LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Oct 26, 2021–
BEN Group, the entertainment AI company that integrates brands into influencer, streaming, TV, music, and film content, today announced significant business and technology milestones fueled by new offerings, customers, and product development. Thanks to a rapid influx in content creation and viewership, along with BEN’s constant innovations in technology and processes, the company continues to surpass its own record-breaking business growth. The company drove 48% growth in revenue through Q3 YoY, increasing its total bookings by 93% through Q3 YoY. BEN also signed notable new clients across its business, including Durex, Avocado Mattress, Keeper, and Schutz. Additionally, TubeBuddy, BEN’s tool for creators to optimize content and audience growth, grew its user count by 60% YoY to over 8 million, making it the largest community of creators outside of social platforms. To keep up with this rapid growth, BEN hired and onboarded 183 employees YTD.
In addition to expanding its roster of clients across industries, BEN has deepened its longstanding partnerships. Industry-leading technology company Microsoft entered its ninth year of working with BEN in Q3 2021. This year, Microsoft will continue its efforts to highlight technology in content and with talent through authentic storytelling. In partnership with BEN’s product placement division, Microsoft has landed key placements across TV, film, and streaming, including notable pop culture hit series like Grey’s Anatomy, Elite, and WandaVision. In Q3, Microsoft and BEN expanded their relationship to include support for Microsoft’s cross-company partnerships with summer blockbuster Space Jam: A New Legacy and Marvel’s first Asian-led superhero film, Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings.
BEN’s influencer marketing division also grew its relationship with video game developer Square Enix, extending its work from mobile games to console titles. In Q3, Square Enix partnered with BEN on a live streaming campaign for the launch of the newest entry in its critically acclaimed, award-winning “Life is Strange” series, Life is Strange: True Colors. The narrative adventure features protagonist Alex Chen, a queer, Chinese-American woman who struggles with trauma after growing up in the foster care system and witnessing her brother’s death. To reflect this focus on representation, BEN and Square Enix wanted to partner with an inclusive set of 35 creators for the campaign. In just four weeks, with the help of its proprietary technology, BEN was able to discover, vet, and lock in dozens of diverse creators to live stream the game, and many of those streamers played for more than two hours at a time. Through this campaign, BEN helped Square Enix reach its target audience in an authentic, meaningful way, all while promoting DE&I in entertainment and video games.
BEN is simultaneously broadening its presence in the entertainment space through new services and collaborations. For instance, the company is helping brands such as HP and Kate Spade license music for use in TikTok campaigns, a critical component for success on the audio-focused social platform. Furthermore, Greenlight, BEN’s global rights and licensing division, teamed up with NFT creative agency 1ofOne to execute an NFT drop focused on historical figures. The companies worked with leading crypto-native artists who collaborated with the estates of Albert Einstein, Charlie Chaplin, and the Wright brothers, celebrating their voices and continued impact on contemporary society. This is the first NFT drop of its kind, highlighting BEN’s innovation in the expanding creative market and further empowering creators to monetize and maintain ownership of their work.
BEN also continued to develop its technology to drive its groundbreaking work. Understanding which creators are best for brands to partner with to meet specific KPIs is crucial for product placement and influencer marketing, but can also be incredibly challenging. To solve this complex issue, BEN launched its proprietary similarity discovery feature, reducing manual searches while automating the creator research and recommendation process, all driven by custom-built AI. This is an industry-first tool that allows BEN to instantaneously source creators whose audiences best fit the brand, driving sales and awareness at scale.
“The creator economy has boomed, and BEN is dedicated to innovating new technology and processes to support it,” said Ricky Ray Butler, CEO of BEN. “Our talented team and our partnerships are allowing us to achieve unparalleled innovations across the entertainment ecosystem. With new platforms emerging and audiences opting for niche channels and content, our technology allows us to stay on top of the changing trends in the space and cement brand integration as a critical tool for any brand.”
BEN is on track to secure a record number of influencer marketing and product placement campaigns this year. As audiences continue to opt for ad-free entertainment, BEN is leading the charge of non-disruptive product integrations that enhance storylines and drive tangible ROI for brands. With the continued growth of the creator economy, BEN is investing in end-to-end automation for brand integration, an unprecedented endeavor within the industry that will enable the company to better empower brands and creators alike.
About BEN Group
BEN Group Inc. is an entertainment AI company that integrates brands into influencer, streaming, TV, music, and film content with guaranteed ROI. BEN Group consists of the world’s largest influencer marketing business; the world’s largest product placement agency; TubeBuddy, the largest platform to help YouTube creators optimize their audience and channel growth; and Greenlight, a global rights and licensing business.
With its proprietary AI and platform, BEN is the first and only company using machine learning and deep learning neural networks to identify high-impact opportunities for authentic, non-disruptive product placement and influencer marketing. BEN combines its AI with 40+ years of data, entertainment experience, and a team of industry experts to connect brands with the right audiences and content opportunities in meaningful ways. BEN works with the world’s top brands, including Microsoft, General Motors, Unilever, Tencent, and General Mills.
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CONTACT: Hannah Polivka
KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA CALIFORNIA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: DATA MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY ONLINE MOBILE ENTERTAINMENT FILM & MOTION PICTURES MUSIC LICENSING (ENTERTAINMENT) ELECTRONIC GAMES OTHER COMMUNICATIONS ENTERTAINMENT PUBLIC RELATIONS/INVESTOR RELATIONS GENERAL ENTERTAINMENT MARKETING CELEBRITY ADVERTISING COMMUNICATIONS SOCIAL MEDIA SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION SOFTWARE SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING INTERNET
SOURCE: BEN Group Inc.
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PUB: 10/26/2021 09:00 AM/DISC: 10/26/2021 09:02 AM
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