From Startup to Industry Leader: Corbett Drummey of Lightricks

Corbett Drummey, the VP of Brand Collaborations at Lightricks, brings a wealth of experience and innovation to the world of advertising and influencer marketing. At Lightricks, Corbett serves as part of a leadership team that has integrated generative AI into the company’s suite of visual content creation apps, enhancing the capabilities of creators and brands alike. He is currently focused on Lightricks’ latest creation, LTX Studio, an AI-driven web app designed to streamline advertising storyboarding and production, offering unprecedented speed and control in generative video.

Corbett’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2013 when he co-founded Popular Pays, a platform that helps the advertising landscape by connecting brands with creators. Under his leadership, Popular Pays achieved many milestones, including participation in Y Combinator, raising Series A and B funding, and facilitating creator-brand partnerships worth millions. In 2022, Popular Pays was acquired by Lightricks, marking a new chapter in Corbett’s career.

In this interview, Corbett shares his insights on the journey of Popular Pays, the transition to Lightricks, and the transformative impact of generative AI on advertising and influencer marketing. He also discusses the ethical considerations surrounding AI in content creation, the future of influencer marketing, and offers valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs in the tech and advertising space. Through his vision and leadership, Corbett Drummey continues to shape the future of digital advertising, driving innovation and creativity in the industry. Here is our interview.

1. Background and Journey

– Corbett, you founded Popular Pays in 2013 and saw it grow into a significant player in the advertising industry. Can you share some key milestones from Popular Pays’ journey before it was acquired by Lightricks?

Starting Popular Pays was a thrilling and life-changing journey. We had some huge ups and downs between 2013 when we first launched and 2022 when we were acquired. I am immensely grateful for the experience, but have to admit it was also an incredibly stressful and difficult venture.

Most people only talk about the beginning and the end of a startup, but often leave out the middle, when there really isn’t a dull moment. It was constant problem-solving. There was the first Popular Pays office for me and my co-founders (our house in Chicago), getting into Y Combinator in 2015 and moving briefly to San Francisco. In 2017 we raised our Series A funding and then Series B in late 2018. It culminated in our acquisition by Lightricks in 2022 – our most definitive moment since the start.

As Popular Pays, we’ve paid out tens of millions of dollars to creators, which seems like an impossible amount, and did seven-figure deals with huge brands. But in reflection, I also remember with equal clarity our first tiny campaigns that were only a few hundred dollars as we were proving out the platform – which were equally as exciting.

2. Transition to Lightricks

– What motivated you to move to your current role at Lightricks after the acquisition of Popular Pays? How has your experience been transitioning from founder to VP of Brand Collaborations?

The acquisition was strategic, with Popular Pays being active with brand/creator campaigns, and Lightricks identifying influencer and creator marketing as a huge and growing industry. Becoming part of Lightricks allowed our team to gain more visibility and a focus in the B2B sector. These synergies are even more important with the dawn of generative AI tools – which are equally as powerful for creators and consumers as brands and marketers.

Even during the acquisition, we saw AI on the horizon, but we couldn’t have predicted the magnitude of its impact. In just the last year, my role expanded to help with a stronger B2B rollout of our generative AI platform, called LTX Studio. It’s been amazing to get exposure to a new product area after a decade in influencer marketing, and I’ve found it energizing working on this cutting-edge technology.

Transitioning away from my responsibilities with Popular Pays in some ways can be tough, but it’s also super rewarding to see progress even when I’m moved off of those teams, and it gives me tremendous confidence in the future.

3. Generative AI in Advertising

– Lightricks has integrated generative AI into several of its visual content creation apps. How do you see generative AI transforming the landscape of advertising and influencer marketing?

Relatively early on, the leadership at Lightricks saw the power of generative AI and focused on leveraging it into each of our apps, from Facetune to Popular Pays. It gave us the momentum and experience to eventually build new tools with AI from the ground up, like LTX Studio. But it can’t be understated that even just leveraging AI for existing workflows on platforms like Popular Pays can be complete game-changers.

