Q2 Defined by Record-Breaking Number of New Clients; Expanded Sales Team; and Introduction of New AI Tools

BEN, the entertainment AI company that integrates brands into influencer, streaming, TV, music, and film content, announced a record-breaking H1. Since the beginning of the year, BEN has started new client relationships, added to its sales team, and developed groundbreaking influencer discovery tools for its proprietary AI technology.

Despite the uncertainty and industry challenges related to COVID-19, BEN has continued to grow — particularly through its influencer marketing business. In H1, the company signed 40 new brands across numerous industries. Additionally, BEN succeeded in its ambitious plan to hire 17 new sales representatives across its offices in Q2 to manage the rising demand for digital media campaigns, demonstrating the value of data-driven, organic integrations.

“We’re thrilled with the tremendous growth we’ve seen so far this year. Between our new clients and the invaluable additions to the sales team, we’ve experienced rapid gains in a short amount of time,” said James Myrick, Senior Vice President of Performance and New Business at BEN. “This momentum is just getting started, and we’re excited to see what the rest of the year has in store.”

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In Q2, BEN expanded its suite of proprietary AI technology with new engaged audience and content comparison tools for influencer discovery. Built for Instagram and YouTube, these unique, first-to-market AI tools allow marketers to uncover new influencers that best fit the brand’s goals and strategy based on a variety of parameters like content aesthetics and audience overlap. To find creators that fit a certain audience niche or imagery, BEN’s AI sorts through massive amounts of unstructured data, including images and text within a post itself. With this information, AI generates suggested accounts with similar aesthetics, audience demographics, and content types to a specific, pre-identified influencer. This tool is the first of its kind in entertainment, providing deeper levels of discovery within influencer and content genres.

“Consumers are looking toward entertainment to find a sense of joy and community and help them get through the day-to-day of the pandemic. We’ve seen a significant uptick in viewership on social media and streaming, which is opening new doors for brands to experiment with integrations,” said Ricky Ray Butler, CEO of BEN. “Our technology-first approach is helping brands navigate the complexity of the entertainment ecosystem so they can do just that. There is a virtually endless ocean of content out there today. We continue to grow and expand our AI so our clients can make the most nuanced, personalized decisions possible when it comes to content partnerships, all while ensuring that every campaign adds value in a meaningful way.”

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BEN’s new AI tools are highly customizable and allow its AI team to strategically curate influencer and television, film, and music integration recommendations based on client needs. This enables brands to make decisions with confidence, trusting the AI’s data rather than relying on guesswork to find the best opportunities for integration in the massive content landscape.

This enhanced toolbox comes on the heels of BEN’s previous AI developments, including a predictive tool for Instagram Story views that rolled out in Q1 and an expansion of its AI team earlier this year, further solidifying the company’s dedication to providing cutting-edge technology to its clients.

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