Have you ever tried to introduce your Brand where no one’s heard of you? That’s exactly where Alexander Ketter began. In this episode of The Partner Marketing Podcast, recorded live from PI Live in Miami, Matthias sits down with Alexander Ketter, Managing Director USA at Atolls and the man behind Atolls’ impressive U.S. growth. He built a 35+ person team from scratch, won trust from giants like CNN and Business Insider, and carved out a leading position in one of the world’s most competitive landscapes.
Launching Atolls in the U.S.: A Transatlantic Journey
Matthias: "Hello, everyone; welcome to the Partner Marketing Podcast. Today I'm joined by Alex Ketter, Managing Director USA at Atolls. Alex is originally from Germany, where he led the DACH region. Now, he's been in the US for two years, building the business from the ground up. We're recording here from the PI Live show in Miami, the perfect spot to talk about global growth. Alex, great to have you on the show! You have built the US operations, and you're the country manager for Atolls here in the US. That is an exciting story. How did that happen?
Alexander: "Thanks, Matthias. Happy to be here. Yeah, it is quite exciting, honestly. Actually, back then, when we first met, I didn't directly start at Atolls or back then Global Savings Group as the managing director for the DACH region. I started as a country launcher of the US. So back then, we already tried to step into the market. I was living in Amsterdam, launching the team, hiring the editorial team. Back then, we were working with a partner out of Amsterdam. And yeah, and after that, I then took over the role as the DACH lead, moved into VP of Growth, where I was in charge of different growth solutions, innovation within GSG back then. After two years, I took over the US team and closed the circle. So very happy that after so many years where I started, I'm back where I started."
Alexander began his journey with Atolls in Europe, where he held senior positions including leading the DACH region and serving as VP of Growth. His involvement with the U.S. market dates back to earlier attempts to expand while he was still based in Amsterdam. At that time, the strategy involved leading the American market remotely and partnering with local teams.
The real turning point came two years ago when Alexander relocated to the United States and established a physical presence in Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta was strategically chosen due to its proximity to Europe in terms of time zones and its status as a growing tech hub. The team began to take shape with local hires in areas such as account management, marketing, and editorial content, while the executive leadership remained in Europe initially.
Building the Team: From Zero to a Thriving Unit
The local team in Atlanta has grown to around 30–35 people in just two years, with an additional offshore team approximately twice that size. Initially, the management team oversaw operations remotely and made regular trips to the U.S., but this proved logistically and emotionally taxing for both sides. Alexander emphasized that the transition to having a dedicated local leader on-site made a substantial difference in team cohesion and performance.
Despite the challenges, the team has developed into a high-performing unit that aligns closely on business objectives. Alexander highlighted the importance of a strong internal culture, which includes not only structured work processes but also opportunities for informal bonding, such as happy hours, breakfast events, and even family-inclusive gatherings at the office.
Initial Challenges in the U.S. Market
One of the biggest challenges Alexander faced was the lack of Brand recognition in the American market. In Europe, Atolls (formerly Global Savings Group) had already established a strong reputation, making outreach and engagement significantly easier. In contrast, the U.S. market required Alexander and his team to reintroduce the company from scratch and build trust from the ground up.
Industry events like PI Live played a critical role in this phase. These gatherings allowed Atolls to connect with Brands, agencies, and networks that were otherwise geographically dispersed across the vast U.S. landscape. These events served as key touchpoints for building the relationships necessary for market entry.
The Breakthrough: Securing High-Trust Partnerships
Matthias: "When would you say was this moment where it clicked, where you said, 'Okay, now we have something that we can hold on to, and we can start building now?'"
Alexander: "I would say when we started in the U.S., we started with our partnership model, which was a white-label approach of partnering with big media houses to offer the coupons on their site. So this was, we had really big success cases in Europe where the Brands trusted us with this job to provide the service for their users. And we, in turn, of course, relied on their big user base and trust element of that Brand to enter the market. So I think one of the core moments where it clicked is when we were able to close partnerships with CNN and Business Insider here in the US, both enormous Brands with huge trust. And for them to give us that trust to lead their coupons business was a moment where we really believed this is something we can be significant here."
The defining moment for Atolls in the U.S. came when the company secured partnerships with two of the most reputable media Brands in the country: CNN and Business Insider. These collaborations were part of Atolls' white-label model, in which the company manages coupon sections on behalf of large media companies.
Securing these partnerships involved a rigorous nine-month due diligence process, during which every aspect of Atolls' business was scrutinized. According to Alexander, this milestone validated their presence in the U.S. market and marked the beginning of sustainable growth in the region.
Comparing Markets: DACH Region vs. U.S.
While there are many operational similarities between the DACH and U.S. markets—particularly in the niche of coupons, cashback, and deal-based marketing—Alexander identified some significant differences. One of the most notable is the use of exclusive coupon codes. In the DACH region, it is common for Brands to provide unique, Branded coupon codes to specific Publishers. This allows for better data tracking and attribution.
In contrast, the U.S. market has very low exclusive code coverage. Coupon codes are typically distributed to all Publishers simultaneously, limiting the potential for analytical insights and Publisher-specific performance measurement. Alexander suggested that this approach, while broader in reach, may dilute the opportunity for Publishers to deliver incremental value.
Another key distinction is the planning horizon. European markets often operate on long-term agreements with predictable, seasonal calendars. The U.S., however, is much more short-term oriented, requiring weekly or monthly renegotiations and a heightened sense of agility around events like Valentine’s Day or spring sales.
