Httpool is a media company acting as an extended team for top media social platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. In recent years, the company has been growing at a speed that could make start-ups jealous.
We chatted with Robin Conley, Regional Marketing Manager and Oksana Adaskevica, Regional HR Manager Baltics, about their unique position in the advertising ecosystem and the many career opportunities working in a thriving global company presents.
Interview
🔵 How would you describe Httpool to people outside the firm?
Robin: Httpool fills the niche between advertisers and global platforms. The advertiser could be of any type: small or large business, start-up, agency. And platforms are Facebook, Spotify, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other major media platforms. Httpool is between those two sides.
On the one hand, we are partners to the major media platforms by representing their sales interests in regions where they don’t have an office. At the same time, we also consider ourselves partners for the advertisers because we help them get the most out of the platforms and grow their business.
🔵 So not just another media agency?
Robin: Definitely not. I can understand why it might be confusing because traditionally, agencies are middlemen. People see that Httpool is between advertiser and platform and assume we fill the agency’s role, but it’s a very different relationship.
For example, Facebook hasn’t opened an office in Tallinn, and it’s unlikely they ever will. That’s where Httpool steps in – Facebook calls us ASPs or Authorised Sales Partners. Our role is to give advertisers in the region the Facebook experience in terms of consulting them, educating them and making sure they get the most out of the platform with each campaign.
🔵 What’s the scale of Httpool right now in terms of territories, offices, and clients? How large are you in the Baltics region?
Robin: We have over 35 offices worldwide at the moment, but I think nobody really knows the accurate number anymore as it grows constantly. (Laughing.) However, if you look at our parent company Aleph Holding Group, which also contains IMS, Wise.Blue and Social Snack, then we are present in approximately 90 markets worldwide. So it’s quite a lot.
Oksana: And in Baltics, we currently have 100+ employees, but the number is growing every week. So far in 2021, we have hired 50+ people just in the Baltics, and we still expect to increase this number by the end of the year.
🔵 Robin, when did you join Httpool? What attracted you to jump on board?
Robin: I’ve been here for one year, but it feels like five due to the number of projects and the sheer amount of learning.
Before joining Httpool, I had worked in a media agency for several years, and the work I was doing was fairly steady. So I just felt a need to enter a new environment that was very dynamic, fast-growing, international and exciting. Httpool certainly fits that description. The company is growing and evolving all the time, so there’s a lot of opportunities to take advantage of. You are trusted to tackle new projects with great responsibility, which makes the learning curve really steep. And that’s great!
🔵 Did you have any doubts regarding the company or the team? How has it worked out so far?
Robin: No, I didn’t hesitate, partly because I was already in the headspace that I wanted to take on a new challenge. But also, I met Arnis Ozols, the Regional Managing Director, before joining the company. I really liked his style and attitude – he’s got a very entrepreneurial spirit, and he’s also supportive and trusting.
🔵 You have worked in media for a long time – How’s Httpool different from an agency in your experience?
Robin: It’s a lot different. Httpool is in a very neutral position in the advertising ecosystem as we partner with the platforms, agencies, and advertisers all at once, allowing us to search for win-win-win solutions.
We don’t have a separate fee for advertisers to use our services – If a client uses Facebook ads and signs up for Httpool’s consulting and expert opinion, they are still only paying for their ad spend. So we can be very open and transparent about what’s best for advertisers.
🔵 How much do you get to collaborate with Httpool’s different regions around the world?
Robin: I am working with different countries and regions every single day. The marketing team is considered a centralised unit in Httpool, so my colleagues are in Austria, Slovenia, Dubai, Russia and India. Many of our meetings are online, but when COVID passes, there will be travelling involved too. For example, I have weekly calls with our group’s CMO from New York, but next month I’m finally meeting her in person.
Some jobs are more local, of course. People who consult local agencies and advertisers are still mostly working on the local level. Internally, however, Httpool is very much a global environment.
🔵 What new challenges and opportunities does the company’s striking growth trajectory present to you personally?
