The company, which went public a year ago, has partnered with amateur and professional videographers to offer more than 600 “epic”, “inspired” and “engaging” videos that brands can license to tell their stories.

As Asweek’s Christopher Heine notes, GoPro Licensing could make GoPro to videos what Getty Images and Shutterstock are to still images.

And it could even disrupt the agency model. According to David Karnstedt, CEO of Quantifind:

Instead of a two-day video shoot, brands can now purchase a video and take the production expenses out of the equation, which could reduce creative costs in a significant way.

According to GoPro programming chief Adam Dornbusch, there is already significant interest in GoPro’s content.

Dornbusch says GoPro intends to keep the company’s licensing business “at a very premium level,” and the licensing fees for videos available through GoPro Licensing reportedly start at $1,000. 

Too much of a good thing?

GoPro’s positioning could be crucial to maintaining the value proposition of its content. GoPro-captured content is so appealing because it’s often very unique, but if it becomes too easily accessible through GoPro Licensing, marketers may find that over time, the impact of GoPro footage will diminish in impact.

So while GoPro Licensing could be a very useful new platform for marketers, and drive significant new revenue for GoPro, marketers should remember that no matter where content is coming from, and how “epic” it is, a great campaign usually requires an original, compelling story too.