Rubicon
Project (NYSE: RUBI), a global technology company leading the
automation of advertising, announced today it is further expanding its
presence in Southern Europe with the opening of an office in Milan,
which is its 10th international location and the first Rubicon Project
office in Italy’s fast-growing digital advertising market.
Marketers are increasingly turning to digital channels in Italy and the
IDC forecasts total digital advertising to surpass $1.3 billion in 20151.
Shifts to automation are fueling the overall increase in spending with
automated segments of the market (including Real-Time Bidding,
Automated-Guaranteed and Private Marketplaces) expected to grow by more
than a third in 2015. Mobile adoption will also experience significant
acceleration in 2015 - more than tripling - as marketers seek more
effective and more efficient ways to reach and engage consumers.
Rubicon Project announced the Milan office opening as it welcomed a new
addition to the Southern European team. Mariano De Luca will
coordinate Rubicon Project’s seller activities in Southern Europe and
will lead the growing business in Italy. Mariano will join Sara
Buluggiu, Sales Director Southern Europe, who has been developing and
establishing the company’s Italian, Turkish, Israeli and Spanish
operations over the past nine months.
The announcement follows the third Italian marketplace summit hosted by
Rubicon Project at the end of March, and attended by Italy’s biggest
sellers, including RCS Media Group, Manzoni, Edizioni Condé Nast, eBay
Advertising, Banzai and others, in addition to representatives from each
of the top 7 buying agencies in Italy.
Mariano will draw on more than a decade of experience in the digital
advertising industry to lead Rubicon Project’s seller activities for
Southern Europe. Prior to joining Rubicon Project, Mariano was Account
Manager at RCS Media Group, growing revenues and developing the strategy
for programmatic trading and all Indirect Channels. Before that he was
Head of Hi-Media Adexchange Italy, managing the relationships with
trading desks and publishers and working with major DSPs and SSPs.
Mariano also spent two years in Paris working for Facebook and Etoile
Media.
“The growing Italian advertising market presents a number of significant
opportunities for Rubicon Project,” said Jay Stevens, General Manager of
International for Rubicon Project. “Mariano’s background at RCS Media
Group, where he developed the company’s programmatic strategy, makes him
the perfect addition to our team as we expand our leadership position in
the automated advertising industry in the country. The opening of our
10th international office and our first in Italy highlights Rubicon
Project’s ongoing commitment to the market and to advancing adoption of
automation throughout Southern Europe.”
About Rubicon Project
Rubicon Project (NYSE: RUBI) has engineered the Advertising Automation
Cloud, one of the largest real-time cloud and Big Data computing
systems. The Company’s mission is to automate the buying and selling of
advertising by offering innovative technology solutions to connect
buyers and sellers globally. www.RubiconProject.com
@RubiconProject
1 IDC Worldwide Digital Advertising Market Model, 1Q15
Copyright Business Wire 2015