Robin: By working in Httpool, you are always part of the building process. We are growing so quickly, still building our teams, expanding and restructuring all the time, which means you get to create many of the processes as you go. You’re not just riding the rocket ship but also building it as it’s flying up into space. It’s challenging at times, but mostly really exciting because it’s not very often you get to put your opinion into building a major company.
Another cool thing is the relative importance of the Baltics inside the company. On a world level, our region is quite small, so usually, the Baltics are not prioritised strategically by global companies. Or somebody from a head office somewhere forgets to budget your country’s media spend because it simply didn’t enter their mind. (Laughing.)
In Httpool, it’s the opposite – The Baltics are a significant part of the business, and we are setting up global teams right here in the Riga office. So you have the opportunity to spearhead global processes from here.
Oksana: Baltics is indeed one of the strongest and biggest regions in the whole Httpool, and we’ve had the privilege to establish a hub here in Riga for several global teams. And I agree with Robin that every employee has the opportunity to contribute to building the processes at Httpool. I think it’s a great opportunity and challenge for everyone to be part of building something from scratch.
🔵 How is the vibe inside the company with fresh team members joining and projects steadily getting bigger?
Oksana: There are very positive vibes in the team, and it’s really a lot of fun. We love what we do and do what we love. Everyone is very passionate – this is something that unites us.
Robin: I don’t know if that’s part of Oksana’s hiring process, but she’s managed to hire people that are not stiff corporate types but are very personable and easy to get on with.
But I think that in general, people who enter advertising and marketing really tend to want to work in this area. Additionally, working in Httpool is a deliberate decision as people want to collaborate with the big platforms. People don’t end up here just by chance. So you get very enthusiastic personalities, which leads to a lot of productivity and new ideas. For people that want to achieve something, it’s a very fulfilling environment.
🔵 Do you plan to slow down your hiring rate any time soon?
Oksana: No, no way! (Laughing)
🔵 What are your hiring goals for the next 12 months?
Oksana: We don’t have an exact number yet, but I expect to expand our Baltics workforce next year by at least 30% as we are expanding all our teams.
🔵 Who would you encourage to apply to work at Httpool?
Oksana: People who are bright, smart, passionate, keen to learn and develop, positive, full of energy, creative. People who are ready to work with top digital experts, learn from them and become top experts themselves.
Robin: People who have a deep interest in digital marketing, and also some experience and success in this area, would love to work in Httpool because you’ll be challenged. And you’ll be working on a global scale. And you’ll be at the forefront of innovation, working with some of the most influential platforms on the planet. If you’re interested in digital marketing and think global, you can certainly go global with Httpool.
We have interviewed a lot of great companies & people over the past year. Companies ranging from consultancies and corporations to unicorns, each of which has its unique story to tell. There has been an equally diverse set of interviewees, from CEOs to CTOs, and, of course, many people from Human Resources. ✌️
Which interview has been the most interesting? It’s hard to tell definitively, but here are the top 10 most popular articles, ranked by the number of readers.
#10 – Evolution
We kick off the list with one of the most technical interviews we’ve ever done – a conversation with Juris Krikis, Scala and JavaScript Department Lead. 🛠
If you are into software engineering, then the interview is a blast: We discuss the main benefits of using Scala, transitioning the codebase into a new language while the system remains in production, and the best way to learn a new programming language.
We chatted with Supermetrics in the autumn of 2020, right after they announced a blockbuster €40M Series B funding round. 💰
The interview with Viivi Marttinen, People Operations Manager, went deep into their recruiting process, including how they find the best candidates & convince them to join the company. Also, we touched on the set-up of the HR team and how remote work has changed the way they operate.
kevin. is a fast-growing fin-tech from Lithuania with the utmost flexibility in terms of working time and place. 🌍
Agnė Meškaitė, their Chief People Officer, explained how kevin. focuses on results, not on hours spent working, and how they set up their organization to fit every employee’s individual flow and peak productivity hours.
