Orlando, Florida, Feb. 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IZEA Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: IZEA), the premier provider of influencer marketing technology, data, and services for the world’s leading brands, announced today the launch of MetaMod, its specialized team that will use IZEA’s capabilities, relationships, creator network, and experience to bring sponsored collaborations to virtual worlds. The new offering builds on IZEA’s extensive influencer network, offering brands the opportunity to partner with influencers inside popular gaming platforms as well as with artists on NFT marketplaces.
Brands will work with IZEA’s MetaMod team to:
- Leverage influencers across multiple platforms to create awareness of metaverse activations.
- Create interactive metaverse experiences to promote their brand.
- Develop and distribute branded virtual objects.
- Host virtual events like concerts or parties.
- Co-create and promote NFTs.
“Over the past year, we have been working with forward-thinking brands to execute new types of influencer sponsorships and online experiences on platforms outside of traditional social media channels,” said Ted Murphy, IZEA’s Chairman and CEO. “We are looking beyond TikTok and Instagram to the platforms that best represent what the future of the metaverse will be, such as Fortnite, Roblox, Minecraft, and Horizon Worlds by Meta. We have already facilitated metaverse collaborations that range from in-game players wearing virtual branded T-shirts to in-platform viewing parties and challenges.”
IZEA first brought augmented reality product placement to influencer marketing in 2017 to distribute virtual products to influencers for photos and videos through IZEAx. The company has since worked directly with a leading social media platform to promote the use of branded augmented reality lenses through influencers. Augmented reality, virtual reality, cryptocurrencies, and blockchain technologies will converge in the metaverse.
To open up the opportunities influencers are seeking in the metaverse and beyond, IZEA recently hired Ross Yellowlees as General Manager of Emerging Markets. Since then, IZEA has added Rob Crumpler as Senior Client Partner, Head of Industry for Blockchain. The company is in the process of hiring incremental team members to support brand customers. In addition, IZEA technology platforms will be increasing support for metaverse collaborations and measurement throughout 2022.
“In addition to virtual worlds, the explosion in the popularity of NFTs also creates an opportunity for marketers to collaborate with up-and-coming digital artists, producing branded assets that may be proudly displayed in the virtual environments of the metaverse in the future,” Murphy continued. “IZEA will facilitate the creation of NFTs for brands on popular platforms such as OpenSea and Rareable, using our network of influencers to promote the listings through traditional social media channels.”
In 2020, IZEA began tracking cryptocurrencies as a topic in BrandGraph and added popular NFT collections to the platform in December 2021. These enrichments help identify social media influencers in the cryptocurrency and NFT communities. BrandGraph also identifies the tangential interests and brand preferences of these creators to help surface the ideal community to produce and promote the launch of a branded NFT.
“IZEA created the influencer marketing industry in 2006 in the days of MySpace and message boards,” Murphy said. “Sixteen years later, we continue to be a pioneer in our space and lay the foundation for the future of influencer collaborations.”
Brands and creators can learn more at MetaMod.com. Interested in joining the MetaMod team? Visit izea.com/company/careers.
About IZEA Worldwide, Inc.
IZEA Worldwide, Inc. (“IZEA”), is a marketing technology company providing software and professional services that enable brands to collaborate and transact with the full spectrum of today’s top social influencers and content creators. The company serves as a champion for the growing Creator Economy, enabling individuals to monetize their content, creativity, and influence. IZEA launched the industry’s first-ever influencer marketing platform in 2006 and has since facilitated nearly 4 million transactions between online buyers and sellers. Leading brands and agencies partner with IZEA to increase digital engagement, diversify brand voice, scale content production, and drive a measurable return on investment.
Safe Harbor Statement
All statements in this release that are not based on historical fact are “forward-looking statements” intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “hope,” “estimate,” “believe,” “intend,” "likely," "projects," “plans,” "pursue," "strategy" or "future," or the negative of these words or other words or expressions of similar meaning. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding expectations concerning IZEA’s ability to increase revenue and bookings, growth or maintenance of customer relationships, and expectations concerning IZEA’s business strategy. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, as a result of various factors including, among others, the following: competitive conditions in the content and social sponsorship segment in which IZEA operates; failure to popularize one or more of the marketplace platforms of IZEA; our ability to establish effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting; our ability to satisfy the requirements for continued listing of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market; changing economic conditions that are less favorable than expected; and other risks and uncertainties described in IZEA’s periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements made in this release speak only as of the date of this release, and IZEA assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or changes in expectations, except as otherwise required by law.
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