How Red Ventures quietly evolved into a digital media giant

Last year, approximately 60% of Americans interacted with a Red Ventures brand every month. 

Just 10 years ago, RV was most well-known for its fast-paced telesales and marketing operation and its mysterious Silicon Valley-style campus just south of Ballantyne – complete with an indoor basketball court.

Now: Red Ventures is a digital media empire with a portfolio of household brands and more than 3,500 employees across 5 continents. The company is home to several marquee brands, including CNET, Healthline, The Points Guy, and Lonely Planet.

In 2020, RV connected more than 90 million people globally with helpful tools and resources. RV also was one of the first companies in Charlotte to shift to all-remote work back in March 2020, and is continuing to work completely remotely through 2021.

So what exactly does Red Ventures do?

RV has two sides to its business – one is a sophisticated, partner-centric platform for performance marketing, and the other is a robust, consumer-centric platform for digital brands.

“We help consumers discover information and make life’s most important decisions. We do that through over 100 digital brands that we own and operate,” says Marc McCollum, President of Media and Technology at Red Ventures.

Among those digital brands owned by RV:

• The Points Guy
• Lonely Planet
• Gamespot
• Uswitch
• Metacritic
• Greatist

How it happens: RV’s proprietary technology personalizes a consumer’s online experience as they discover information, make decisions about products, and ultimately make purchases.

The shift to digital media began in earnest about 7 years ago with the acquisition of digital media brands like Bankrate and Healthline.

The move followed changing consumer habits. People now preferred to make a purchase online after doing their own research (also online) rather than after talking with someone on the phone or shopping in-person.

“Adaptability is our secret weapon. We are best as a team when we’re forced to pivot on the fly,” says Hallie Cornetta, Executive Vice President of Human Capital.

The acquisitions continued last year as Red Ventures brought on household names like CNET and Lonely Planet. They also launched a personal finance site, NextAdvisor, in partnership with TIME.

What does the future hold for Red Ventures?

More opportunities for Charlotteans: While working at RV, employees can do good work and do good in the community – from being featured on TIME.com to getting paid to travel for The Points Guy to mentoring through Road to Hire and Golden Door Scholars.

Improving the future workplace: Through Road to Hire, RV partners with the Charlotte Mecklenburg School system and top Charlotte companies like Bank of America, Novant Health, and Lowes, to empower high school seniors, college students, and young professionals with scholarships, paid apprenticeships, mentorship, and connections to strong, sustainable careers in tech.

“If nothing else, you can always think of RV as a prolific incubator – launching new brands, careers, and community programs; developing entrepreneurs; top talent, and so much more,” says McCollum.

Want to get in on the action? Check out open roles at Red Ventures right now and follow @redventures on Instagram.

This story was created in partnership with Red Ventures.