We first introduced AI into the Popular Pays platform to help marketers write briefs more easily, taking what used to be a lengthy process and turning it into a three-minute one, leaning on AI and our past database of thousands of briefs to help turn a quick blurb into an almost-finalized draft brief.

That level of exponential progress with both workflow and content prototyping is truly transformative for branded content creation. Long-term, I fully believe that AI tools will be the primary method that creators use to create content for their audience or for brands, and we might see further developments like AI influencers, hyper-targeted AI content, and more. But even today, AI’s ability to make marketers 10x more efficient with things like creator sourcing and vetting shouldn’t be discounted.

4. LTX Studio

– Can you tell us more about LTX Studio, the AI web app for advertising production companies and filmmakers? What specific needs does it address, and what sets it apart from other tools in the market?

We think LTX Studio is the best platform available today for rapid content prototyping. You can go from a short creative blurb to a full project with video, narration, and sound in only a few minutes. It also gives you unprecedented control during the editing process. You can adjust camera angles, add/remove objects, create consistent characters, and tweak things with fine detail.

We designed LTX Studio to streamline the creative process for advertising, production companies, and filmmakers to make storyboarding, scripting, and visual concept development fast and easy.

Since the launch, LTX Studio has generated a lot of interest, with a large number of people joining the waitlist to get early access. Recently, we introduced the first major update, called “Visions,” which included new workflows like “Script to Storyboard” (but yes, you can still start from scratch if you prefer), a powerful option to export pitch decks or working video files, and a mind-blowing “Style Reference” feature that can mimic visual styles throughout projects with just a single visual reference photo.

These capabilities allow creators to visualize and iterate on their ideas incredibly fast, reducing the time and cost associated with pre-production. We also released a new tiered pricing model to ensure

accessibility, with options ranging from free access to enterprise-level plans. More updates are coming very soon.

5. Content Creation and Distribution

– With over 100,000 pieces of sponsored content and 40,000 creator-brand partnerships facilitated by Popular Pays, what trends have you observed in content creation and distribution? How is generative AI influencing these trends?

One trend we’ve observed over the years is an increasing shift to video, which continues to today, with short form video like Reels and TikToks becoming the highest engaging formats across networks.

With each new network comes a shift in content. For example, Instagram was originally clean, pretty and aesthetic, but as Snap and TikTok rose to prominence with Stories and then short-form video, the content landscape moved towards an unpolished UGC feel – audiences continue to prefer content that feels genuine and personal.

Interestingly, it’s extremely likely that the new generation of AI tools will cause another large shift in content. Also, AI-driven analytics can provide deeper insights into audience behavior, allowing for more targeted and effective content distribution.

6. Impact on Visual Content Creators

– How has the integration of generative AI capabilities in Lightricks’ apps like Videoleap, Facetune, and Photoleap impacted visual content creators? Can you share some success stories or feedback from creators using these tools?

The integration of generative AI in our apps has significantly elevated the creative capabilities of our users. For instance, Videoleap allows users to create professional-quality videos with ease, using AI-driven editing tools that suggest enhancements and automate complex tasks. Facetune’s AI features enable users to achieve flawless photos with minimal effort.

One success story that stands out is a creator who used Photoleap to produce a visually stunning marketing campaign for a local business, resulting in a significant increase in engagement and sales. The feedback from our community has been overwhelmingly positive, with users praising the ease of use, speed, and quality of the AI-generated content.

7. User Engagement and Growth

– Lightricks’ suite of apps has seen over 730 million downloads and currently exports 60 million visual assets monthly. What strategies have been most effective in achieving this level of user engagement and growth?

Our focus on user experience and continuous innovation has been key to our growth. We prioritize listening to our users and integrating their feedback into our product development. Regular updates with new features and improvements keep our apps fresh and relevant.

Additionally, our freemium model allows users to explore and use our tools at no cost, with the option to upgrade for more advanced features. Effective marketing campaigns and partnerships have also played a crucial role in reaching a wider audience and driving downloads.

Lastly, our commitment to staying ahead of technological trends ensures that we offer cutting-edge tools that meet the evolving needs of content creators.

8. Future of Influencer Marketing

– In your opinion, how will generative AI continue to shape the future of influencer marketing? What new opportunities and challenges do you foresee?

