Vancouver’s Pressboard describes itself as the “Cupid of Content.”
Jerrid Grimm
Launched Thursday by former Newad vice-president Jerrid Grimm and Guage Mobile co-founder Tiam Korki, Pressboard is a platform where companies can find content to sponsor that aligns with their brand.
Grimm describes it as a kind of matchmaking service for brands and publishers. Clients can either search for stories about a specific topic that publishers have created and submitted, or make a request for publishers to create content about a specific topic.
For example, Grimm said a beer brand may want to associate itself with summer music festivals. The beer marketer would either make a request for this kind of story or find a story they liked, which would then be published with a “presented by [beer brand]” label.
The content is created, viewed and approved all within the Pressboard system, according to Grimm. The platform then tracks and reports the success of the article, based on number of reads, time spent and social sharing. Pressboard also facilitates the transaction, which is based on performance.
Grimm said Pressboard aims to solve one of the big problems presented by sponsored content – the amount of time brands spend finding a publisher with the right audience and stories.
The platform is scheduled to launch late this month with a private beta. It’s currently focusing on four brand categories: telecommunications, technology, finance and consumer packaged goods.
Grimm said the company has inked deals with a number of publishers. Though he declined to provide names, he said the deals include both national and regional publishers, allowing for geo-targeted campaigns.
The company is expected to reveal brand and publisher partners as the first campaigns roll out throughout this summer.
