Sensual marketing. Two words you probably haven't heard together, unless you've been speaking to Eligio Sgaramella, the president, CEO and founder of
Iperdesign. The interactive agency has just moved to Philadelphia, and maintains offices in Rome, Italy.
While Iperdesign has always had a U.S. presence, first in New York and then in South Jersey, the move to 16th and Spruce is a big one and a signal that the company continues to grow. "A lot of our clients are in the Philadelphia area. There's more opportunity in terms of networking and exposure," says Sgaramella.
Taking up residence in a former ad agency office, in fact the home of the first
minority owned agency in the country, Iperdesign (pronounced "EE-per-design") defines itself as a branding web and mobile agency, divided into brand communications, identity and interaction. Originally bringing about $60,000 in billing, Iperdesign has grown into a company with a half million dollars in annual gross, with seven employees in Philadelphia and the same number in the Rome office.
Iperdesign believes in sense-appeal branding, engaging all five senses in the sales experience. For example, Iperdesign filled a spa with the scent of Sorrento lemons. "As soon as you enter the spa, you smell that, and it's very nice," says Sgaramella. "People remember that experience."
The fastest growing area of Iperdesign's business continues to be mobile apps, and it's what kept the agency profitable during the past few years while other big firms were shrinking. One of Iperdesign's biggest clients is
Dale Carnegie Training. Just a month after the iPhone came out, Iperdesign developed the company's first mobile app. Hard to believe now, but eight years ago, says Sgaramella, it was a risky thing to do. "They were going through a period of rejuvenating their brand, so we suggested translating their content to a digital product." Two weeks after launch, the Carnegie mobile app held the number one position in the business category, and brought more clients to the agency.
Iperdesign also counts
International House Philadelphia as well as
Ernst & Young as clients, among a dozen others. Sgaramella credits the distinctive European look and design of his firm's products, which are treated to "across the pond brainstorming."
Source: Eligio Sgaramella, Iperdesign
Writer: Sue Spolan