What TSK does

TSK Verkehrsmittelwerbung, legally registered as Theo Schäfges e.K., is a German sole proprietorship founded in 1991 by Theo Schäfges and headquartered in Mayen with a branch office in Koblenz. The company operates as an intermediary in the German transit advertising market, renting advertising space on buses and trams operated by public transport companies (Verkehrsbetriebe) and coordinating the end-to-end delivery of vehicle advertising campaigns on behalf of business clients.

Its core offering is a portfolio of standardized advertising surface products on public transport vehicles, including Heckflächenwerbung (rear surface), Heckfläche plus (rear including window), Rumpfflächenwerbung (body strips), Rumpfflächenwerbung plus (body plus partial window), Trafficboard (large-format panels at ~9 sqm), and Ganzflächenwerbung (full-vehicle wrap). Foil production and physical application are not performed in-house; instead, TSK outsources execution to certified partner workshops (Meisterbetriebe) using quality-guaranteed adhesive films, and routes creative design through specialized design partners subject to transport operator approval.

The revenue model is recurring monthly subscription rental, with prices ranging from approximately €175/month for rear-surface advertising to €500+/month for Trafficboard and custom pricing for full wraps. Clients can purchase surface rental alone or opt for a fixed-price Vollservice (full-service) bundle that includes design, foil production, application, monitoring, and end-of-contract removal, with contract durations of 12 or 24 months. Customer acquisition is sales-led and relationship-driven — primarily phone-based consultation out of the Mayen and Koblenz offices — targeting a horizontal SMB segment that needs cost-effective out-of-home reach into mobile, consumption-oriented urban audiences across Germany.

Name

TSK

Legal name

Theo Schäfges e.K.

Website

https://tsk-verkehrsmittelwerbung.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TSK Verkehrsmittelwerbung is a founder-owned German sole proprietorship, founded in 1991, that rents advertising space on buses and trams nationwide and manages end-to-end campaign delivery for SMB clients via subscription-based monthly contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Transit Advertising Services

NAICS

Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (54185)

akta.pro primary industry

Mobile & Vehicle Wrap Advertising (Fleet Graphics, Mobile Billboards) (BPAFALAG)

Keywords

• Transit advertising
• Vehicle advertising
• Bus advertising
• Out-of-home advertising
• Advertising space rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Mayen

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Vehicle Advertising Space Rental: TSK rents advertising space on buses and trams to clients. The company arranges the rental of advertising surfaces, manages design approvals with transport operators, and coordinates foil production, application, and removal. Pricing is structured as monthly rental fees based on surface type, contract duration (12 or 24 months), route area, and window allocation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

TSK rents advertising space on buses and trams nationwide in Germany. The company arranges the rental of advertising surfaces, manages design approvals with public transport operators, and coordinates foil production, application, monitoring, and removal at contract end. Services are offered as monthly subscriptions across various surface formats including body panels, full-vehicle wraps, traffic boards, and rear surfaces, with optional full-service packages.

Product overview

TSK is a transportation advertising company operating since 1991 that rents and manages advertising space on buses and trams across Germany. The core offering consists of multiple advertising surface products: Rumpfflächenwerbung (body advertising), Ganzflächenwerbung (full-surface advertising), Trafficboard, and Heckflächenwerbung (rear advertising). These products are offered as standalone rentals or bundled with the Vollservice package that includes design, production, installation, and removal services. Supporting services include custom design drafts, vehicle lettering through partner firms, and ongoing customer support throughout the advertising period.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rumpfflächenwerbung (Body Surface Advertising) Longitudinal advertising strips along the bus body combined with the rear surface including roof trim. Rental price starting from approximately 320 EUR per month, varying with rental duration, operating area, and window occupation. Designed for businesses seeking visible vehicle advertising.
• Rumpfflächenwerbung plus (Body Surface Advertising Plus) Longitudinal strips, rear surface, and roof trim including approximately 20% window surface. Rental price starting from approximately 440 EUR per month. Designed for businesses seeking broader exterior vehicle coverage.
• Ganzflächenwerbung (Full-Surface Vehicle Advertising) Full-vehicle surface advertising covering the entire exterior of the bus or tram. Pricing available on request, dependent on duration, route area, and window occupation. Designed for businesses seeking maximum-impact vehicle branding.
• Trafficboard Large-format advertising panel on vehicles with approximately 9 square meters of advertising space. Rental price starting from approximately 500 EUR per month. Designed for businesses seeking large-format, high-visibility transit advertising.
• Heckflächenwerbung (Rear Surface Advertising) Rear surface advertising on buses and trams. Rental price starting from approximately 175 EUR per month. Designed for businesses seeking lower-cost, rear-facing transit advertising.
• Heckfläche plus (Rear Surface Plus) Rear surface advertising including the rear window area. Rental price starting from approximately 250 EUR per month. Designed for businesses seeking broader rear-facing vehicle coverage.
• Vollservice Heckflächenwerbung (Full-Service Rear Advertising Package) Full-service rear advertising package including rental of advertising space, design, foil production and application, and removal at end of contract, all at a fixed monthly rate of 275 EUR (24-month term) or 340 EUR (12-month term), plus 19% VAT. Designed for businesses seeking a turnkey, all-inclusive rear-surface advertising solution.