Generative AI will revolutionize influencer marketing by making content creation more accessible and efficient.

It will enable influencers to produce high-quality, personalized content at scale, which is crucial for maintaining engagement with their audiences.

New opportunities include the ability to create highly tailored marketing campaigns that resonate deeply with specific audience segments. However, challenges such as maintaining authenticity and transparency will need to be addressed. Additionally, while AI output is impressive and improving, it’s important to recognize that it still has some way to go before fully matching the quality of human-created content for final or broadcast-quality projects.

9. Brand Collaborations

– As the VP of Brand Collaborations, what are some of the most exciting brand collaborations you’ve overseen at Lightricks? How has generative AI enhanced these partnerships?

One of the most exciting collaborations was with Amazon and PepsiCo Foods US. Popular Pays facilitated a campaign to bring social media content to Fire TV through FLVR, a new food entertainment channel. The goal was to drive brand awareness among home cooks and younger demographics by featuring recipes with Frito-Lay products.

We engaged popular content creators to produce branded videos, resulting in the creation and launch of 15 new Fire TV videos in less than a month. The campaign achieved remarkable results, including 9.6 million total impressions, a 64% video completion rate among all audiences, and a 50x benchmark for return on ad spend (ROAS). This collaboration showcased the potential of combining creative content with strategic placement to reach new audiences and drive full-funnel impact.

Generative AI is only increasing the potential for brand marketers to think more out of the box about the content they can create, the campaigns they can develop, and the efficiency of building brand programs.

10. Ethical Considerations

– With the rise of generative AI, there are also ethical considerations regarding authenticity and transparency in advertising. How does Lightricks address these concerns?

It certainly is a challenge, but at Lightricks, we take ethical considerations very seriously. We believe in transparency and strive to ensure that our AI tools are used responsibly. Our apps include features that allow creators to disclose the use of AI in their content, promoting honesty and trust with their audiences.

Additionally, we are committed to enabling open creativity while maintaining a strong focus on empowering and protecting creators. By providing comprehensive guidelines and best practices for using AI in content creation, we encourage users to maintain authenticity and integrity in their work.

We also prioritize data privacy and security, ensuring that user data is protected and used ethically. I talk with a lot of brands and creators who care deeply about that. Our approach is to balance innovation with responsibility, ensuring that our tools enhance creativity without compromising the trust and authenticity that creators and brands have with us, or that they have with their audiences and customers.

11. Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

– Given your experience founding Popular Pays and now leading brand collaborations at Lightricks, what advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs in the tech and advertising space?

This is an interesting one. From my perspective, there’s never been more change in the advertising and content space – and AI has impacted content more than any other field.

I would certainly recommend that people “skate to where the puck is going,” and even build products with the knowledge that AI will only get exponentially better. If something with AI kind of works today, it will have the potential to work amazingly well in a year.

Stay curious and adaptable, but really focus on what problem you’re solving and pick something real. It’s good to work backwards from a problem, not try to take a solution and find a problem. You always have to care deeply about your founding team as well, as picking the right cofounders will be about half the reason you’ll succeed or fail.

Lastly, think big. Most things are less risky than they seem. Plus, hard problems are motivating and attract talent. No matter what you start, it’ll be hard, so aim high!

12. Future Vision

– Looking ahead, what are your goals for Lightricks and its suite of generative AI tools? How do you envision the company evolving in the next five years?

Our goal is to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with generative AI in content creation. We aim to make our tools even more intuitive and accessible, empowering a broader range of creators to bring their visions to life.

In the next five years, I envision Lightricks leading the industry in AI-driven creativity, setting new standards for innovation and user experience. We plan to expand our suite of tools, explore new markets, and forge more strategic partnerships to enhance our offerings.

It’s important to note that while AI is advancing rapidly and producing impressive results, there is still a journey ahead before it can fully match the quality of human-created content for final or broadcast-quality projects. We remain committed to bridging this gap and continuously improving our technology to meet the highest standards. Ultimately, we want to enable creators and brands to tell their stories in the most compelling and impactful ways possible.