Edenspiekermann in LA: An Interview With Robert Stulle and Christian Titze

You already have an office in San Francisco and usually international agencies prefer to settle their American offices in New York. Why did you decide to open a second office in Los Angeles?

Robert – We have a client in Los Angeles, and we want to develop that relationship further. We also like the city’s focus on digital media – it fits with our interests and business vision. In our San Francisco office, we work mostly with local clients, such as the Silicon Valley Bank, TCHO chocolate, Autodesk, and Cisco Systems. We keep our clients close and enjoy working with them in person. So it makes sense to open an office in LA, because we want to expand our client base there, too.

What are your ambitions for the new location? Do you plan to go big in the American market, or will this be a small office focused on local clients?

Robert – We enjoy the beautiful environment. Los Angeles is one of the most interesting cities in the world. It’s a very diverse and vibrant community, and that’s exactly the way we like it. And, of course, we want to go big. America is a huge opportunity and a growth market for us. We already made a sizeable turnover with our US clients last year. And from a more general point of view it’s just important to us to work with and in as many surroundings as possible. We have offices in Berlin, Amsterdam, Singapore, Los Angeles and San Francisco with over 100 people from more than 18 different nations. That’s what we do and how we love to work. On a more general level, it’s important to be present in as many locations as possible. 

Robert Stulle / Christian Titze

Christian, you are new to Edenspiekermann. You’ve been hired specifically to lead the LA team and are moving to Los Angeles for that purpose. What are your visions for Edenspiekermann LA?

Christian – First of all, it’s important that Edenspiekermann stays true to its roots. We have a very specific and unique style of working and a very special company culture, both of which are essential to delivering the best results for our clients. My first priority is to transfer these values to the LA office. I’ve spent the last few months at the Berlin office, learning to become a proper ESPI!

Apart from that, Los Angeles is a huge opportunity for the company. The city is constantly evolving. I want to build our client base there and provide our existing clients with the best possible service. The American design scene has always closely reflected the Edenspiekermann philosophy. Erik Spiekermann has been very active in the US, and his ideas have always influenced our company spirit. I think we can build on this even further.

And personally? Are you excited about moving to America?

Christian – Absolutely. It’s a great adventure, both personally and professionally. Working for Edenspiekermann is an exciting opportunity, and living in California has always been a dream of mine. I lived and worked in China for four years, and I’m now very much looking forward to “going west”.

Will you keep your office in Santa Monica?

Christian – We love our office. The surrounding area is beautiful and we’re so close to the Pacific Ocean. For the moment, we’re more than happy here in the heart of Silicon Beach. But LA is always on the move, so who knows where we’ll end up in five years.

Edenspiekermann LA

How big is your team right now, and how big will it get? Are your employees mostly Americans or internationals?

Christian – We currently work with a team of five people, but we expect to grow steadily. We like to keep our agency as international as possible, but right now we’re focused on recruiting local US talent.