Jüri Tarkpea shared his 20-year career with us, culminating with the opening of brand new development centres in Tallinn and Tartu.
From using a soviet military map to track off-road vehicles to selling his company to Fleet Complete and becoming a Global VP of Engineering, this has been quite a ride. 🚗
A candid conversation with Hanna Kontinen, Head of Talent & Culture at Brella, about their progress in diversity and inclusion. 👣
By creating a diverse environment, they aim to unlock innovation and allow for more unique ideas. But what KPI-s to track? How to include these ideas in the hiring process? And why should companies stay humble while discussing D&I issues?
Nord Security began inside the Tesonet accelerator back in 2012. Now the company has nearly 700 employees and 15 million users worldwide. 🔥
In 2021, Nord Security stepped outside of Tesonet and started building separate company culture and employer brand. Karina Dirvonskienė, Head of HR, talked about the opportunities and challenges that followed this decision.
Tomas Unikauskis, CEO of Smart Brands Lab, opens the world of micro-brands for us. 🔎
We talk about their proprietary niche brand scoring algorithm that identifies the new target products and how they manage their five existing niche brands. Also, can a micro-brand sometimes be too micro?
In the summer of 2020, the news broke that Boku will acquire Fortumo for up to 40M euros. 🤝
Fortumo’s excellent team was mentioned as the main reason for the deal, so we naturally wanted to talk with their Head of HR, Signe Virolainen. How do you create a culture that is worth tens of millions?
The 2nd most popular interview is about something boring that just might make you a millionaire one day – share options. 💸
Vinted helped to explain it once and for all: How do they grant the options to the employees? How long is the vesting period? What is the potential upside? Are there any risks?
The most popular interview of the past year was written right when dark clouds caused by the pandemic started to clear for Bolt. ☀️
In addition to the insight into the company, Nikolai Kabatsikov, Head of Talent at Bolt, also offers timeless advice on building a LinkedIn profile and getting hired to a fast-growing tech company.
As the economy’s strain on the climate has become unsustainable, new business models emerge with the emphasis of producing less and reusing more. Take Vinted, for example, a second-hand clothing marketplace with over 45 million users. Ovoko brings this revolution to the most unexpected of places – the used car parts industry. In Lithuania, they operate under the brand RRR.LT.
The industry has its unique challenges but is no less significant in bringing the world closer to the circular economy and ultimately tackling the pressing environmental challenges. To move their industry forward, RRR.LT develops advanced technology, including AI, computer vision, automation and analytics solutions. Their Head of R&D, Mindaugas Šipelis, talked to us about how they streamline the scrapyards’ workflow and raise the customer experience with tech.
The Interview
🔵 To start at the very beginning, what business problem does RRR.LT solve? Who are your customers?
RRR.LT is an online marketplace for used car parts, serving customers all across the European Union and beyond.
We innovate on a historically very undigitized industry, illustrated by the fact that 90% of used parts for sale are not available online. Our goal is to provide a frictionless purchasing experience for customers and open new market opportunities for our suppliers.
As a marketplace, we connect both sides: sellers and buyers. We currently have 780 suppliers on our platform – scrapyards, dismantlers, recyclers. They are crucial to us because the marketplace wouldn’t have any inventory without them. And the buyers are both regular car owners and car repair workshops.
🔵 So basically, RRR.LT takes a very undigitized industry into the 21st century?
Buying a used spare part before RRR.LT was complicated, even if the part itself was as good as the new one. The customer had to find the correct scrapyard, book an appointment via phone, physically drive there and figure out if the spare part fits your car. It might take multiple days to get the component you need.
On RRR.LT, you simply have to insert your car model, and we show you the complete list of available spare parts from our sellers with photos, descriptions, quality information, etc. You can order the spare part in a matter of clicks, and if it doesn’t fit, return it free of charge. So yes, in short, we are trying to offer this service as it should be in the 21st century.
