Digital Transformation at Axel Springer

Abstract

In 2016, Axel Springer was one of Europe’s largest media houses, with numerous regional and national print publications, including Die Welt and Bild, two of Germany’s best-known newspaper brands. At the turn of the millennium, the company experienced declining revenues and profitability mainly due to digitization of the publishing industry. In response to these problems, CEO Mathias Döpfner decided to break away from the company’s reliance on print and embarked on an internationalization and digital transformation strategy in 2002. The goal was to become the leading digital publisher in Europe.

Research Associate Ivy Buche prepared this case under the supervision of Professor Mikołaj Jan Piskorski as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of a business situation. Copyright © 2016 by IMD —International Institute for Management Development, Lausanne, Switzerland (► www.imd.org). No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of IMD.