Friday, February 10th, 2012
PlaceVine today announced it has closed financing from NYCSeed, a newly-launched New York City venture capital fund investing in top early-stage startups. The new financing will be used to continue expanding PlaceVine’s Brand Integration Service, the company’s web-based system connecting brands and agencies to top product placement, sponsorship and branded entertainment opportunities in film, television and new media.
The formation of NYCSeed, a public-private partnership, was originally announced by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg last June during Internet Week. PlaceVine is one of two inaugural investments for the fund.
"PlaceVine has accomplished an incredible amount to date on a limited amount of capital," said Owen Davis, NYCSeed managing director. "The company is already positioned as a leader in the growing brand integration market and continues to execute and gain traction."
PlaceVine Brand Integration Service More Than Doubles in Size
Since announcing the general availability of The Brand Integration Service in October 2008, PlaceVine has more than doubled in size as content producers, brands, and agencies seek more efficient ways to participate in the fast-growing brand integration market. With more than 300 content producers using PlaceVine, including major film studios, television production companies and top digital media creators, PlaceVine is the leading service for content producers to efficiently connect to marketers. A range of deals, from in-kind product placement to major sponsorships, are regularly being sourced and managed via PlaceVine.
"With a growing range of integration and sponsorship opportunities for both broadcast and digital properties, we are always looking for more effective ways to collaborate with advertisers," said Doug Williams, Director of Digital Integrated Marketing and Promotions for FremantleMedia, producers of American Idol and other top-rated programming. "PlaceVine allows our team to efficiently communicate with a larger community of marketers and provides us actionable insight into what brands are looking for."
By instantly syndicating opportunities and brand preferences through easy-to-use online tools, PlaceVine is able to facilitate timely connections. "While working on a very tight production schedule, we used PlaceVine to connect with two national consumer brands that supported the launch of We All Float On, a new online series from branded entertainment firm Space Suit," said award-winning director Jason Zada, former executive creative director and founder of agency EVB.
Unequaled Transparency & Access for Marketers at the Lowest Cost
With marketer licenses starting at $145 per month per user, PlaceVine democratizes access to brand integration opportunities for a wide variety of brands, public relations agencies, media buyers, product placement firms and interactive agencies, among others. More than 200 leading brands and agencies now use PlaceVine to gain unequaled transparency and access to brand integration opportunities. The recent explosion in the volume of integrations makes it impossible for brands and agencies to manually track these opportunities, even with costly internal staff. PlaceVine takes the costs out of monitoring, accessing and managing integration deals, freeing brands and agencies to execute a greater number of high-impact, multi-platform marketing programs.
While PlaceVine users include many of the world’s largest and most prestigious brands, the company’s flagship service is accessible to all marketers. "As an upstart brand, we are always looking for ways technology can help us market more efficiently and compete with global brands," said Seth Haber, founder of Trek Light Gear, a producer of compact hammocks and eco-friendly bags. "When you’ve got a great product and a small budget, getting people to discover you is definitely the hardest challenge to overcome. PlaceVine gives us affordable access to great entertainment marketing opportunities."
