Painting it Purple in A/NZ
Purple has been recruiting like crazy following a $5m investment announced in January 2015. We raised the investment to accelerate our product development and also to recruit a global sales team. One of the key regions in our expansion plan was Australia and New Zealand, or A/NZ. We started out small and have grown incredibly fast, due to both the nature of our fast-moving product and the demands of the market.
Key customer wins
Some of the key wins in 2015 for Purple in the A/NZ region have been in the retail, hospitality and government sectors, with numerous councils coming on board. Purple’s unparalleled and futuristic platform provides insights into customer footfall, loyalty and social media trends which allow businesses to understand their customers better.
We are working alongside local partners such as Net-worxs Software and Community Telco, with customers including Waterford Plaza, Mirrabooka Square, Mackay Airport and Cairns Airport, Wholesome Bean, Eclipse Gym and Belgium Beer Melbourne.
Set up for success
We knew that hiring the right people was crucial to our success, so we appointed Saurabh Madan to the role of Sales Manager A/NZ in April 2015. Saurabh is a true ambassador for Purple and the results he has achieved speak for themselves. He won the ‘Most Extreme Sales Pioneer’ global award as part of our Sales Kick Off at the beginning of the year.
Another important step in Purple’s expansion in the A/NZ region is the appointment of Petah Green as VP, Asia Pacific. Prior to joining Purple, Petah was the Head of Microsoft’s Enterprise and Public Sector Sales for Australia and New Zealand and their Specialist Sales Director. Petah’s role with Purple will see her responsible for growth and strategic direction across the APJ region.
Growth numbers that speak for themselves
- Number of partners increased by 2,300%
- Number of customers increased by 576%
- Revenue increased by 426%
PR and Events in region
Part our growth strategy was attending high profile events in the region with our partners, including two of the biggest events in the tech space during last year – Cisco Live and Telstra Vantage.
We have also generated interest in the local media with news of our expansion and the partners we are working with.
Examples of coverage:
What’s next for Purple
Saurabh Madan, Sales Manager, Purple AN/Z says: “2016 is going to be much bigger year `for us with a huge pipeline of clients that we can help in growing their businesses. Purple has transitioned from a guest WiFi enablement and analytics tool to a unique platform that allows our customers to gather data from every sensor and data source connected in their premises. This transition presents our customers with a unique opportunity to understand visitor movements in and around their venues and also to engage with them meaningfully.”