🔵 You talked about how you make buyers’ life easier, but how does RRR.LT benefit the suppliers?
Historically, selling used car parts has been a very local business, but our marketplace allows suppliers to reach more potential customers and create more value. Sellers benefit from better service and customer support that boosts buyers’ confidence. Finally, they also gain access to market data to make informed business decisions about what cars to buy and dismantle.
🔵 Great, let’s move on to the innovative technical solutions. How have you applied computer vision in your business?
We have over 3 million different spare parts on the platform, each uploaded individually by our sellers. To list a new item, they have to pick it up on the scrapyard, recognize what part it is, inspect it, write a description and take photos. This process is quite time-consuming and requires a fair amount of detailed knowledge of the spare parts.
Our computer vision product is one way to speed up the process. When you open the camera inside our app, our technology recognises the spare part and prefills as much information about it as possible.
🔵 How did you design the product from a technical standpoint?
Reading the spare part number could seem like an easy task, but there are some tricky elements. At first, we had to build an enormous database of images of spare parts and information about them. Our advanced artificial intelligence model trains the computer vision product based on this dataset.
Also, we had to solve some challenges that are more specific to car parts. Sometimes, there might be a lot of technical information on the label of a spare part, so you have to find the correct number. Or in the case of plastic spare parts, the part number is usually imprinted, which makes identifying it with computer vision very difficult, as there could be lighting issues or unexpected shadows. Our model is already advanced enough to recognize these cases.
🔵 What’s the accuracy rate for recognizing the part number?
Accuracy is quite satisfying already – about 80 to 90%. We count the accuracy with all the edge cases where even humans can’t read the part number because it’s worn, dusty or rusty. Our model is sometimes still able to detect the number, so I think we have great accuracy.
Of course, the more popular cars have higher accuracy rates than the less popular ones. Also, it depends on the quality of the image and the specific spare part.
🔵 How far have you developed the computer vision product? When can customers start using it?
We currently run applications in the testing environment, but we’ll make them publicly available soon. Initially, it will enable our suppliers to list the spare parts on the marketplace faster, as discussed earlier. In the future, we would like to make it available to the buyers as well. If some part of your car breaks, identifying the correct component without technical knowledge is strenuous. Our computer vision product can help with that.
🔵 I understand that in addition to computer vision, you have engineered a semi-automated photo booth. How does it work exactly?
Computer vision product solves one step of the identification and listing process, but we are thinking about our suppliers’ entire workflow. There might be hundreds of thousands of spare parts in the warehouse, but as long as they sit on the shelf, the chances of someone buying them is very low.
Our conveyor project helps to speed up another step of the listing process. We custom built a machine that, in addition to identifying the spare part with computer vision, also automatically weights it and takes photos and measurements. We developed this product to be very user friendly, even if you are not very familiar with spare parts. As a supplier, you merely have to print out the label for the product and wait until someone purchases it online.
🔵 And this also aims to solve the supply problem, to get more inventory to the platform?
We currently see that uploading new products is a bottleneck for us: Although you can already sell spare parts internationally with our platform, the uploading process still relies heavily on manual labour. We try to provide our suppliers with the technology to make it faster. Another benefit for us is that we get way higher quality images and more structured data.
🔵 How much quicker can a person upload the products to RRR.LT with the conveyor?
If we compare it to the suppliers with the quickest upload speed today, this solution will be at least 3-5 times faster. But for those who are uploading the products at a slower pace, this might be up to 10 times faster.
But actually, we are doing two things at once. As mentioned previously, considerably higher data quality is an additional benefit on top of the faster process. The photos will have a higher resolution and better lighting, and the item’s description is always correct and structured.
🔵 And finally, analytics! I assume that before RRR.LT, the data about the used car parts market was challenging to find or maybe didn’t exist at all?
Yes, data and analytics are essential for us. Without the data, we couldn’t be so confident in what we are building. Currently, the scrapyards are working from their experience, but we have the data to detect trends in the car market. For example, if some car brand’s sales rise, then we know that some years down the line, the demand for spare parts will also grow.
