At a Glance 2011 CONTENTS 03 Contents The Company Brief Portrait 5 Principles and Guidelines 9 Corporate Strategy 11 Business Development 13 Employees 15 10 Reasons 23 Responsibility 27 Highlights 30 Our Media 45 News 46 TV Program Guides 56 Cars 60 Sports 62 Computers and Consumer Electronics 64 Women 66 Lifestyle 68 Special Interest 70 Online Marketplaces 72 Online Portals 74 TV and Radio 78 International Activities 80 Offerings for Advertising Clients 97 Printing, Logistics and Distribution 100 Group Key Figures 102 04 AT A GLANCE 2011 Axel Springer is a leading integrated multimedia company in Europe, offering a considerable number of print and digital media. Every medium is subject to different playing rules, but content quality is what always counts. Our business has always been and will always be about news, opinions and well-told stories. By our networked processes and by transcending media boundaries we are linking the different worlds together. THE COMPANY 05 Brief Portrait Founded by the publisher of the same name in 1946, Axel Springer AG is the largest newspaper and third-largest magazine publisher in Germany today. The company, with over 240 newspapers and magazines, more than 140 online offerings for various different interest groups as well as holdings in television and radio stations, is active in 35 countries. Its international activities in central and eastern Europe through the Ringier Axel Springer Media AG joint venture are concentrated on the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Serbia and Hungary (subject to approval by the Hungarian antitrust authorities). In addition, Axel Springer AG is active in Russia, Switzerland, France, Spain and India. The core competence of Axel Springer is excellent journalism: topical, informative and entertaining. Its broad media portfolio encompasses successfully established multimedia brand families such as the BILD- and WELT-Groups. The registered office of the company, which is stock listed since 1985, is Berlin. Other important locations in Germany are Hamburg and the printing facilities in Berlin-Spandau, Hamburg-Ahrensburg and Essen-Kettwig. More than 11,500 employees generated total revenues of 2,893.9 million euros and an EBITDA of 510.6 million euros in the 2010 financial year. Detailed information about Axel Springer is available on the Internet at www.axelspringer.com. Follow us on YouTube (www.youtube.com/axelspringer) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/axel_springer). 06 KOMPAKT 2010 The sculpture “Balancing Act” created 2009 by Stephan Balkenhol in front of the Axel Springer House Berlin – next to the course of the former Berlin Wall. “The balancing man on the wall is on the one hand a sign of triumph over this architectural structure of division. At the same time the sculpture reminds us that dealing responsibly with freedom gained remains something invisible, varying – a balancing act.” Mathias Döpfner, Chairman of the Management Board, at the unveiling of the sculpture “Balancing Act” on the occasion of the 50th anni versary of the laying of the foundation stone of the Axel Springer Building in Berlin on 25 May 2009. THE COMPANY 07 A unique corporate culture as the key to profitable growth In addition to strategic objectives, Axel Springer has defined values to guide each employee in his or her work, and which shape corporate culture at Axel Springer. Together these are the key to profitable growth. Three values form the foundation of corpo- rate culture at Axel Springer: Creativity as the crucial precondition for journalistic and business success; Entrepreneurial spirit made up of imaginative, responsible and result- oriented action taken by employees and management as well as Integrity towards the company, readers, customers, employees, business associates and shareholders. Axel Springer would have been 100 years old on May 2, 2012. Further information about his life and his commitment to freedom can be found at www.axelspringer.com. “Freedom, freedom understood correctly – freedom for something, not from something – is a rock-solid part of my faith as a publisher.” Axel Springer, 1978 THE COMPANY 09 Principles and Guidelines Axel Springer is the only independent media company to have a corporate constitution. The five principles expressed therein serve as a foundation for publishing operations. They define fundamental convictions on social policy, yet do not set out an opinion. The principles are supplemented by the guidelines for safeguarding journalistic independence at Axel Springer and an international catalogue of social standards. Corporate principles for a liberal world view Guidelines for safeguarding journalistic The five socio-political corporate principles formu- independence at Axel Springer lated by Axel Springer in 1967, amended following The editors-in-chief and publishing directors of the German reunification in 1990 and supplemented in company developed guidelines to safeguard journa- 2001, form part of the company’s articles of associ- listic independence at Axel Springer and introduced ation. They paint a liberal picture of the world: them in August 2003 in co-ordination with the Management Board. 