Within the SmartFrame Snapshots interview series, SmartFrame speaks with with picturemaxx CEO Thomas Mäling about how image streaming is opening up new revenue models for photographers and photo agencies, and providing marketers with additional contextual advertising benefits.
Tell us about picturemaxx!
“We’ve come a long way from the days of using carrier pigeons to transport film stock between publishing houses to running a digital media network with over one billion assets open to image providers and buyers. Today, picturemaxx provides media asset management solutions and sales platforms that cater to image libraries, publishing houses, museums, and businesses, offering efficient content organization and distribution.
“We also have our global marketplace – the largest B2B community for professional digital media – that connects picture agencies with image professionals. Our tool, my-picturemaxx, streamlines processes for picture editors and marketing professionals.”
What led to the partnership with SmartFrame?
“First requests to add SmartFrame’s features to our software solutions came directly from our customers. These requests focused on advanced image zooming and anti-theft measures. We now see immense potential in context-based advertising, opening new revenue streams for clients who have opted for a SmartFrame integration.”
How does SmartFrame’s technology combat image theft and who does it impact?
“Rights and authenticity control are serious issues in a digital and AI driven world which we focus on at picturemaxx. SmartFrame's image-streaming technology prevents unauthorized copies, making it a valuable add for rights holders with web-based galleries.”
What are the core benefits of SmartFrame’s technology for marketers and creatives?
“SmartFrame offers high-quality images with theft protection and an improved user experience over conventional images. Thanks to its contextual advertising offering, SmartFrame also opens new revenue models for photographers and photo agencies, moving beyond traditional licensing.”
What is Picturemaxx's role in this partnership?
“We are a pioneer in digital transformation, offering cutting-edge technologies, new features, and additional revenue models to our customers. That's why we’re integrating SmartFrame’s technology into our systems.”
What is the future outlook for the partnership with SmartFrame?
“Advertising in a suitable editorial environment is a hot topic right now, and we are convinced that contextual advertising will grow, aligning perfectly with SmartFrame's technology. We see many advantages for our clients, whether they are picture agencies, publishers or advertisers. Furthermore, it is beneficial to photographers – and if higher quality images that catch attention can now be found online, the status of images as a valuable resource will hopefully increase again.”