What AP Design does

AP DESIGN GmbH is a privately held, owner-managed cross-media advertising and brand communication agency headquartered in Melle, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1998, the firm has operated continuously for over 25 years, serving small and medium-sized enterprises (KMU) across Germany with a horizontal segmentation approach spanning roughly 15+ industries including industrial manufacturing, automotive, environmental planning, garden construction, childcare, refrigeration, kitchen furniture, wood processing, solar energy, and agriculture. The agency is led by Managing Directors Astrid Fiebich (Creative Direction) and Marco Fiebich (Finance) and operates with a headcount in the 1–10 band under a family-oriented, flat-hierarchy culture.

The agency's core offering covers the full brand communications stack: strategic brand positioning and corporate design (CD/CI), UX/UI design, custom web development built on TYPO3 and WordPress CMSs, SEO and SEA campaign management, cross-media campaigning, social media marketing, employer branding, packaging design, trade-show/exhibition design, and accessibility services aligned with Germany's BFSG requirements. Technical delivery relies on conventional web technologies (HTML5, CSS3, Bootstrap, jQuery, PHP, MySQL) rather than proprietary platforms or AI-native tooling. The portfolio has produced externally validated outcomes including a Bostik BA940 campaign that delivered 4.7M impressions and 2,600 retailer clicks over three months, and award-winning rebranding projects for ELKOM (German Brand Award 2026) and KKVK (German Design Award 2026).

AP Design's business model is a classic professional services, project-based engagement model. Revenue is generated through custom-quoted, scope-defined projects encompassing strategic workshops, design deliverables, and web development milestones, with no disclosed retainers, subscription tiers, or productized pricing. Go-to-market is consultative and direct: the firm acquires clients via its website case-study library, organic social presence on LinkedIn/Instagram/Facebook, SEO/SEA channels, referrals, and direct outreach to KMU decision-makers in the DACH region. There are no disclosed resellers, distributors, or institutional investors, and the company has remained independently owned since founding.

Name

AP Design

Legal name

AP DESIGN GmbH

Website

https://apdesign.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AP DESIGN GmbH is a German owner-managed cross-media advertising agency founded in 1998 in Melle, serving small and medium enterprises with brand strategy, corporate design, TYPO3/WordPress web development, SEO/SEA, employer branding, packaging design, and accessibility services across the DACH region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Advertising & Brand Communication Services

NAICS

Graphic Design Services (541430), Graphic Design Services (54143), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850), Other Specialized Design Services (54149)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Creative Concepting & Campaign Development (BPAFAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Creative & Experience Design Agencies (Web/App/UX) (MPAAAAAD), Exhibition, Retail & Experiential Design (BPAHAKAL), Out-of-Home (OOH) Media Planning & Buying (MPAAABAG)

Keywords

• Cross-media advertising
• Brand strategy
• Corporate design
• Web development
• Digital marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Melle

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Advertising & Brand Communication Services: AP Design generates revenue through project-based professional services in brand strategy, corporate design, campaign development, and digital marketing. Engagements are typically scoped per project with strategic workshops, design deliverables, and web development as billable components. Pricing is custom/quoted per client scope.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AP Design is a German cross-media advertising agency that develops sustainable brand strategies, corporate designs, websites, and cross-media campaigns for small and medium-sized enterprises (KMU). The agency combines strategic consulting (beraten) and aesthetic design (gestalten) under one roof, delivering brand identity, UX/UI, web development (TYPO3/WordPress), SEO/SEA, social media, packaging, trade show, and employer branding services across digital, print, and OOH channels.

Product overview

AP Design is a full-service advertising and marketing agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of strategic and creative services. The core offering includes brand strategy and positioning, corporate design (CD/CI), UX/UI design, and web development using TYPO3 and WordPress. Digital marketing services encompass SEO, SEA campaigns, social media marketing, and content marketing strategies. Creative services include cross-media campaigning, storytelling-based branding, trade show/exhibition design, and packaging design. The agency also specializes in employer branding and accessibility compliance (BFSG). The portfolio covers both digital and traditional channels including print, out-of-home (OOH), digital, social media, trade shows, and PR. The agency serves clients across diverse industries including manufacturing, healthcare, retail, and professional services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Markenstrategie & Markenpositionierung
• Corporate Design / CD/CI
• UX/UI Design
• Webentwicklung (Web Development)
• SEO (Suchmaschinenoptimierung)
• SEA-Kampagnen (Search Engine Advertising)
• Campaigning (Cross-Media Campaigns)
• Social Media Marketing
• Employer Branding
• Barrierefreiheit (Accessibility / BFSG Compliance)
• Content-Marketing-Strategien
• Storytelling & Narratives Branding
• Media Planning
• Cross-Media Platforms (Print, OOH, Digital, Trade Show, PR)
• Packaging Design

Quantifiable outcome

• Bostik BA940 campaign achieved 4.7M impressions, 2.5M reached individuals, 1.3M post interactions, 17,500 landing page clicks, and 2,600 retailer clicks within 3 months.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Meinert MarketingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024AP Design collaborated with marketing strategist Regina Meinert on the Heckewerth website redesign project, combining strategic marketing expertise with AP Design's creative and technical delivery for a comprehensive digital strategy.
• Greiwe Concept (Messebau)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024AP Design worked with Greiwe Concept (trade show construction) alongside Meinert Marketing to develop the modern trade show concept for Heckewerth at the Caravan Salon 2024. AP Design was responsible for the graphic design of the stand walls.
• Thorsten Doerk PhotographyminorOthersAP Design credits Thorsten Doerk Photography (www.thorstend-photography.de) for photography used on its website, indicating an ongoing creative partnership for visual content production.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Serviceplan Group: Largest owner-managed agency group in Europe, delivering brand strategy, digital, content, and media services. Comparable integrated offering to AP Design across digital and classical channels but operates globally and at enterprise scale.
• Scholz & Friends: German creative agency group with a strong focus on integrated brand strategy, advertising, and digital experiences. Comparable service mix to AP Design (strategy + creation + digital), with greater scale and a broader client roster.
• Jung von Matt: One of Germany's largest independent creative agencies, offering brand strategy, campaign development, and digital design across all major media. Comparable to AP Design in core brand-strategy and campaign competencies but operates at a much larger scale and global footprint.

Direct peers

• denkwerk: German digital agency combining brand strategy, UX/UI design, web development, and digital marketing. Comparable to AP Design's web/digital services (TYPO3/WordPress, SEO, SEA) with greater scale and technical depth.
• Hundertgrad: Mid-sized German brand and design agency focused on brand strategy and corporate design for SME and enterprise clients. Closest size and positioning peer to AP Design within the German agency landscape.
• Meiré und Meiré: Cologne-based brand and design agency specializing in brand strategy, corporate design, and packaging — directly comparable to AP Design's core competency in CD/CI development for industrial and consumer brands.
• thjnk: Independent German agency with capabilities in brand strategy, advertising, and digital transformation. Closely aligned with AP Design's strategic-and-creative positioning while serving a more enterprise-leaning client base.
• Kolle Rebbe (KRC): Hamburg-based creative agency known for brand strategy, campaign development, and corporate design. Directly comparable in offering to AP Design with a stronger emphasis on award-winning creative campaigns.
• Syzygy Group: German digital agency with strong capabilities in UX/UI design, web platforms, and performance marketing. Comparable to AP Design's web/app design and digital marketing services but operating at enterprise scale.

Others

• Ströer: German media company specializing in out-of-home (OOH) advertising and digital out-of-home networks. Comparable to AP Design's OOH media planning and buying work for clients, but operating as a media owner rather than creative agency.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/apdesign.gmbh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apdesign-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/ap_design_werbeagentur
• Xx.com/apdesignonline

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AP Design