Another example would be unmet demand in the market for some car brands. We can find those opportunities from the data and point them out to our suppliers, who can fill the gap and make good margins. The opposite also might be true – if there is already a lot of inventory for some models, then we can tell the suppliers that it’s not realistic to sell that many items.
🔵 What’s the long-term vision that you are building towards with all these new products?
Excellent question! We could change the customer experience for both sides in only a few years by bringing advanced digital technology to an industry that has never had it before.
The big vision for the future is that we will conserve resources by producing fewer new car parts. Instead, we can increasingly learn to reuse things. It will be even more crucial in the future, considering the environmental challenges we face. I think that reusing car parts will become the new normal and the customer’s first choice. By extending the usable life of the vehicle parts, we step closer to the circular economy.
🔵 Let’s jump to another subject for the very last question. You simultaneously develop both physical and digital products, including AI solutions. Does it get difficult to cover all these technical areas at once?
Yes, it’s actually very challenging to combine the different technologies. We need very high competencies on all fronts. For instance, developing hardware could look straightforward at a surface level. But when you start analyzing your specific use cases, drawbacks in the existing solutions become apparent, and you have to rethink and redesign everything.
So it is very challenging at times, but then again, we are the R&D team, so complex technical challenges are our bread and butter. Of course, it’s only possible if you have a highly competent team.
Check out Ovoko’s open positions on their career page.
Introducing VNTRS Estonia – Startup Studio & a VC fund enriching Northern Europe’s start-up world. Founded in Sweden in 2016, they have invested in 24 companies and worked with hundreds of others. Now they have also settled in the Estonian start-up scene. Using the Sweat Equity model & their VEQ fund to help companies grow, VNTRS is well connected with start-up hubs in the Baltics.
VNTRS has an attractive career path to offer for people who are invested in growing tech companies. And by ‘invested’, we mean both personal and professional growth. An employee investment possibility also comes with working at VNTRS, of course. Morgan Vernay, Senior Javascript Developer at VNTRS, enlightened us on sweat equity and their vision of collaborating with start-ups.
The Interview
🔵 Let’s bring everyone up to date on how VNTRS came about and how you are making the world a better place?
Our vision is the world where good ideas become successful. We believe that too many good ideas, passionate entrepreneurs, and intrapreneurs fall short due to the wrong reasons – we are here to change this.
We build digital products and services while also helping start-ups get to the market cost-effectively. If we believe in the people and the companies we work with, we are willing to reinvest part of our fee to equity, become shareholders and long-term tech partners. Our investment portfolio currently consists of 24 early-stage tech companies that we’ve helped to build, and we have also worked with hundreds of clients following VNTRS’ values.
As mentioned above, we risk and benefit together with our partners. This is what the concept of VNTRS – Sweat Equity is all about. In 2021, we also started the VNTRS VEQ investment company to expand our investment capabilities. VEQ will invest in pre-seed and seed rounds with a mandate all over Europe but focus on the Nordics and Baltics. VEQ does not have a traditional fund structure and thus can remain a long term active owner as long as it makes sense for both sides.
🔵 How has the startup scene welcomed you here in Estonia?
Since opening up the Estonian office in February 2021, we have seen a lot of interest from Estonian and Baltic startups. We focus on introducing the Sweat Equity concept to the founders as this model was not well-known in Estonia in the past. Nowadays, we deliver the message and spread the work through the benefits of this model, connecting ourselves to VC funds, incubators, and accelerators.
We screen about ten start-ups weekly, asking the best ones to pitch for our Investment Committee. Collaboration with local ecosystem players helps us to guarantee a stable flow of incoming leads.
Within those 4 months of operation, we landed our first Sweat Equity project in Estonia, helped several companies with consulting, and managed to work on one additional cash project. As things stand, there are several more investment projects in the pipeline. That’s one of the reasons we are looking for additions to our team.
