Disruptive Hong Kong digital leaders of Httpool Asia announce IMS majority stake acquisition of Httpool Group
Digital trailblazers Charlene Ree and Angie Chung reflect on business advancements through ‘winning optimization formula’
November 2017, Hong Kong – Challenging the parameters of Asia’s digital ecosystem since 2009, leading Httpool Asia entrepreneurs Charlene Ree and Angie Chung today announced that a majority stake of Httpool Group has been acquired by IMS (Internet Media Services). The closing acquisition is a global Httpool action that Httpool Asia, based in Hong Kong, plays a critical role in. Revenue for Httpool Asia is ranked second globally in the Httpool Group. In July 2017, it was announced globally that IMS (a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Television Networks and one of the largest digital ad sales and media buying companies in Latin America) would acquire a majority stake in the company.
Established in 2009, Httpool Asia is Hong Kong’s leading digital performance solution provider. With a 50% year on year trajectory for the past three years and earnings increasing five times over since 2014, the business is agile, armed with unparalleled digital knowledge and accountable for client education and success. Annually, the Httpool Asia completes at least 1,500 campaigns, which amounts to working with on average 200 brands annually.
Having grown from a team of two people in 2009 to over 20 people in 2017, the business leaders claim that the success of Httpool Asia comes down to their smart way of working, as well as their commitment to thoroughly educating the team and clients on the capabilities of digital.
The pioneering Httpool Asia business leaders successfully carved a niche in the market, establishing the business in 2009 at a time when Asia was behind digital market trends and Hong Kong was still a niche digital space.
Httpool Asia successfully boasts a number of firsts for the digital sphere in Hong Kong and wider Asia. Advocates for an integrated media approach to search, display and social, they created tangible sales packages for clients based on this combined approach. Already using the CPC buying model for display media, Ree and Chung then went one step further by launching the Cost per Visit (CPV) model in 2009, a first for Asia. This guaranteed not only clicks on a banner, but also the quality of the clicks; ensuring audiences with the actual intention to learn more about a product or offers clicked on the ad.
Disrupting the industry further, Httpool Asia then guaranteed website visits and ad impressions. This new double guarantee for clients skyrocketed Httpool Asia into favor with clients hungry to make an impact in the digital space. Httpool Asia was also the first ad networks to operate on “ad exchange”, the first-generation real-time bidding “trading desk” in Hong Kong.
