I am excited to be joining the incredible, global powerhouse in integration that Corbis is building, bringing new levels of sophistication, technology and analytics to product integration and embedding.
Five years ago, Ricky Ray Butler founded Plaid Social Labs. One year ago, we profiled Butler’s ongoing journey to connect brands with online media platforms like YouTube. And two short weeks ago, Plaid Social Labs was acquired by Bill Gates’ Corbis in a move that signaled a future ripe with possibility.
“I am excited to be joining the incredible, global powerhouse in integration that Corbis is building, bringing new levels of sophistication, technology and analytics to product integration and embedding,” Butler said in a statement. “Corbis fully respects the importance of remaining authentic and true partners to the digital influencers and social media celebrities we know so well. For an entrepreneur like me and the others on our team who took a risk in building this business, we are thrilled to be acquired by a Bill Gates company. We look forward to the next phase in our development together.”
Realizing that viewers were shifting away from traditional television viewing and more towards online content, Plaid Social Labs was created to fill the advertising void within the online community. Instead of having conventional celebrities advertise for a product, Plaid has concentrated on getting online celebrities to represent, building brand awareness through social media platforms.
With Corbis launching a new Digital Channel via their Branded Entertainment Network, Plaid Social Labs was a logical choice to help lead the push.
“By incorporating the Plaid Social Labs capabilities into BEN and creating a broad-based, digital channel, we are able to jump-start our capabilities in online video and social media and offer brands and advertisers an immediate, comprehensive solution to the challenge of connecting with young people,” Mark Owens, Corbis Chief Revenue Officer, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to have them as part of our team.”
Published 5/12/2015
