Buyout sees online firm expand into Scandinavia

Dec 18 2008 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

AN online marketing company has expanded its services to Scandinavia and doubled the size of its North East headquarters after being bought out by US industry giant AOL.

Last February Newcastle-based Buy.at – which operated under the Perfiliate banner – was sold to AOL in a multi-million-pound deal and embarked on a rapid expansion drive.

The company has been integrated into AOL’s new Platform-A brand and has now launched operations in Denmark, Norway and Sweden which will be serviced from its offices in Newcastle’s Cathedral Square near St Nicholas Cathedral.

It has added a second floor to its head office and expects to continue to create jobs in the new year as it further stretches its services throughout Germany and France.

A spokesperson for the company said: “We are serving the US, UK and Scandinavia from the North East. Scandinavia has created jobs here in the North East and we have hired quite a few technical staff.”

Buy.at was formed six years ago and, by the time of the AOL takeover, had grown into a £13m-a-year business employing 70 people.

Between June 2004 and 2006, the group posted growth of 254%, earning itself ninth place on the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 league table.

Its work under the Platform-A brand includes involvement in a Christmas advertising campaign with music and film retailer HMV in collaboration with media agency OMD.

Platform-A now reaches more than 160 million unique users in Europe following recent launches in Scandinavia and the Netherlands.

It has a presence in eight European countries and, according to comScore’s advertising network ranking, the firm is the market leader in Finland, Norway and France and number two in Denmark and Germany.

Brendan Condon, managing director for Platform-A International, said: “Platform-A is the only online advertising network that offers a full suite of advanced affiliate, display and search solutions across Europe which perfectly addresses the complex needs of today’s advertisers.”

“Our clients will have one point of contact within Platform-A, making it much easier to manage online advertising campaigns. Platform-A is designed to ensure effective and efficient media buying – everything from affiliate, display to search."