Matthias: "Were there any learnings from Germany that have helped you, or is it really that you start from scratch that you like, as I discussed with a few people now when we set up the office here, and one of them said to me like, Matthias, forget everything that you know. This is completely different. There's a completely different game. Be prepared like that. Is it like that, or is there stuff that you like besides obviously the internal Atolls and coupon stuff, but is there stuff that you could use that you have learned before?"
Alexander:" Absolutely. I'd agree with, forget everything you say because this is a different beast. The sheer size of this is that we've got one single retailer the size of an entire market in Europe, right? But there are things that you can bring. There are things that aren't being promoted here. That's also a local presence of the team that helped us a lot to understand where we can bring in these differences and how things are done here. And I think, for example, to mention an example in Europe, it's very normal to have long-term agreements with the Brands you negotiate for the entire year; um, seasonally, you know which are the peak days, you know what you're going to get, what kind of content you're going to then publish. You've got a calendar for this. The US is much more short-term, and so we have to be on top of our game every month, every week, right?"
Organizational Culture and Leadership Adaptation
When it comes to managing teams, Alexander noted that while the structure and roles are largely consistent between regions - thanks to standardized operating procedures - there are differences in workplace culture. In Germany, a more blended work-life environment often existed pre-COVID, with frequent in-office interactions. In the U.S., particularly in the post-COVID landscape, hybrid work arrangements have changed how teams interact.
Nevertheless, Atolls maintains a strong internal culture in the U.S. by fostering social connections and integrating personal aspects into professional life. Alexander’s decision to move his entire family to the U.S. reinforced his commitment and contributed to a more stable leadership presence.
Coupons and Cashback: Industry Perceptions and Consumer Behavior
The episode also delves into the perception of couponing and cashback systems in both regions. Alexander acknowledged ongoing skepticism among some advertisers but emphasized that hard data repeatedly shows the value of these channels. He stressed the importance of educating Brands and networks through case studies that demonstrate incremental revenue, increased average order values, and heightened customer loyalty.
Consumer behavior in the U.S. reflects a deeper cultural integration of couponing. From print-at-home offers to browser-default coupon sites, American consumers are far more conditioned to seek discounts. Alexander shared an anecdote about a user spending just 50 cents on a $300 supermarket purchase, illustrating the extreme end of this trend.
One particularly striking data point is that Atolls’ coupon sites in the U.S. show a click-through rate (CTR) above 100%, which is rare in Europe. This suggests that American users are more exploratory and experimental, often clicking on multiple offers even if a perfect match isn’t immediately apparent.
Campaign Execution and Editorial Excellence
Alexander also described the editorial challenges of setting up campaigns. Despite standardized input forms from Brands and networks, the information received is often minimal - sometimes just a title and a discount code. Atolls addresses this by maintaining a human-led editorial team that cleans, tests, and contextualizes offers.
He emphasized that the placement and description of coupons on the site can significantly impact conversion rates. Therefore, editorial excellence is not just a value-add - it is central to campaign performance.
Matthias: "How is generally the quality of the input you get from Brands and networks, right? So, you usually get all the coupons through APIs from different networks or from Brands directly. How do you set up a campaign then with this? I think from some of my learnings as well, it's often the raw input that you get. So there's a lot of editorial stuff, a lot of editorial work needed on your side as well, right?"
Alexander: "It is, it is. And that's a caveat of the business that despite all the fields being required or often presented to a Brand to fill in for the coupon, we get the coupon with just simply a little title and no other information. And that's one of the reasons we decided to go for a human, real human team on the editorial side to really be able to make those to fill in that information to clean it to the degree that we are confident that it works that we've tried it that someone has checked I think that's really worth mentioning."
Market Education and Case Study-Driven Sales
Given the geographical sprawl of the U.S., it is more difficult to centralize client engagement than in Europe. In cities like Madrid or Munich, Brands and agencies are more concentrated, making in-person education easier. In the U.S., Atolls supplements this challenge with remote webinars, sales enablement materials, and presentations during network events.
Alexander emphasizes that sharing case studies is essential to educate Brands and prove the ROI of coupon marketing. Partnering with affiliate networks to present these insights often helps generate support from account managers who work directly with Brands.
AI and the Future of Affiliate Marketing
In discussing trends, Alexander points to artificial intelligence (AI) as both a disruptive force and a promising innovation in Partner Marketing. Some AI implementations - such as Google’s Chrome overviews that display expired coupon codes - have led to poor user experiences. However, other AI tools that provide purchase timing recommendations or price comparisons have the potential to add significant value.
He underscores that Atolls is already exploring AI-driven optimizations in its operations to speed up processes and improve customer outcomes. While AI presents challenges, it also offers opportunities for enhancing user satisfaction and operational efficiency.
Conclusion
This episode provides an in-depth exploration of what it takes to scale a European digital marketing business in the U.S. market. From cultural adaptations and operational challenges to strategic breakthroughs and future-facing innovation, Alexander’s journey offers a valuable blueprint for international expansion. His insights reinforce the importance of local leadership, data-driven decision-making, and continuous adaptation in a constantly evolving industry. For businesses and professionals involved in affiliate and Partner Marketing, this episode is both a roadmap and a source of inspiration.
Listen to the entire episode on Spotify, Apple Podcast, our website, and all other podcast platforms.
About The Partner Marketing Podcast
The podcast brings together thought leaders and professionals from across the globe. In each episode, our host, Matthias, sits down with guests to discuss the evolving world of Partner Marketing and share personal stories.
For more details, please visit www.tradedoubler.com/podcast