PALO ALTO, CA--Pinterest has called in The OutCast Agency for PR support in response to surging media interest in the photo-sharing website.
The Holmes Report understands that the agency has begun work on an initial short-term project, focused on media relations, although this may eventually broaden. OutCast representatives declined to comment.
After launching in 2010, Pinterest has become the fastest site in history to crack the 10m unique user mark, despite remaining invite-only. Media attention has risen in tandem with this growth, with the website already attracting considerable mainstream coverage.
The social sharing site’s most recent funding round valued the company at around $200m. Investors and tech media have noted that Pinterest has a “clear path to revenue”, given its e-commerce potential. The site is also proving increasingly popular with brands, as demonstrated by this campaign from Kotex.
The site has also garnered its share of controversy, thanks to the copyright issues that its photo-sharing model raises. The company has responded to these concerns by eliminating a term of service that allowed it to sell users’ content, and making it easier to report copyright and trademark infringements.
Outcast is well-known for its work on high-profile startups including Facebook, with which it still works, and Salesforce.com. OutCast co-founder Margit Wennmachers is currently a partner at VC powerhouse Andreessen Horowitz, one of Pinterest’s leading investors, and also an OutCast client.