IFRA

Answering for MSH Medien System Haus is Rüdiger Bauer.

WAN-IFRA: Why is CRM important for news publishers?

Rüdiger Bauer: Most publishers have to face a loss in advertisement and subscription. That’s why it is highly necessary to optimise customer loyalty.
Normally a publisher has many unused data about his customers. This is a good foundation for a successful CRM.

The issuer has the correct and actual address-information, indication of the social situation of a customer as well as knowledge of the customer's behaviours.

By analysing the cross- and upselling activities, the publisher can learn even more about the interests of their customers. Through customer segmentation the publisher can build target groups and optimise the customer interaction, because of this, the issuer can reduce CPI- and CPO-Costs.

WAN-IFRA: What are the main questions that publishers have when they come to you for a CRM solution?

Bauer: Some common questions are:

• How can we get more information about the customers?
• How can we improve our customer database management and our sales activity?
• Is the ERP customer data completely available in the CRM system?
• How can we realise our marketing-, sales- and service-processes in one system.
• How can we realise the demand to have ‘one face to the customer’?

WAN-IFRA: How does the process typically develop from the time a news publishing customer comes to you for a CRM solution until they implement the solution - what are the steps involved?

Bauer: Our customers have different demands. First, we want to get an overview about the marketing activities that are actually in use. Together with our customer we create a vision of the processes and the solution that should be realised in the future.

Most of the customers want to have a clear view about their customers and want to use the marketing module (first project step in a CRM project).

Only a few customers have a clear vision about their CRM project. Often the clients specify their demands during the project.

WAN-IFRA: What developments are you working on in this area? For example, what are you planning to highlight for CRM solutions at IFRA Expo this October?

Bauer: We have implemented SAP CRM 7.0, which is deeply integrated in the SAP IS Media system. The SAP CRM uses data stored in SAP Business Warehouse 7.0. We implemented a defined solution including the marketing solution, office integration, interaction-center, sales force and reporting. We offer this functional solution for a defined price.

Interview by Brian Veseling, senior editor for Publishing, Editorial and General Management and WAN-IFRA Magazine.