Digital

Transformation
at Axel Springer

Team 2
Anis AZAIEZ
Faiez Hadj Taieb
Imed Troudi
Manel Hafsi
Olfa Ben khaled

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Question 1:

What were the key principles/actions that Axel Springer followed in order to develop its digital
business Transformation Strategy?

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 Axel Springer Slogan

The soul and spirit of the company Axel Springer is journalism.

OUR MISSION: The successful establishment of independent

We are Europe’s leading digital publisher

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Axel Springer Digital Transformation Strategy Pillars

ACCELERATE
STRATEGIC
CONTENT
ACQUISITIONS
DIGITIZATION

ORGANIC ORGANIZATIONAL
AND CULTURAL
GROWTH TRANSFORMATION

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 Accelerating content digitization
To face falling readership and declining revenues during the 2000s

Recognize 01
where you • Repositioning its content across digital platforms: set up digital
have versions of its print publications, making them freely available online
strengths
(releasing a new digital version of its Bild tabloid)
• Taking over a stake from Deutsche Telekom
For a successful
transformation 02
: A journey from A shift • IN 2009 : Axel springer moved to monetize its digital business by
the print into towards paid
the digital content launching its first paid content premium offering ( pay for service apps
world on the Iphone and the Ipad) + fermium model
• launching digital subscription services for its Die Welt newspaper in
2012 then its popular tabloid Bild in 2013
Recognize 03
what you
cannot • Abondon businesses that CAN’T BE DIGITIZED : withdraw from
transform some regional press ( Hamburger Abendblatt, Berliner
Morgenpost and Hörzu...)
 Strategic Acquisitions

To complement and expand the existing range of products and

cars via acquisition of late stage startup ( exp: major acquisition Stepstone Germany a job listing portal /

majority stake in 2009 in Oslo-based Stepstone ASA. / totaljobs real estate classified

/Seloger.com/immoweb /immonet.de)

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 ORGANIC EXPANSION
Investments in its own digital new developments to suit a wide
range of interests and information needs.

- Axel Springer used the funds from declining actvities sold to invest into digital projects focusing on its Bild and Die
Welt brands as well as on online classified property and recruitement advertizing
- Axel Springer Teamed with Plug and Play Tech center (a leading startup based on silicon valey) to help budding
startups in media related fields

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 Execution of digital strategy: Add-on acquisitions as well as
organic expansion1

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from Annual Results 2011 Investor/Analyst Conference Call Berlin, March 7, 2012
 ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES,
CULTURE & HR TRANSFORMATION
Operation organized differently: 2 teams digital and print and the overall business was run by a person
with a digital background (at BILD) / adding multimedia to the directive of each division

Keeping strategic partners on the board, which mean they do not accept to have 100% stake, mostly it
took a majority stake but not 100%.

Entrepreneurial freedom philosophy with acquired companies: they did not replace CEO or CFO of
acquired companies to enforce integration with its existing Business and they limited corporation influence
to governance, the HR played a consulting role and acquired companies were independent regarding
operation management.

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 ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES,
CULTURE & HR TRANSFORMATION
Decentralized innovation and development: different teams were involved and they accepted to deal with
different agencies at the same time.

Creating an internal Headhunting service: To help acquired companies source talent from other companies as
well as from outside the firm.

Partnership with a leading start up investor in Silicon Valley: Teck center (coaching, office space, investment…)

Organizing visits to Silicon Valley to identify new trends and educate workforces on opportunities afforded by
digital transformation

Looking for more agility and focusing on external environment

Pushing English speaking for globalization

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 Successful transition to digital 1

Axel Springer in 2004 Axel Springer in 2011 Our Vision

Europe’s
leading integrated
multimedia company

Strong brands

Digital activities represent 31%1)of revenues and 27% of EBITDA in 011

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from Annual Results 2011 Investor/Analyst Conference Call Berlin, March 7, 2012