Ringier Annual Report 2009
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Ringier Annual Report 2009 Prologue, Michael Ringier 119 The Year at Ringier, Christian Unger 121 Ringier at a Glance 122 Ringier in Figures 124 Profit and Loss Account 125 Sales Shares 127 The Year in Figures 128 Ringier Portfolio 137 Ringier Switzerland 158 Ringier Print Switzerland 160 Ringier Germany 165 Ringier Czech Republic 166 Ringier Slovakia 168 Ringier Hungary 170 Ringier Romania 172 Ringier Serbia 174 Ringier Pacific 176 Important Participations Switzerland 180 Important Participations Europe/Pacific 182 Corporate Center 202 Corporate Communications 203 Corporate Social Responsibility 204 Organisation 230 Events 232 Locations 234 Epilogue, Frank A. Meyer 236 About the Artist 239 Imprint 299 Prologue 119 Michael Ringier, Publisher John Baldessari, the man who designed this year’s annual The second constant is the future. It is change, it is the report, looks like a Greek philosopher. But behind the shock will to shape the future in new and innovative ways no of snow-white hair and flowing beard is not just a wise matter how technology may change our business. Bad man, but a radical one. In his legendary Cremation Project times are sometimes good times as well. After all, the pres- in 1970, he burned all the pictures he had painted before sure to rise to new challenges was never greater than it 1966. Was his voluntary act 40 years ago something that is today. As the use of new technologies advances rapidly, publishers will involuntarily have to imitate quite soon? so too does our ingenuity in applying these technologies to our business activities and in adding new activities to In terms of intelligence and visionary thinking, John expand our business. Anyone fascinated by change and Baldessari is certainly a role model for us all; in terms of innovation is living at the right time. radicalism, probably not. Observers seem to take delight in constantly prophesying our demise, especially in the print The conclusion will address another constant and perhaps media. Nonetheless, we will continue to embrace the print the most important one of all, namely, journalism, the core model with full conviction for as long as we believe in it. task of our media company. Whatever we change, whatever After his huge symbolic feat, Baldessari really did manage we decide to approach differently, whatever additional to shift his art to a new orbit in a mix of photographic lines of business we take up, the elements of our core extracts, over-painting and wordplay. But the art of paint- business remain the same: research, commentary, analysis, ing per se continues and is more powerful than ever. photography. We are the experts in these fields. These are the areas in which our trump cards lie and in which we wish There are two striking constants that come up time and to and must invest. Not only with our money, but above all again in the individual country reports. One will hopefully with our minds. One thing is clear: the unfathomable diver- be past history quite soon, namely the decline in the volume sity of media rolling towards us will unleash unbelievable of advertising, which ranges from sharp to dramatic. Both chaos and confusion. That will be the big chance for our management and employees deserve all the more credit journalistic brands and their strength. John Baldessari can for responding so quickly with steps to counter this trend. serve unreservedly as a role model for journalists. One of Without their great loyalty to the company and firm resolve Baldessari’s best-known works is entitled I will not make to turn things around, Ringier would not be back on such any more boring art. This principle that Baldessari applies solid ground today. The shareholders have great respect for to his art should be obligatory for our journalists as well. the performance and efforts being made by the company’s employees. The Year at Ringier 121 Christian Unger, CEO Ringier Group What a year 2009 was! Economically, it will certainly go sections, marketplaces) and ‘Entertainment Activities’ (TV, down in history as the year of the crisis. But people may radio, special events, ticketing). Our goal is to put Ringier also remember it as the year of big changes, perhaps even AG in a broad and differentiated position geographically as the year of big opportunities and realignments. Like the and turn it into a globally active media company. To this global media industry as a whole, Ringier as media company end, we will pursue this strategy under the basic conditions was hard hit by the entire economic situation. We suffered prevailing in Switzerland and in our Eastern European and from the plummeting sales in the advertising markets and Asian markets, in ten countries in all. Difficult markets the devaluation of Eastern European currencies. dominated in 2009 and that will continue to be the case in 2010, but we are