Podcast company Acast has expanded into Melbourne with the hire of Bryce Crosswell as group sales lead for Victoria.
Crosswell is the first Victoria-based hire for the company. He is responsible for spearheading growth in the market for Acast, working with brands and agencies to include podcasting in their audio marketing strategies.
Crosswell was previously group sales manager at JCDecaux where he spent the past nine years.
The company’s expansion into Victoria comes as it reports net sales growth of 89% for the 2021 third quarter when compared to the year prior.
“One of our key objectives this year has been to broaden our presence across Australia,” says Acast AUNZ managing director Henrik Isaksson.
“Having seen a real demand from clients in Victoria, we know that now is the perfect time to put boots on the ground in Melbourne. Having Bryce as part of the team represents the next stage of growth for Acast in Australia and that local touch point will prove invaluable for Victorian advertisers wanting to tell their story with podcasting.”
Podcasting continues to rise in Australia, with PwC’s 17th annual Australian Entertainment & Media Outlook report forecasting commercial expenditure in Australian podcasting to hit $105 million in 2022, up from $5 million in 2017.
To keep up with growth and demand of local advertisers, Acast has grown its team in Australia, going from six employees to 23 in the past 12 months.
“I first got hooked on podcasts for the educational aspect, but have since been captivated by the storytelling capabilities podcasts have to offer — and I’m quickly learning that it’s those same storytelling capabilities that make podcast advertising so unique,” Crosswell says.
“There’s huge potential for advertisers in this space, so I’m eager to lead the expansion of the commercial team into Victoria and to help local brands reach listeners across Australia and the world.”
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