacher, were students at Wharton when they hatched the plan. Their idea won a Wharton venture award, which provided the seed capital that got them going.
Neichin says that the initial contact can come from either a producer or a brand. He says a lot of brand managers use the service themselves and that it’s a “cost effective” way for them to tap the zeitgeist.
As part of my discussion with Neichin, and as a deeper exploration of his service offering, I signed AdPulp up as a content producer. On our profile page, I say we’re open to paid placement, promotional support, new branded content, and sponsorship opportunities. And we are! However; I think PlaceVine is better suited to helping original web-based productions like TikiBarTV get on the radar of big brands with money to invest. The same might be said of indie films like 10 MPH.
The service is free to content producers and brands. All accounts are vetted by PlaceVine before they’re activated. Brands can pay for a premium subscription that facilitates the process greatly on their behalf.