Catalog Launches To Simplify Custom Visual Content Creation and Support Independent Visual Artists

The Company Has Completed Pilots with Sony Music and National Geographic and Has Raised $1.5 Million in Seed Funding

Catalog, a company working with artificial intelligence and independent visual artists to automate and scale custom visual content production launched with $1.5 Million in seed funding. Investors in this round include Moonshots Capital, Techstars, and Luma Launch. They join previous investors Day One Ventures, Greedy Fish Ventures, Mikhail Naumov, Eric Siu, and Jonathan Berent, Director of Global Customer Experience at Google.

From social media to email marketing to website banners and physical advertising, visuals are everywhere and play a large role in consumer purchasing behavior:

• 72% of consumers say they regularly or always seek out visual content prior to purchase
• 45% of B2C marketers believe visual content is their most important type of content
• 63% of consumers say that good images are more important than product descriptions
• Consumers ranked social networks as the #1 source of inspiration for purchases

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However, the current model for producing custom images that are high quality and on-brand is broken. In-house content creators, creative agencies, and freelance networks used for this are slow, expensive, and have logistical hurdles like sourcing the creators, handling usage rights, and shipping product for photo shoots. Creative agencies charge around $7,000 for a package of 15 custom photos or over $466 per photo.

Catalog automates the production of custom visual content from start to finish, costing companies only $20 per photo. Customers of Catalog first upload their brand aesthetic, mood, and product shot list. From there, Catalog handles the rest. The company’s AI scans the web for the best creators that meet a brand’s aesthetic, and its system handles logistics like negotiations, usage rights, as well as legal and compliance. Once Catalog receives the product(s), content creators follow the brand guidelines and produce custom visuals that are on-brand and accurate.

Using this system, Catalog has completed projects for National Geographic, Sony Music, OmniCharge, Pioneer, Patchology, and other customers. In these first projects, 99% of photos created by Catalog’s system were purchased by the customer without a reshoot request.

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“Companies need to produce more content than ever before, but there isn’t a fast and affordable way to do it,” said Patrick Ip, CEO and Cofounder of Catalog who is also a Nobel Peace Prize nominee. “We founded Catalog to enable more companies to tell their stories and compete with industry giants, while also supporting the extremely talented people who create the visual content.”

Content creators on Catalog are paid an average of 40% more than what competitors offer and get booked for 3-6 additional deals per month ensuring stable deal flow.

“Photoshoots are a lot of work and Catalog makes it easy! From branding ideation to mood boards and model casting, Catalog fulfills that missing link between a brand and a photographer,” said Michelle Song, an independent visual artist who works with Catalog. “Photographers never have to sacrifice their artistic integrity for a job because Catalog connects them with brands who fit their creative style guide. It’s always a pleasure to work with Catalog and their team to create beautiful imagery!”

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Catalog’s artificial intelligence also analyzes visual data and a company’s brand guidelines to predict what images the company will need next. Catalog then works with its creators to proactively produce these visuals so companies can pick and choose from an evergrowing library of custom high-quality content that’s already on-brand.

This predictive content creation model empowers emerging companies, particularly those in the fashion and beauty industries, to compete with industry giants who are better resourced to meet the demand for an ongoing content experience that both customers and partners require.

“We love working with Catalog and highly recommend the service. Catalog creates a high volume of custom, high-quality NakedPoppy visual content without breaking the bank,” said NakedPoppy CEO and Cofounder, Jaleh Bisharat, who has had held executive marketing positions at Amazon, Eventbrite, Upwork, and OpenTable.