A Wilkes-Barre company is building its name in the Internet marketing world while fighting the perception of Northeastern Pennsylvania as a place that young, smart people flee.
Pepperjam, which launched in 1999, now boasts a client list of more than 800 advertisers, including online retailers large and small. Through its software program, the Pepperjam Network, website owners are paid a commission for pointing Web users toward retailers that take part in the network. Commissions might come from generating a sale or the purchase of a certain service from the online retailer.
Since the beginning of the year, Pepperjam’s client portfolio has grown by more than 160 retailers. Company co-founder Michael Jones says much of this growth came because of Pepperjam’s acquisition a year ago by GSI Commerce, an e-commerce and interactive marketing firm based in King of Prussia. Thanks to GSI, Jones says, Pepperjam now counts Calvin Klein, NFLShop, Ace Hardware and others among its customers. The company’s own sales staff in Wilkes-Barre has brought in other big-name clients, like BJ’s Wholesale Club.
“It’s been an incredibly positive year,” he says.
Using its own staff and the resources from GSI, Jones says Pepperjam plans to focus on bringing in even more clients into 2011. He credits much of his company’s growth to a young, talented staff.
“We’re an innovative company, not just for Northeastern Pennsylvania, but nationally,” Jones says.
Source: Michael Jones, Pepperjam
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen