media group in Norway is the aim of the digital domain in a market at once - and now their sites are in France

Norwegian media group Schibsted now investing heavily in new businesses. The goal: the digital domain, a market at once. France is next in line. Here is an overview of the company strategy.

This thought haunts sleepless nights media executives "

My business is to have a successful legacy Internet: my digital conversion is basically on track, and comes with a huge value destruction. We have both an engine of growth and consolidation. How can we achieve this? What are our key strengths to build on it? Did you achieve greater diversification that could benefit from our brand and know-how? " (At this moment, the doorbell rings, it's time to go to work.) In fact, these nocturnal reveries are a good sign, which is the privilege of those with vision long term.

Scandinavian power Schibsted ASA average falls into this category long term approach. Follow FY2012 key data. Turnover: 15 billion Norwegian kroner (€ 2 billion, or $ 2.6 billion.) EBIT: 13.5%. The group currently employs 7,800 people in 29 countries. 40% of sales and 69% of EBITDA comes from online activities. Ads account for 25% of sales and 52% of EBITDA and the rest in the world of publishing. (The usual disclosure: I worked for Schibsted between 2007 and 2009 in the international division).

The company has gone through the difficult transition to digital about five years ahead of other media conglomerates in the western world. To be fair, Schibsted has enjoyed a unique position: assets producing a print income, a great insight into immune small Nordic markets of foreign players, a solid understanding of all aspects of the company, sales copies to subscribers newspapers and magazines, advertising channels and distribution. In addition, the group has a stable shareholder (controlled by a trust) and its board always involves the management point and take high risks. The company is led by a mediocre team: only 60 people in Oslo headquarters to oversee the entire operation, largely composed of students McKinsey

The transition began in 1995 when he realized the center of gravity Schibsted media sector inevitably move to digital. The move could be graded reading habits, but it would certainly be hard and fast critical revenue streams, such as advertising and consumer services. Hence the unofficial motto is still the heart of the strategy Schibsted: accelerate the inevitable (before the inevitable falls on us). These views made hasten the demise of print classified, for example, to free oxygen for emerging digital products. Not really popular at the time, but thanks to the methodical education, the transition went well.

one after the other business units moved to digital. Then hit the fall of dot-com. In Norway and Sweden, media properties Schibsted deployed largely in line with the large trials emerging consumer services built from scratch or dedicated acquisitions. Management wondering what to do: should opt for a rapid and massive brutal to compensate a decrease of 50% in advertising revenues? Schibsted has taken the opposite path: Yes, the company is terrible, but this is mainly the result of the financial crisis, the public still there, and not only persists but eventually experience a phenomenal growth. This was the basis of two fundamental decisions: investment in digital journalism, while finding ways to monetize and do whatever was necessary to control the activity results

In Sweden, a bright spot on the radar guard Schibsted flash. Blocket was growing like crazy. It was a bare-bones classified site, which offers a mix of free and paid ads in the simplest and most effective. Initially attempted to replicate Schibsted Sweden model to Blocket to kill. After all, the group thought, had all the necessary means to increase the firepower of all brands ... Wrong. After a while, impersonator Schibsted was still behind the original. In the kind of pragmatism has a lot of money, Schibsted decided to buy Blocket (for a hefty price). Intelligent ads website become the template for the overall ad group raid.

"In the online business, no room for number two," said Sandenskog. "We want to use our dominant position in a given market to build brands and generate traffic. The objective is to find the best way to present the new brand through multiple channels and built-in properties. The key word is
relevant traffic
. question we pages for you, but for the value they bring. view
Find best price for : --Developement----Marc----Tillv?xtmedier----Sandenskog----Richard----Blocket----EBITDA----Schibsted--