Corbett Drummey, the VP of Model Collaborations at Lightricks, brings a wealth of expertise and innovation to the world of promoting and influencer advertising. At Lightricks, Corbett serves as a part of a management group that has built-in generative AI into the corporate’s suite of visible content material creation apps, enhancing the capabilities of creators and types alike. He’s at the moment centered on Lightricks’ newest creation, LTX Studio, an AI-driven net app designed to streamline promoting storyboarding and manufacturing, providing unprecedented velocity and management in generative video.
Corbett’s entrepreneurial journey started in 2013 when he co-founded Common Pays, a platform that helps the promoting panorama by connecting manufacturers with creators. Below his management, Common Pays achieved many milestones, together with participation in Y Combinator, elevating Sequence A and B funding, and facilitating creator-brand partnerships price thousands and thousands. In 2022, Common Pays was acquired by Lightricks, marking a brand new chapter in Corbett’s profession.
On this interview, Corbett shares his insights on the journey of Common Pays, the transition to Lightricks, and the transformative impression of generative AI on promoting and influencer advertising. He additionally discusses the moral issues surrounding AI in content material creation, the way forward for influencer advertising, and gives precious recommendation for aspiring entrepreneurs within the tech and promoting house. By means of his imaginative and prescient and management, Corbett Drummey continues to form the way forward for digital promoting, driving innovation and creativity within the trade. Right here is our interview.
1. Background and Journey
– Corbett, you based Common Pays in 2013 and noticed it develop into a major participant within the promoting trade. Are you able to share some key milestones from Common Pays’ journey earlier than it was acquired by Lightricks?
Beginning Common Pays was an exciting and life-changing journey. We had some big ups and downs between 2013 after we first launched and 2022 after we have been acquired. I’m immensely grateful for the expertise, however must admit it was additionally an extremely irritating and troublesome enterprise.
Most individuals solely speak concerning the starting and the top of a startup, however usually omit the center, when there actually isn’t a boring second. It was fixed problem-solving. There was the primary Common Pays workplace for me and my co-founders (our home in Chicago), stepping into Y Combinator in 2015 and shifting briefly to San Francisco. In 2017 we raised our Sequence A funding after which Sequence B in late 2018. It culminated in our acquisition by Lightricks in 2022 – our most definitive second because the begin.
As Common Pays, we’ve paid out tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars} to creators, which looks as if an unattainable quantity, and did seven-figure offers with big manufacturers. However in reflection, I additionally bear in mind with equal readability our first tiny campaigns that have been just a few hundred {dollars} as we have been proving out the platform – which have been equally as thrilling.
2. Transition to Lightricks
– What motivated you to maneuver to your present function at Lightricks after the acquisition of Common Pays? How has your expertise been transitioning from founder to VP of Model Collaborations?
The acquisition was strategic, with Common Pays being lively with model/creator campaigns, and Lightricks figuring out influencer and creator advertising as an enormous and rising trade. Turning into a part of Lightricks allowed our group to achieve extra visibility and a spotlight within the B2B sector. These synergies are much more essential with the daybreak of generative AI instruments – that are equally as highly effective for creators and shoppers as manufacturers and entrepreneurs.
Even throughout the acquisition, we noticed AI on the horizon, however we couldn’t have predicted the magnitude of its impression. In simply the final yr, my function expanded to assist with a stronger B2B rollout of our generative AI platform, referred to as LTX Studio. It’s been superb to get publicity to a brand new product space after a decade in influencer advertising, and I’ve discovered it energizing engaged on this cutting-edge expertise.
Transitioning away from my tasks with Common Pays in some methods may be powerful, nevertheless it’s additionally tremendous rewarding to see progress even after I’m moved off of these groups, and it provides me large confidence sooner or later.
3. Generative AI in Promoting
– Lightricks has built-in generative AI into a number of of its visible content material creation apps. How do you see generative AI remodeling the panorama of promoting and influencer advertising?
Comparatively early on, the management at Lightricks noticed the facility of generative AI and centered on leveraging it into every of our apps, from Facetune to Common Pays. It gave us the momentum and expertise to ultimately construct new instruments with AI from the bottom up, like LTX Studio. However it might’t be understated that even simply leveraging AI for present workflows on platforms like Common Pays may be full game-changers.
We first launched AI into the Common Pays platform to assist entrepreneurs write briefs extra simply, taking what was a prolonged course of and turning it right into a three-minute one, leaning on AI and our previous database of 1000’s of briefs to assist flip a fast blurb into an almost-finalized draft transient.