🔵 The ever-changing work environment at startups can be challenging for developers. What would you say are the main distinctions in work-life between VNTRS and startups?
I would somewhat disagree here. I have been researching this topic, and according to my research, developers primarily seek to switch jobs as they get tired of the same product development; they feel a lack of impact in decision making rather than just completing the set tasks. Also, as a start-up is growing, the “romance” of the work nature is disappearing.
In VNTRS, we offer the developers various projects with 100% involvement and freedom to achieve technical tasks. Developers can finish one (long or short-term) project and choose to have some other tasks in hand for the next one. We always involve our developers in workshops, scoping sessions, MVP mapping process, etc. Coding is just one part of a developer’s job.
🔵 Could you elaborate on how VNTRS’ lifecycle management helps to relieve common pain points found at start-ups?
Very often you will find developers only completing tasks assigned to them while being micromanaged at the same time. We strongly believe that involvement is vital to solving this issue, and we enable it through different means. First and foremost, we want our engineers and developers to feel like they impact the whole process of working with start-ups. We also believe that start-ups lack diversity in developers’ daily tasks.
For our engineers and developers to find solutions for our clients, we believe that a deep understanding of the start-up and its product is key for everyone involved. Getting this knowledge enables our engineers and developers to provide valuable input to our clients during the whole process. This allows our employees to work with external clients and our start-ups to widen their skill sets.
Last but not least, we feel like having a foot in the game motivates you to give your best. That is why we run our company using sweat equity. Every employee in the company can invest in the project they are working on.
🔵 Working at VNTRS means collaborating with multiple start-ups at once instead of choosing only one. How does it manifest itself in daily life?
This means that while you could be in the “coding” phase of a product for one start-up, you could also have part of your time attributed to screening potential new start-ups or helping others in our portfolio to scope their MVP.
Working at VNTRS as a Javascript developer, you can expect a lot of diversity in your daily tasks. We believe that developers and engineers are more than just good at coding. We value their input regarding the whole lifecycle of the products. Our clients appreciate the fact that they can count on VNTRS at all stages of the partnership and always have insightful interlocutors to help them solve their problems using the talent and experience of the whole team. Both Swedish and Estonian.
🔵 VNTRS also has a ‘sweat equity’ system in place, aiming to raise employee engagement even further. Could you give a brief overview of what it is and how it works?
Sweat equity means investing ‘sweat’ instead of money. We are giving out our consultancy and seek equity of the client-company in return. This model came to light in the 1930s in California, US. Back then, immigrants had no place to live and no money to buy an apartment. Local real estate developers approached them and offered a deal, ‘help us to build houses, and in return, as an alternative to the salary, we will give you an apartment, where you could live.’
VNTRS is doing the same by not seeking monetary compensation for the services but asking for equity instead. We can reinvest part of our fee back into the start-up and thus become a minor shareholder. This takes the collaboration to a higher level as we are directly interested in growing the start-up’s valuation.
A ‘killer feature’ of our company is that all of the employees invest part of their salary into the VNTRS fund. This means that all of the workers are shareholders of the project they are working on. The given system allows our workers to get engaged and have direct motivation for success while clients see us as trustworthy partners. We are not an outsourcing company, where the more hours you spend on the project, the more money you will earn. Sweat Equity is about growing together with our startups, as only then can VNTRS be successful!
🔵 When and why did VNTRS choose to use sweat equity? How does it impact a company’s working life, people & operation wise?
This was the decision from day one. In the beginning, it is surely risky and challenging as you need to find the right balance to be able to cover all the running costs, but VNTRS did play this right from the start.
Our experience shows that the Sweat Equity model is efficient and great for founders. We are now applying all the know-how gathered in Sweden to the Estonian market.
🔵 What are some of the qualities you’re looking for in new developers joining the team?
When it comes to hiring new developers, we look for pragmatic and self-acting people with a drive to become experts in their field of work and at working with start-ups. We look for people willing to produce clean quality code using recent and relevant technologies to help the start-ups in our portfolio grow.
