This week, we interviewed Amani Olu (who you likely know as the founder of Olu & Company), about his visual media platform IMG SRVR. Created to answer to the question at the crux of the PR industry, ‘What will make it easier for journalists to cover my clients?’, its elegant aesthetic appeals to those in creative industries. Read on for insights on how it works and the ways comms pros can best utilize the smart platform.
What was your career background before starting IMG SRVR?
My background is a hybrid of non-profit leadership, exhibition organizing, arts writing, and strategic marketing, particularly in communications and public relations. Most people know me as the founder and CEO of Olu & Company, a marketing and business consultancy for individuals, businesses, and organizations at the intersection of art, design, activism, and social justice. I am also the co-founder of Detroit Art Week, an annual, 5-day celebration of contemporary art and culture in Detroit, and Humble Arts Foundation, a 501c3 that began in 2005 to support and promote new art photography.
What were the compelling factors that led to your creating this platform?
I created IMG SRVR to make it easier for journalists to cover our clients. Today, as was the case in 2005, it is nearly impossible to develop and share media kits that compel a journalist to pick up a story. Sure, you can send a link to a file folder, but what about contextual information, like captions, photographer credit, and courtesy lines? These are critical details that often result in a correction request because the image captions were in another folder in a separate document. With IMG SRVR, all the information a journalist would need is available in one place, including high-resolution images, video and audio files, press releases, and any other documents. What does this mean for the modern-day PR? It means a powerful organizational tool that leads to more press (and fewer correction requests).
How can comms pros best utilize your service?
IMG SRVR serves comms pros who desire seamless high-resolution image sharing with journalists and a shortened back-and-forth process to secure press. Comms pros can use IMG SRVR to build and send media kits, track press engagement through our metrics feature – which allows you to see what journalists clicked on a folder – and how many times, so you can quickly gauge who is interested in your client and when to follow up. My team also uses IMG SRVR as a client feedback/approval tool, to create mood boards, and much more. We do this by merely uploading files, adding captions for context, and sharing with interested parties. Here is an example of how we use it for Detroit Art Week.
What advantages does IMG SRVR offer that are not currently available via other platforms?
Comms pros can use IMG SRVR with their existing apps, as one app will never serve every need. That said, there are some marked differences between IMG SRVR and other file-sharing platforms. First, IMG SRVR is visual. Meaning, what you see is what you get. When you click on an IMG SRVR link, the entire story is before your eyes. Second, IMG SRVR is contextual; PR pros can create a folder with a long and short description of the folder's contents and add detailed captions under each image–so there is never a need to create a separate document to communicate essential details. Third, there is no heavy lifting. There is no need for a journalist to log in, download, or engage in any other unnecessary work to understand the pitch. Finally, we have metrics for internal and external reporting. All of these features and more result in a platform that goes beyond purely utilitarian file-sharing. IMG SRVR allows PR professionals to visually express the story they are trying to tell, which results in higher amounts of quality press and less stress.
Any high-profile users you can mention are fans of the service?
PR pros, galleries, artists, designers, and other creative pros who work with high-quality images use IMG SRVR daily. The brand most people would know here is Saint Laurent.
Photo Credit: James Adams