1. To uphold liberty and law in Germany, a country belonging to the Western family The guidelines specify and extend the company’s of nations, and to further the unification of understanding of the publishing principles of the the peoples of Europe. press code of conduct issued by the German Press Council. 2. To promote the reconciliation of Jews and Germans and support the vital rights Observance of the guidelines by all editors in their of the people of Israel. journalistic endeavors safeguards the general condi- tions that make independent and critical journalism 3. To support the Transatlantic Alliance and possible. The editors-in-chief are responsible for the maintain solidarity with the United States observance of the guidelines and their implemen- of America in the common values of free tation in day-to-day business. The guidelines deal nations. with the distinction between advertising and editorial copy as well as between editors’ personal and pro- 4. To reject all forms of political totalitarism. fessional interests, prevent the exercise of personal advantage and define a position with respect to the 5. To uphold the principles of a free social treatment of sources. market economy. www.axelspringer.com/principles 10 KOMPAKT 2010 “The most important success factor of all still remains the content. Without irresistible content we would have no business model, without excellent journalists we would have no profit.” Mathias Döpfner, Chairman of the Management Board THE COMPANY 11 Corporate Strategy Axel Springer’s strategic priorities are: Market leadership in the German-language core business as well as internationalization and digitization. We are a leading integrated multimedia company in Europe offering a considerable number of print and digital media. Market leadership in the German-language Digitization core business Axel Springer has taken up the challenges associa- Our leading market position in the German-language ted with digitization and changes in media use and core business is built on strong brands with high has further developed its business models accor- penetration. Start-ups such as HÖRZU HEIMAT dingly. The digitization strategy orients itself to three emphasize our creative, journalistic and entrepre- core competences of the company: neurial interest. Content and brands: Axel Springer is trans- Internationalization ferring existing print brands and content into digital The rapidly growing markets in eastern Europe distribution channels and is acquiring online are particularly in the focus of internationalization. brands. An initiative has been running since 2009 Depending on the regional market situation, new for paid content on the stationary Internet and on titles are being established or bought up, licenses mobile devices. acquired or also awarded. Existing brands and con- cepts are being specifically transferred to internatio- Classified advertising and marketplaces: nal target markets. Axel Springer is developing its own portals and holdings in the online classifieds market and in the marketplaces. We are also making use of synergies which arise between print and online services. Marketing: The development of online marketing ensures that Axel Springer continues to grow profitably with the market of online advertising. 12 AT A GLANCE 2011 For the future, we have set for our com- pany the ambitious goal of generating half our total revenues from digital media channels, and the other half from print media channels. 2004: 98 % Print 2 % Digital 2010: 76 % Print 24 % Digital 1) Our Goal: 50 % Print 50 % Digital 1) Pro forma for acquisitions. THE COMPANY 13 Business Development The implementation of the business strategy in 2010 was extremely successful: The core elements of that strategy are to extend the Group’s market leadership position in the German-language core business and to advance the process of inter- nationalization and digitization. Total revenues were 2,893.9 million euros. The EBITDA was 510.6 million euros and the EBITDA-margin 17.6 percent. More information is available on the Internet: www.axelspringer.com/fy10 International Revenues and Digital Media Revenues EBITDA in € millions International Revenues Digital Media Revenues EBITDA margin in % as Percent of Total as Percent of Total Revenues Revenues (pro forma) 17.6 % 510.6 28.1 % 24.4 % 12.8 % 21.0 % 21.2 % 333.7 2009 2010 2009 2010 2009 2010 14