EnTribe, an Oakland-based SaaS platform, announced Tuesday that it raised $2.7 million in seed financing to flip the script on traditional marketing initiatives.
The EnTribe platform aims to increase collaboration between brands and their creators by providing brands with a set of tools to support the creator management lifecycle. The all-in-one platform streamlines the process of vetting and verifying creators and their content so that brands can use said content in potential marketing campaigns.
EnTribe founder and CEO Adam Dornbusch learned there was great value in UGC-led marketing initiatives following his work on an ad campaign for Al Gore’s Current TV. Dornsbush also had a hand in building out GoPro’s media division with a heavy focus on user-generated content (UGC).
As privacy concerns and influencer fatigue grow, more brands are expected to turn to UGC to connect more directly with their local communities, according to Dornbusch. But brands need some help in ensuring that this UGC aligns with their goals and branding.
“Improved access to UGC will be important to brands looking to reignite their relationship with current customers and attract new ones, and as a CRM tool for UGC, EnTribe is positioned to do just that,” Dornbusch said in an email to Built In. “Our platform allows brands to stay in control by telling their community exactly what they’re looking for, while still putting the customer’s voice front and center.”
With 20 years of content licensing experience under his belt, Dornbusch thoroughly understands this delicate balance.
“Creators often require a bit of coaching before they can produce marketing-ready initiatives, and that creator management aspect is missing from most UGC programs, which is why I created EnTribe,” Dornbusch continued.
Looking ahead, Dornbusch is bullish about the platform’s future prospects as consumers’ relationship with social media is ever-evolving, and brands will need an evolving set of tools to keep pace.
“Social media has shown us that everyone is a content creator and that organic posts from real consumers who actually use the product or service, are often some of the most effective marketing tools,” Dornbusch continued. “However, outside of influencer marketing, the success of which is quickly waning, there has never been a way for brands to play a role in the content their community shares.”
Following the latest raise, EnTribe will continue to invest in product research and development. The seed round was led by Michael Marks, managing partner at Celesta Capital and former interim CEO of Tesla.