convinced the media markets will recover It was the first year in our 176-year history that all markets again and that the Eastern European and Asian markets in in which we conducted business contracted by a double- particular will become long-term growth drivers for Ringier. digit amount. In certain markets such as Romania, the ad volume shrank by more than 60 percent. We had to respond We took four initial yet important steps in Switzerland to to this trend with vigorous cost-cutting programmes, which implement our new strategy. We repositioned Blick and is exactly what we did. In the course of the year, we slashed expanded our Internet activities for the Scout24 platforms more than 10 percent off our total costs worldwide. In 2010 as well as launching entertainment activities and complet- we must continue to hone these efficiency programmes. ing preparations for creating an integrated newsroom. We also had to fight hard for Radio Energy Zürich. After ardu- Along with these economic influences, the structural change ous negotiations, we are happy to announce that this radio in the use of information and entertainment remains the station is permitted to broadcast again. Our joint venture central challenge we face. It is becoming increasingly evi- with CTS Eventim has allowed us to expand our ticketing dent that young media users in particular are turning to business considerably. digital channels for information and communication. Tradi- tional newspapers and magazines will naturally continue to We view these turbulent times less as a crisis and more as exist, but we want to take consistent steps to intermesh an opportunity for us all. These times are certainly not them with the online media, both technically and in terms easy for you as employees, for you as customers and busi- of content. The digital formats are obviously where future ness associates and for you as people interested in the growth will occur. media, but they are exciting and are paving the way for a new approach to the way media is used. Ringier AG will The strategy we drew up this year and will be implementing continue to be a reliable partner in this new media world. in the years ahead is based on three pillars: ‘Core Business’ I look forward to continuing our collaboration with you. (newspapers, magazines, content portals and printing plants), ‘Transaction-based Internet Business’ (e-commerce, Ringier at a Glance 122 PORTRAIT STRATEGY AND TRANSFORMATION The pastor’s son Johann Rudolf Ringier bought a book Broad diversification is an outstanding characteristic of The economic crisis and the structural changes in media printing shop in the Swiss town of Zofingen in 1833. He the portfolio of the Ringier Group. Ringier’s success is use are challenges facing Ringier right now. Young target would never have dreamt what the future would bring. A based on its employees’ knowledge and commitment and on groups are turning increasingly to digital channels for mere 177 years and five generations later, his modest the spirit of innovation that has always been a distinctive information. As matters stand today, this trend appears as craft enterprise would be the leading multinational media feature of the company. Therefore it goes without saying irreversible as the decline that has occurred in the volume company in Switzerland. As well as official ordinances and that technological innovation and new processes are of advertising. Ringier is rising to these challenges. regulations, Johann Rudolf Ringier printed the Roggwiler consistently promoted, developed and perfected at and Chronik. This journalistic product and the graphics shop by Ringier. The new group strategy calls for a strengthening of the that produced it soon evolved into a local and then a current core business with magazines, newspapers and national newspaper publisher and the Swiss publisher of The group as a whole follows clearly defined ethical and printing plants. In addition, Ringier is building up its print products ultimately became a well-known global corporate principles, as does every individual employee. In capacities in e-commerce and in digital sectional and mar- contractor for multimedia platforms, yet it still remains its thinking and actions, Ringier is guided by the Ringier ketplace business. These Internet platforms will be linked family owned today. strategy and vision, the mission statement and the Code even more closely with the news portals run by the strong of Conduct, which is binding in all areas of activity and in brands. One operational aspect has remained unchanged. In all the all regions. fields in which it does business, Ringier has always recog- Moreover, Ringier wants to diversify and make carefully nised technological and social changes early on and antic- planned investments in new segments. In Switzerland, for ipated them by adjusting its own business accordingly. example, it will invest in the entertainment sector.