Mark Smith joins Common as sales director, reuniting with former LADbible colleagues

Mark Smith has been appointed as the Sales Director at Common, Australia’s newest multi-media publisher on a mission to make social media a better place.

Reporting directly to CEO Joe Summers and working closely with COO Rachel Henry, Smith completes a sales trio the industry knows well from their time building LADbible Group in the ANZ market. In his new role, Smith’s main focus will be to strategically grow Common’s commercial department while boosting the brand’s market visibility to drive revenue.

Says Henry: “We were very selective when hiring for this position because we knew the right candidate would shape both the culture of our team and the brand’s presence in market.

“Both Joe and I have been very lucky to work with Mark extensively before. His proven strategic vision for commercial growth, deep understanding of media buying processes, and strong leadership made him the perfect fit for Common.

“We have aggressive growth targets for 2025, and having Mark on our leadership team is a major step forward in achieving those goals.”

Smith expressed his excitement about joining the company at a pivotal moment: “The opportunity to help build something as bold and innovative as Common was too good to pass up. The media landscape is evolving, and Common is uniquely positioned to lead the charge in creator-led storytelling, premium social content, and brand partnerships. I’m thrilled to be working with Joe and Rachel again and to be part of a company that’s redefining how publishers, creators, and brands collaborate.”

Since its industry launch in H2 2024, Common has demonstrated rapid and consistent growth, with regular show signings through its show hub, House of Common (HOC), and the recent launch of its second channel, Common Sport.

House of Common continues to onboard new creator-led shows through its innovative model, which extends creator content across social media via the broader Common brand portfolio.

Says Henry: “Our model accelerates the reach and impact of creator shows in a way no one else in the Australian market can. This creates a significant opportunity not only to collaborate with creators but also to leverage the power of a major publisher behind it, guaranteeing significant social results through the connected system we easily create with our brands.”

HOC offers Australian brands the opportunity to work with both local and international creator shows, targeting diverse audiences – from The Fairbairn Podcast and ListenABLE to the UK’s The Sidemen and the U.S based production powerhouse Playmaker to name a few.

The latest big step for the company has been the launch of its dedicated sports channel, Common Sport, further solidifying its position as a home-grown multi-media publisher committed to localised editorial content for Australian audiences.

Says Henry” “We’re extremely passionate about local editorial content, and the cultural impact that Australian sport has on our lives made this launch a natural next step for us. This is just the beginning of our journey to provide Australian audiences with the content they love while supporting the growth of local creators and brands.”

Pictured (L-R): Joseph Summers, Rachel Hall, Mark Smith, Max Sherry

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