That stage of exponential progress with each workflow and content material prototyping is really transformative for branded content material creation. Lengthy-term, I totally imagine that AI instruments would be the main technique that creators use to create content material for his or her viewers or for manufacturers, and we would see additional developments like AI influencers, hyper-targeted AI content material, and extra. However even right this moment, AI’s means to make entrepreneurs 10x extra environment friendly with issues like creator sourcing and vetting shouldn’t be discounted.
4. LTX Studio
– Are you able to inform us extra about LTX Studio, the AI net app for promoting manufacturing corporations and filmmakers? What particular wants does it handle, and what units it other than different instruments available in the market?
We predict LTX Studio is the perfect platform obtainable right this moment for speedy content material prototyping. You possibly can go from a brief inventive blurb to a full challenge with video, narration, and sound in just a few minutes. It additionally provides you unprecedented management throughout the enhancing course of. You possibly can modify digital camera angles, add/take away objects, create constant characters, and tweak issues with wonderful element.
We designed LTX Studio to streamline the inventive course of for promoting, manufacturing corporations, and filmmakers to make storyboarding, scripting, and visible idea improvement quick and simple.
Because the launch, LTX Studio has generated a whole lot of curiosity, with a lot of individuals becoming a member of the waitlist to get early entry. Just lately, we launched the primary main replace, referred to as “Visions,” which included new workflows like “Script to Storyboard” (however sure, you’ll be able to nonetheless begin from scratch in the event you choose), a strong choice to export pitch decks or working video recordsdata, and a mind-blowing “Style Reference” characteristic that may mimic visible kinds all through tasks with only a single visible reference photograph.
These capabilities enable creators to visualise and iterate on their concepts extremely quick, lowering the time and value related to pre-production. We additionally launched a brand new tiered pricing mannequin to make sure
accessibility, with choices starting from free entry to enterprise-level plans. Extra updates are coming very quickly.
5. Content material Creation and Distribution
– With over 100,000 items of sponsored content material and 40,000 creator-brand partnerships facilitated by Common Pays, what developments have you ever noticed in content material creation and distribution? How is generative AI influencing these developments?
One development we’ve noticed through the years is an growing shift to video, which continues to right this moment, with quick kind video like Reels and TikToks turning into the very best partaking codecs throughout networks.
With every new community comes a shift in content material. For instance, Instagram was initially clear, fairly and aesthetic, however as Snap and TikTok rose to prominence with Tales after which short-form video, the content material panorama moved in the direction of an unpolished UGC really feel – audiences proceed to choose content material that feels real and private.
Curiously, it’s extraordinarily doubtless that the brand new era of AI instruments will trigger one other massive shift in content material. Additionally, AI-driven analytics can present deeper insights into viewers habits, permitting for extra focused and efficient content material distribution.
6. Affect on Visible Content material Creators
– How has the mixing of generative AI capabilities in Lightricks’ apps like Videoleap, Facetune, and Photoleap impacted visible content material creators? Are you able to share some success tales or suggestions from creators utilizing these instruments?
The mixing of generative AI in our apps has considerably elevated the inventive capabilities of our customers. As an example, Videoleap permits customers to create professional-quality movies with ease, utilizing AI-driven enhancing instruments that recommend enhancements and automate complicated duties. Facetune’s AI options allow customers to attain flawless photographs with minimal effort.
One success story that stands out is a creator who used Photoleap to provide a visually beautiful advertising marketing campaign for a neighborhood enterprise, leading to a important enhance in engagement and gross sales. The suggestions from our group has been overwhelmingly optimistic, with customers praising the benefit of use, velocity, and high quality of the AI-generated content material.
7. Consumer Engagement and Development
– Lightricks’ suite of apps has seen over 730 million downloads and at the moment exports 60 million visible property month-to-month. What methods have been simplest in reaching this stage of consumer engagement and development?
Our deal with consumer expertise and steady innovation has been key to our development. We prioritize listening to our customers and integrating their suggestions into our product improvement. Common updates with new options and enhancements preserve our apps contemporary and related.
Moreover, our freemium mannequin permits customers to discover and use our instruments for gratis, with the choice to improve for extra superior options. Efficient advertising campaigns and partnerships have additionally performed an important function in reaching a wider viewers and driving downloads.
Lastly, our dedication to staying forward of technological developments ensures that we provide cutting-edge instruments that meet the evolving wants of content material creators.
8. Way forward for Influencer Advertising and marketing
– In your opinion, how will generative AI proceed to form the way forward for influencer advertising? What new alternatives and challenges do you foresee?
Generative AI will revolutionize influencer advertising by making content material creation extra accessible and environment friendly.
