SocialBridge: A Collaboration App Built for Creative Agencies

As with most collaboration apps, Central Desktop is a general-purpose tool, trying to pack in all the features that every organization needs. But what if it could be focused on a specific industry or niche?

Central Desktop, But for Creatives

SocialBridge is, essentially, the Central Desktop app if it had been built only for use by creative and marketing agencies. Central Desktop Inc. was working with a large broadcast firm that had started out with the usual Central Desktop setup. The company worked with its client closely to meet the special needs of an organization whose collaboration involved large media files and other needs that went beyond the app’s original capabilities. This focus led the Central Desktop team to consult with its other existing customers, conducting surveys and customer interviews to get a better picture of the internal processes and client interactions that were key to helping this particular niche.

The result is SocialBridge. It’s an app that eliminates the need to juggle multiple communication methods and can handle the big files that typically would otherwise require the use of FTP.

The Features Creatives Need

SocialBridge focuses on those needs peculiar to creative agencies: on top of its lightweight project management tools, users have  access to an intranet that syndicates social updates, and easy-to-use tools that allow clients to check in on the status of their projects or submit tickets for new projects. The file management features are particularly robust, offering cloud storage of the large media files (videos, images and so on) that go along with creative projects, as well as tools for reviewing and approving project materials. But it also includes the more humdrum features common to other collaboration apps, like the ability to communicate with teams and track time.

Two plans are available; pricing isn’t disclosed on the website.

Central Desktop isn’t the only app that’s been customized or built for the creative industry, of course. We’ve previously reviewed ProofHQ, an app that’s designed to help the design signoff process, and CreationFlow, an app that can handle project and task management, client review, version control and task history, for example. As the collaboration web app market matures, it’s likely that we’ll see many more apps tailored to specific industries or niches.