StyleHaul was a marketing services, media, and technology company which gained recognition as an early pioneer of
branded content In marketing, branded content (also known as branded entertainment) is content produced by an advertiser or content whose creation was funded by an advertiser. In contrast to content marketing (in which content is presented first and foremost as a ...
and
native advertising
Native advertising, also called sponsored content, is a type of advertising that matches the form and function of the platform upon which it appears. In many cases it functions like an advertorial, and manifests as a video, article or editorial. ...
on digital platforms.
The company was founded in 2011 by Stephanie Horbaczewski and operated as a portfolio company of
RTL Group
RTL Group (for "Radio Television Luxembourg") is a Luxembourg-based international media conglomerate, with another corporate centre in Cologne, Germany. The company operates 68 television channels and 31 radio stations in Germany, France an ...
, which paid $127 million USD to acquire a controlling stake in the company in 2014.
StyleHaul was known for its large-scale
influencer
An Internet celebrity (also known as a social media influencer, social media personality, internet personality, or simply influencer) is a celebrity who has acquired or developed their fame and notability through the Internet. The rise of social m ...
and
paid media campaigns for major beauty brands and retailers, such as
Sephora,
Maybelline
Maybelline New York (formerly The Maybelline Company and Mabelline and Co.), trading as Maybelline ( ), is an American multinational cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care company, based in New York City. It was founded in Chicago ...
, and
Walgreens
Walgreen Company, d/b/a Walgreens, is an American company that operates the second-largest pharmacy store chain in the United States behind CVS Health. It specializes in filling prescriptions, health and wellness products, health information, a ...
,
as well as for its high-profile talent network, which has included creators like
Zoella
Zoë Elizabeth Sugg (born 28 March 1990), also known by her online name Zoella, is an English media personality, entrepreneur, and author. She began her career as a YouTuber in 2009, and has since amassed over 10 million subscribers.
In 2014, ...
,
Ashley Tisdale,
Chloe Lukasiak
Chloe (; ), also spelled Chloë, Chlöe, or Chloé, is a feminine name meaning "blooming" or "fertility" in Greek. The name ultimately derives, through Greek, from the Proto-Indo-European root ', which relates to the colors yellow and green. T ...
and
Joey Graceffa
Joseph Michael Graceffa Jr. (; born May 16, 1991) is an American YouTuber, vlogger, actor, author, and producer. He runs four active YouTube channels, all named after him. His main channel is dedicated to vlogging, while the second features vide ...
.
In 2018, StyleHaul founder and CEO Stephanie Horbaczewski left the company in order to launch an
artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech r ...
startup, Vody, alongside former StyleHaul
Chief Technology Officer, Jeremy Houghton. In 2019, StyleHaul shuttered operations, which coincided with the arrest and guilty plea of Dennis Blieden, 29, a former StyleHaul executive and professional poker player who embezzled $22 million from the company to pay his poker debts, personal debts and bad investments in
cryptocurrencies.
References
External links
*
Marketing companies of the United States
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