Blue Hour Studios Introduces Swell.AI, Powered by KERV.ai, to Extend Creator Content Beyond Social Channels

As Social Users Surpass TV Viewers, Marketers Need AI Tools to Scale Influencer Campaigns Across CTV, OLV and Display

NEW YORK, Dec. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Hour Studios, the full-service social and influencer agency affiliated with Horizon Media, and KERV, a leader in video analysis, performance, and monetization, introduce Swell.AI, a new influencer AI solution that transforms social content into TV style creative to help marketers reach audiences who trust influencers more than traditional ads.

Today, social users total 236.4 million in the U.S, exceeding the 228.6 million TV viewers (eMarketer). Sixty one percent of Gen X think ads are a waste of time and untrustworthy - and adults under 45 report that influencer content is the best way to try a new brand (Blue Hour Studios). Marketers can tap into the genuine connection and loyalty built by influencers and their followers to drive brand and revenue growth.

Swell.AI leverages KERV's proprietary image-recognition and object-level technology to transform influencer content into interactive, shoppable and measurable brand experiences that can be utilized across all screens. The solution extends creator-first campaigns beyond social media's confines, providing brands with rapid, AI-optimized creative for connected TV, online video, and display. This enables them to swiftly adapt to business changes and cultural trends. With Swell.AI, brands can connect with influencers who have built a substantial follower base, ensuring that their message reaches a diverse and engaged audience.

"Today influencers inform and shape brand strategy," said Sarah Bachman, Head of Blue Hour Studios. "Marketers need to further integrate creators into development beyond just content creation. With Swell.AI, businesses get better performing ads, gain new insights, and more efficiencies from their investments."

Marketers can tap into Swell's database of 23 million creators to find relevant talent.  Swell.AI offers deep analytics, measurement, and engagement on creator content. KERV's technology moves video advertising from passive to active and helps to shorten the path to purchase by allowing consumers to explore a product or object within the video and choose to "pause to shop" and "tap to explore."

"Influencers have dramatically changed how people discover and purchase products," said Jay Wolff, Chief Revenue Officer, KERV. "AI is a game changer for marketers who are tasked with quickly adapting to ever-changing consumer trends. We are excited to partner with Blue Hour Studios to help brands do more than reach consumers, but to take action in the moments that inspire them regardless of the channel."

Swell.AI efficiently drives greater conversion and provides new levels of reporting that are not possible on social. With this solution, marketers can derive more value out of their media and content investments.

About Blue Hour Studios
Blue Hour Studios is a full-service social and influencer agency that makes brands unmissable. Blue Hour goes beyond demographics to build influencer, creator, and social-first campaigns that connect deeply to audience interests, earn outsized attention, and deliver full-funnel results.    

The agency was formed in 2019 and is headquartered in New York and Los Angeles.

About Horizon Media
Horizon Media, the largest U.S. media agency and the largest independent globally, delivers data-driven business outcomes for some of the most innovative and ambitious brands. Founded in 1989, headquartered in New York, and with offices in Los Angeles and Toronto, the company employs 2,400+ people and has media investments of more than $8.5 billion.  Horizon Media's fundamental belief is that business is personal, which drives its approach to connecting brands with their customers and engaging with its own employees, resulting in industry-leading workplace satisfaction levels (Glassdoor).  The company is consistently recognized by independent media outlets for its client excellence and has earned several "Best Workplaces" awards reflecting its commitment to DEI and the life and well-being of everyone at Horizon Media.

About KERV.ai
KERV Interactive is the leader in AI-powered video analysis, performance and monetization. Using patented recognition and correlation technology, our pixel-edge technology captures metadata across every frame in any video, allowing us to identify, analyze and match objects with contextually relevant advertising experiences. These immersive and shoppable solutions empower consumers to learn, explore, and transact through dynamic video, creating deeper relationships and real business outcomes for the world's leading brands and publishers.

SOURCE Horizon Media