Australian Travis Johnson has been appointed global CEO of Podean, a New York-based Amazon and marketplace marketing agency.
He was most recently president of Dentsu’s Amazon-focused consultancy Sellwin where he played a critical role in some big client wins including Instant Brands, SEB Groupe, Philips and Nestle.
He was also global CEO of Ansible Mobile in New York, and also held CEO positions in Australia for media agencies UM, Initiative, Mnet and Cadreon.
“Of the three agency groups I’ve worked for, Dentsu has been the most progressive and while I’m sad to leave my Sellwin team, I do so with them in great shape," he says.
"Most of my career has been spent creating innovative agencies within holding companies, and now it’s time for me to enjoy full control and create the ideal agency model with zero constraints.
“I have always believed that the largest Amazon-focused agencies are too narrow in their skillsets. They either specialise in retail operations or they run search campaigns.
The move reunites him with Podean’s founder, Mark Power. They worked together at Ansible.
"Mark and I are completely aligned in our view that Amazon presents significant opportunity for brand marketers," says Johnson .
"Leveraging our broader marketing and media experience, we know how to create holistic and integrated solutions for the CEO and CMO, not just their ecommerce division.
“Amazon themselves are not great at articulating the consumer journey across their own assets and consumer touchpoints, nor do they release the necessary media planning data required by savvy marketers. We see this as the opportunity. I’m thrilled to be back working with Mark and delivering market-leading solutions for clients in this burgeoning space.”
Mark Power says: “Travis and I have always had a remarkably successful working relationship. In our past life together, we won a slew of clients and awards, and shaped the mobile marketing industry globally. We have no doubt that combining forces again will surpass that success when it comes to delivering holistic client solutions within ecommerce marketplaces and Amazon especially.”
Podean launched in late 2017. Podean (puh-dee-uhn) hails from the word “antipodean” that refers to things diametrically opposed and is a term used in reference to Australia and New Zealand by inhabitants of the northern hemisphere.
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