It should allow influencers to provide high-quality, personalised content material at scale, which is essential for sustaining engagement with their audiences.
New alternatives embrace the flexibility to create extremely tailor-made advertising campaigns that resonate deeply with particular viewers segments. Nevertheless, challenges corresponding to sustaining authenticity and transparency will have to be addressed. Moreover, whereas AI output is spectacular and enhancing, it’s essential to acknowledge that it nonetheless has some option to go earlier than totally matching the standard of human-created content material for ultimate or broadcast-quality tasks.
9. Model Collaborations
– Because the VP of Model Collaborations, what are a number of the most fun model collaborations you’ve overseen at Lightricks? How has generative AI enhanced these partnerships?
One of the thrilling collaborations was with Amazon and PepsiCo Meals US. Common Pays facilitated a marketing campaign to carry social media content material to Fireplace TV via FLVR, a brand new meals leisure channel. The purpose was to drive model consciousness amongst house cooks and youthful demographics by that includes recipes with Frito-Lay merchandise.
We engaged common content material creators to provide branded movies, ensuing within the creation and launch of 15 new Fireplace TV movies in lower than a month. The marketing campaign achieved exceptional outcomes, together with 9.6 million whole impressions, a 64% video completion price amongst all audiences, and a 50x benchmark for return on advert spend (ROAS). This collaboration showcased the potential of mixing inventive content material with strategic placement to achieve new audiences and drive full-funnel impression.
Generative AI is barely growing the potential for model entrepreneurs to suppose extra out of the field concerning the content material they’ll create, the campaigns they’ll develop, and the effectivity of constructing model applications.
10. Moral Issues
– With the rise of generative AI, there are additionally moral issues relating to authenticity and transparency in promoting. How does Lightricks handle these considerations?
It definitely is a problem, however at Lightricks, we take moral issues very severely. We imagine in transparency and attempt to make sure that our AI instruments are used responsibly. Our apps embrace options that enable creators to reveal the usage of AI of their content material, selling honesty and belief with their audiences.
Moreover, we’re dedicated to enabling open creativity whereas sustaining a robust deal with empowering and defending creators. By offering complete tips and finest practices for utilizing AI in content material creation, we encourage customers to keep up authenticity and integrity of their work.
We additionally prioritize information privateness and safety, making certain that consumer information is protected and used ethically. I speak with a whole lot of manufacturers and creators who care deeply about that. Our method is to stability innovation with accountability, making certain that our instruments improve creativity with out compromising the belief and authenticity that creators and types have with us, or that they’ve with their audiences and prospects.
11. Recommendation for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
– Given your expertise founding Common Pays and now main model collaborations at Lightricks, what recommendation would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs within the tech and promoting house?
That is an fascinating one. From my perspective, there’s by no means been extra change within the promoting and content material house – and AI has impacted content material greater than some other subject.
I would definitely advocate that folks “skate to where the puck is going,” and even construct merchandise with the information that AI will solely get exponentially higher. If one thing with AI form of works right this moment, it would have the potential to work amazingly effectively in a yr.
Keep curious and adaptable, however actually deal with what downside you’re fixing and choose one thing actual. It’s good to work backwards from an issue, not attempt to take an answer and discover an issue. You all the time must care deeply about your founding group as effectively, as choosing the right cofounders will likely be about half the explanation you’ll succeed or fail.
Lastly, suppose massive. Most issues are much less dangerous than they appear. Plus, arduous issues are motivating and appeal to expertise. It doesn’t matter what you begin, it’ll be arduous, so goal excessive!
12. Future Imaginative and prescient
– Wanting forward, what are your targets for Lightricks and its suite of generative AI instruments? How do you envision the corporate evolving within the subsequent 5 years?
Our purpose is to proceed pushing the boundaries of what’s doable with generative AI in content material creation. We goal to make our instruments much more intuitive and accessible, empowering a broader vary of creators to carry their visions to life.
Within the subsequent 5 years, I envision Lightricks main the trade in AI-driven creativity, setting new requirements for innovation and consumer expertise. We plan to increase our suite of instruments, discover new markets, and forge extra strategic partnerships to reinforce our choices.
It’s essential to notice that whereas AI is advancing quickly and producing spectacular outcomes, there may be nonetheless a journey forward earlier than it might totally match the standard of human-created content material for ultimate or broadcast-quality tasks. We stay dedicated to bridging this hole and repeatedly enhancing our expertise to fulfill the very best requirements. In the end, we wish to allow creators and types to inform their tales in probably the most compelling and impactful methods doable.
