Retargeting platform AdRoll opens Sydney office with digital pioneer Ben Sharp in the role of MD
Today, AdRoll, the world’s largest retargeting platform officially opens its regional hub in Sydney to meet strong demand for high performance, transparent marketing solutions.
The announcement follows a year of unprecedented growth for AdRoll, including 500 per cent advertiser growth in Australia and 565 per cent overall growth across APAC. With Australian online advertising up more than 19.3 per cent year on year[i], AdRoll aims to help marketers collect, analyse and act on their data to drive more profitable campaigns.
AdRoll’s retargeting platform uses powerful technology to help marketers target consumers who have previously interacted with their brand with display ads across the open web, Facebook and Twitter.
To drive the Australian expansion, AdRoll has appointed Australian digital pioneer, Ben Sharp (pictured), to the role of managing director. Sharp has 15 years’ experience building and leading digital media businesses, most recently as general manager of Vizury. Prior to this, he was the co-founder and commercial director of Allure Media and also spent six years at Yahoo!.
Says Aaron Bell, CEO of AdRoll: “It’s awesome to finally launch in Sydney. Over the past year, we’ve seen Australia explode into one of the fastest growing markets with strong demand from advertisers and agencies. Establishing a local hub will allow us to provide the best support for our growing Australian customer base. Ben is one of Australia’s most experienced digital leaders with deep knowledge of the local landscape and strong relationships with agencies and brands. We’re excited to build out the AdRoll organisation around him.”
The Australian Opportunity
The shift towards e-commerce by Australian retailers combined with high smartphone penetration and the trend towards performance driven marketing means the appetite to create personalised online marketing campaigns continues to grow.
Says Sharp: “In an era where Australian businesses are competing in the global marketplace a savvy retargeting strategy is business critical. Currently there is a limited choice for retargeting in Australia. No other company is able to provide the same solution for SMBs through to enterprise and agencies and for this reason we consider Australia an early battleground for retargeting leadership in APAC.”
AdRoll already has a thriving Australian client base, with 500 customers across all verticals including Appliances Online, Beginning Boutique, Clinique AU, MarketHQ, Nitro, Vend and Vistaprint NZ as well as agencies including We Are Balance.
To accommodate the demand from advertisers AdRoll will employ more than 20 Australian staff across marketing, direct sales, inside sales, account management and back office. The team has taken up residence in the Plaza Building in Australia Square in Sydney.
Sydney is the second international office for AdRoll following the opening of its European operation in Dublin in October 2013.
[i] PricewaterhouseCoopers IAB Online Advertising Expenditure Report