Httpool is a media company with a global reach and direct access to the largest tech platforms in the world. We talked with Arnis Ozols, their Regional Managing Director, about why talent should consider joining the journey. For a candid look into the company and its projects, we also chatted with four bright sales & marketing experts from Httpool.
The Interview
🔵 How would you describe Httpool to a regular person?
Httpool exclusively represents global media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Spotify and more, in markets where these platforms don’t have a local presence. We also strongly value and invest in the relationships with the advertisers who work with us using our partners’ platforms. In the end, our mission is to accelerate the business growth of advertisers in our region.
🔵 Why did you start hiring at such a high rate in the summer of 2021?
We bring value to the largest regional advertisers from different segments like startups, unicorns, SMEs or media agencies. Our business has been growing at an exponential rate over the past years, and we have become the most significant media holding company in the Baltics.
As we grow, we want to make sure that we can match the needs of our growing client database with a relevant and top-notch team. And so, we are constantly looking to increase and diversify our talent pool.
🔵 What are the main advantages of working for a global company like Httpool?
Httpool indeed went from being a local player to a truly global company. As a sales or digital marketing specialist, you will have an opportunity to work with a diverse set of advertisers and receive the most recent updates from all the well-known media platforms. Our employees are constantly trained and educated directly from the source (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Spotify, LinkedIn, etc.) and, when allowed, are travelling to various offices of Httpool and our partners across the world.
🔵 What could a person expect from working at Httpool?
You will work with diverse and very passionate teammates and get the opportunity for swift career development with a global aspect to your work. We have transparency in our decision-making process, flexibility in the workplace, an above-market remuneration model, and specific employee benefits.
🔵 What are the main qualities you look for in new people joining your team?
We are looking for passionate, self-driven experts. The most important qualities are high learning potential and the ability to work in a team. Currently we have almost 30 open positions in our region that require consultative sales or digital marketing background.
In 2020, we grew 10 times in terms of regional revenues, and we will continue our exponential growth in 2021. So the future is super exciting. We are not only growing in the number of employees, and with new and exciting clients, but we are also expanding media representations and adding in markets. Working with Httpool is never boring, business realities keep changing sometimes even daily, as the company continues expanding.
What projects have you worked on with Snap?
Marta: As Snapchat is a camera app, Augmented Reality (AR) is a big part of my everyday work. This technology field is developing rapidly, and I enjoy implementing these innovations for brands that haven’t used them before. It takes them to another level of advertising.
I have worked on AR projects for many international brands such as Samsung, McDonald’s, Pepsi. A recent example is an interactive campaign for a music documentary. We plan to create a custom lens for them and add a Snapcode on all the posters.
What is the most valuable experience that you‘ve gained working at Httpool?
Robin: One of the highlights is the PR activity around the Cyberpunk 2077 video game launch on Twitter. We activated our employees with the game, t-shirts and day-off as a reward for their hard work. People responded enthusiastically and joined in our activities.
As a result, we received amazing praise from our partner and also some employment CVs. We now have great new colleagues thanks to this!
What would you suggest to fellow marketers looking to improve their skills?
Pauls: Keep an open mind & be critical about the information you read. When it comes to the knowledge available online, there’s a lot of clutter. There’s usually not a one-size-fits-all solution, especially in marketing.
Follow relevant sources that have different angles on the topic & when possible, try to test the approaches in your everyday life. Find an organization that can support the development of your skills and lets you shine. Education is key to success.
What are some of the best reasons to work for Httpool in your opinion?
Dmitrijs: First of all, it is a substantial professional step up, as Httpool gives a chance to have a broader look at the digital marketing industry in the region and an opportunity to work with clients of various sizes and verticals.
Httpool believes in growing talents, so it is an excellent opportunity to gain knowledge from webinars, training and colleagues from all around the world who have unbelievable experience in the industry. Besides the professional side, Httpool organizes different events and activities for the employees to have fun. Work hard, play hard.
