NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwired – January 21, 2014) – FlashStock Inc. completes seed stage round of financing to continue development of its on-demand stock photography platform.
FlashStock provides brands a steady stream of customized, on-brand images sourced from a growing global network of consumer photographers in real time via smartphones.
The service provides simple, safe and easy to understand rights management, helping to reduce legal and ethical risks associated with the use of social media images in marketing campaigns.
Different from other stock photography services, the FlashStock model allows brands to co-create authentic online and traditional marketing campaigns using on-brand images gleaned from the collections of a select group of photographers called the FlashStock Flasharazzi. The Flasharazzi consists of consumer photographers from around the world who capture brands and/or moments that suit a brand’s described concept. This on-demand service saves brands time and money they would otherwise spend sifting through large photo collections or directing expensive photo shoots. Images are quickly vetted for quality and uploaded to the FlashStock image library, ready for immediate use by client brands.
FlashStock’s platform and incentive program offers photographers the opportunity to be part of a community where they can learn from one another, gain visibility for their work in advertising, and earn between $10 and $200 per month in addition to credit-based incentives. Prospective photographers may apply to join the Flasharazzi by submitting portfolios to www.flashstock.com or flasharazzi@flashstock.com. Portfolios are reviewed and evaluated based on creative merit, quality of work, and geographic location.
Brands can subscribe to FlashStock with fees starting at $1,250 USD per month.
FlashStock’s Board of Directors include:
- Tom Arrix, former Vice President of Global Marketing Solutions (North America) at Facebook
- Chris Burggraeve, former Chief Marketing Officer of Anheuser-Busch InBev; Founder, Vicomte LLC
- William Campbell, former Senior Advisor at JPMorgan Chase & Co and Chief Executive Officer of Global at Citibank
- Michael Scissons, Chief Executive Officer of Grid Ventures, Executive Chairman of FlashStock
- Grant Munro, Chief Executive Officer of FlashStock
Additional advisors and investors of FlashStock include Kevin Colleran, Ryan Holmes, Jonathan Carson, Shane Steele, Steven Gerbsman, Simon Mansell, Mike Parker and Jonathan Lister among others.
“Marketers around the world are struggling to access high quality, customized images at a reasonable price,” says Michael Scissons, Executive Chairman of FlashStock. “FlashStock offers companies a network of consumer photographers that creates the ability to build customized content catalogues based on their marketing needs.”
“In my time at Facebook it became clear that high quality images (content) drove the best results,” stated Tom Arrix, FlashStock board member and former Vice President of Global Marketing Solutions (North America) at Facebook. “Brands and agencies continue to struggle to deliver consistent, great content, at scale. Cost or lack of budgets to produce the content has always slowed things down. FlashStock is a platform that provides the ability to change this and I’m excited to see its impact on revolutionizing the industry.”
“Far too many companies and agencies assume that it’s okay to use unpaid photos shared via social media without requiring the photographer’s and/or model’s consent,” opined Grant Munro, Chief Executive Officer of FlashStock. “In 2013 we saw a wave of litigation that continued to set precedents on these issues. Among FlashStock’s key commitments, we strive to make rights management easy and safe for companies of all sizes.”
FlashStock is currently accessible through an invite-only or closed beta platform. Companies/brands and photographers can request an invitation by visiting www.flashstock.com or by emailing info@flashstock.com. An official public launch will follow later this year.
About FlashStock Inc.
FlashStock Inc. is a provider of customized on-demand visual content to brand-based clients and agencies in North America and the United Kingdom. Working with its global network of consumer photographers, FlashStock adds thousands of client-briefed photographs to its collection each week.
The company’s sales and marketing is headquartered in New York City with development based in Toronto, Canada. The company was founded by Grid Ventures, a New York-based internet advisory and investment firm.
For further information and contact details, please visit www.flashstock.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Mindy Loverin
Director, Community Engagement
FlashStock Inc.
E: mindy@flashstock.com
Ph: 646.648.2286
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