Reddit ramps up Australian ad push

Reddit has named Cassie Gilbert as director of Australia and New Zealand as the platform accelerates its local advertising push, following a 43% increase in active advertisers over the past year.

Gilbert will lead Reddit's next phase of growth across the region, with a remit spanning agency partnerships, advertiser growth and its broader presence in market. The appointment coincides with five years of Reddit operating locally and comes as Australia grows into one of the platform's top five global markets.

Around 11,000 Australians are now signing up to Reddit each day, according to company data, while its local headcount has tripled over the past year.

The company has also opened a new Sydney CBD headquarters spanning sales, measurement, creative and marketing.

Gilbert brings experience helping global technology platforms including Pinterest and Spotify establish themselves in Australia.

“Over the past two years, I’ve seen Australians actively embracing Reddit as a place to connect, share, and build community,” Gilbert said.

“In my new role, I’m committed to leading our next chapter by helping agencies and advertisers tap into Reddit’s high-intent communities to build relevance, earn trust, and drive results.”

Reddit said brands including Optus, Queensland Police, Mecca and AHM are now using the platform locally, while its research found 56% of Australian Reddit users use it for brand discovery. The leadership move lands as Reddit continues building out the advertising products sitting behind that commercial push.

The platform has separately launched 15-second Engaged Video Views in public beta for advertisers globally, introducing a new video optimisation goal and billing option designed to find users most likely to watch a video to completion or for at least 15 seconds.

The product is pitched at longer-form video creative including trailers, product demonstrations, explainers and testimonials.

Reddit said alpha testers recorded a 51% lift in 15-second view-through rates and a 71% increase in average video completion rates.

The launch adds to a rapidly expanding advertising stack as Reddit works to turn the scale and intent of its communities into a larger mainstream media proposition for brands.

For Gilbert, that means convincing Australian agencies and advertisers that Reddit belongs on more media plans.

“I’ve watched the conversation around the platform change, from being seen as a collection of passionate communities to being recognised as a powerful source of culture, insight and influence,” Reddit head of LCS sales Australia Ryan Day said.

“That shift, driven by the depth and engagement of Australia’s communities, is what makes our growth here so meaningful and the market so strategically valuable.”