The above video interview is from Internet Week in NYC.
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An increasing amount of content is being built around photos to enhance stories and increase engagement. Pixazza has looked through the eyes of consumers viewing your images and see they want more than just a limited, static experience.
Knowing that publishers can’t just slap a rich media ad on top of images, the company presents a way to attach relevant content that’s revealed when the image is moused over. On celebrity entertainment sites, for example, consumers may want to know more about what a favorite celebrity is wearing and Pixazza will surface information on where the attire can be purchased.
How much of an opportunity does this create for brand advertisers? Chas Edwards, CRO of Pixazza, states that 20% of those presented with interactive images engage with that additional content. He reports 100 million daily interactions by 150 million monthly uniques, with 100 publishers signing up daily for Pixazza.
Under the hood, Pixazza uses machine image recognition algorithms supplemented by a freelance team to identify objects inside of images for connection to relevant content.
When asked in the second half of the interview for tips for startups, Edwards advises them to play in as big a sandbox as they can find. No matter what, he warned, once they start taking their idea to customers, publishers and brand advertisers, they’ll be pressed to make changes.
On the hiring front, Edwards states he seeks people who offer more than a single expertise, who can evolve with the company. Perhaps someone is developing Pixazza for HR that reveals more about candidates than initially meets the eye.
