Pandora has opened a new office in Minneapolis that will help bolster the online radio company’s local advertising efforts. The team will be tasked with developing new contracts and renewing existing ones among advertisers in the area. Jeff Mikitka, regional vice president of Pandora, told The Star Tribune that having a team on the ground makes a big impact in advertising.
“You’re not flying in to meet with people,” he said. “You are walking across the street to meet with people. That makes a significant difference. We’ve seen that everywhere we’ve gone across the country.”
Pandora has had a local team in Minneapolis since 2012, but is now moving them into a 5,000 square-foot office. It is the 37th such office for the company. Advertising sales are a major component of Pandora’s revenue; in Q2 2015, ads brought in $231 million, or 80% of its quarterly revenue. On-the-street selling in local radio markets is Pandora’s major strategic investment on the business side.