Channel Bakers opens Scotland office to expand global reach
Last updated: February 2022
California-based global marketing agency Channel Bakers has opened a new office in Glasgow, Scotland to serve the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.
For California-based international marketing agency Channel Bakers, the growth of ecommerce has meant global expansion. This has included opening a new office in Glasgow, Scotland, to serve the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.
Our international team initially helped Channel Bakers through the process of setting up in Scotland. We were able to connect them to our professional networks and the right skills and talent required for their expansion.
Support from SDI
Sarah Speer, General Manager of European Operations for Channel Bakers (pictured) and a Scot herself, was an advocate for the move to Scotland, and has praised Scottish Development International for the assistance it has provided.
"We didn’t have to do as much research and development ourselves, because Scottish Development International had done that on our behalf.”
Sarah graduated in Business and Management from Glasgow Caledonian University and met her husband Tyler, a Californian, while working for technology company Apple.
The couple were the first two full-time employees of Channel Bakers, which was launched in 2015 by chief executive Joshua Kreitzer.
Sarah Speer, General Manager of European Operations for Channel Bakers
"When online retailer Amazon first launched its advertising platform, Josh could see it was a massive opportunity and started his own company specialising in Amazon Advertising," Sarah explains.
Called Amazon Ads, the operation is now generating around $7 billion USD a quarter opens in a new window and growing more than 70% a year, according to reports.
Channel Bakers is building a foothold in other ecommerce platforms, like Google and Walmart, and continues to grow with Amazon.
Video advertising is a big area of growth, and the company has its own video studio creating content for advertisers.
"Video advertising is incredibly important," Sarah says. "Most people shop on Amazon from a mobile device and want to watch videos that showcase the features and benefits of a product. Amazon is becoming a one-stop-shop platform across the globe. We want to be where those consumers are."
Channel Bakers has built and managed more than 80,000 campaigns worldwide, while overseeing more than $100 million USD in client spend on Amazon.
Its experience spans sectors including consumer electronics, fashion, entertainment, packaged goods, over-the-counter drugs and automotive.
In less than two years, the company has grown from 58 employees in Anaheim, California, to more than 220 employees around the world. It also has offices in Taiwan and the Philippines.
Making new connections
During their fact-finding trip to Scotland in 2019, we helped Channel Bakers by introducing them to professional advisers and potential partners. These included The Data Lab opens in a new window – Scotland's innovation centre for data and artificial intelligence – and The Bayes Centre opens in a new window , the University of Edinburgh’s innovation hub for data science and artificial intelligence.
We also connected Channel Bakers with an immigration law specialist at Talent Scotland, which promotes Scotland as an outstanding place to live and work.
Access to skills and talent
Talent and time zones were other factors that influenced the company’s decision to locate in Scotland.
"The talent is number one," says Sarah. "We’ve recruited team members who were studying here at university and have fallen in love with the country. Now that we’re here, the time differences are easier, and we can respond more quickly to clients.
"We are a melting pot of diversity, cultures and languages – which really helps to drive our global expansion."
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Want to know more?
If you'd like to her more about the experience of Channel Bakers and why Scotland could be an ideal location for your tech business, get in touch.