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3:16 – What is Appentura?
20:26 – The Höhle der Löwen deal
28:43 – Offline vs. online marketing
33:30 – Marketing with Google
41:41 – Next milestones
Stefan Flück is the founder and CEO of Appentura, a provider of surprise experience gifts. Stefan started Appentura in 2014 when he pitched the idea at a startup competition. The original idea was to offer customers the possibility to buy a surprise for themselves within a given timeframe and budget. Stefan, however, soon realized that customers were much more willing to spend money on surprising others rather than themselves and consequently, Appentura changed its offering to what it is today. Contrary to many of its competitors, Appentura sells its gift certificates almost exclusively online. Over the years, they built strong expertise in online marketing and digital sales channels which now results in a competitive advantage. The first 5 years, Stefan completely bootstrapped the company, investing every CHF earned back into online marketing. In 2019, the company participated in the “Höhle der Löwen” show and was able to win Bettina Hein as an investor. Going forward, Stefan plans to expand the business internationally. They have already run successful “test experiences” in Germany and the US and are planning to roll out larger scale offerings as soon as Covid permits. He also sees large untapped potential in the surprise gift market for businesses and wants to position Appentura in that area as well.
“Offline Werbung machen wir praktisch nur noch, wenn sich eine einmalige Chance ergibt. Mit unserem Budget ist es aber momentan nicht wirklich ein Thema.”