Quantifiable outcome

• Advertising on buses and trams is one of the most cost-effective forms in price-performance ratio

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Cooperation Partners (Design)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTSK works with cooperation partners to create individual designs according to client specifications and submits these to transport operators for approval. These are described as specialized design partners for the creative development of advertising campaigns.
• Cooperation Partners (Beschriftung / Foil Application)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFoil work is carried out by authorized partner firms. These partners are qualified master workshops of advertising technology (Meisterbetriebe) using only high-quality quality foil with guarantee. Long-term experience in vehicle lettering ensures efficient, fast, and reliable application. Clients may also use other approved advertising technology firms with TSK's agreement.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Deutsche Städte Medien (DSM): DSM is a German outdoor advertising specialist focused on city-level media including transit vehicles and street furniture. Directly comparable to TSK in serving local/regional advertisers with vehicle and transit-based advertising in German cities.
• Wrapify: Wrapify runs a platform-based vehicle wrap advertising business in the US/Canada, using consumer and commercial drivers as advertising surfaces. Comparable to TSK in the core 'vehicle-as-advertising-surface' offering, but with a digital gig-driven model versus TSK's transit-operator model.
• Carvertise: Carvertise is a US vehicle wrap advertising marketplace that connects advertisers with wrapped-vehicle drivers. Comparable to TSK in the vehicle-wrap advertising business model but operates a tech-enabled, gig-driver model in the US rather than transit buses/trams in Germany.
• Wall GmbH: Wall GmbH is one of Germany's largest outdoor advertising companies with a major presence in transit advertising (buses, trams, train stations). Directly comparable to TSK in offering vehicle advertising space on German public transport to brand advertisers, but at significantly larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Lamar Advertising Company: Lamar Advertising is one of the largest US outdoor advertising companies with transit and billboard portfolios. Comparable to TSK in the transit-adjacent advertising category but at much larger scale and with broader OOH exposure.
• Outfront Media Inc. Outfront Media is a major US-based out-of-home advertiser with a strong transit advertising portfolio. Comparable to TSK in the transit-vehicle segment but operates as a large public incumbent across North America rather than a German SMB specialist.
• JC Decaux SE: JC Decaux is the world's largest outdoor advertising company with a strong transit (bus, tram, metro) advertising business across Europe. Comparable to TSK in transit vehicle advertising but operates as a global incumbent rather than a German-only specialist.
• Ströer SE & Co. KGaA: Ströer is Germany's largest out-of-home advertiser, offering transit advertising among a broad portfolio (billboards, digital screens, street furniture). Comparable to TSK in the transit slice but competes with TSK's specialized offering as part of a much wider national advertising platform.

Regional players

• Gewista Werbe GmbH: Gewista is Austria's leading outdoor advertiser with a strong transit vehicle advertising portfolio. Comparable to TSK in business model (renting advertising surfaces on buses/trams and managing the full creative-to-application workflow) but operates primarily in Austria rather than Germany.

Emerging players

• Stadtreklame GmbH: Stadtreklame is a smaller German outdoor advertiser with presence in transit and city-level advertising. Comparable to TSK in the German transit-advertising segment at a similar SMB scale but with a different mix of street furniture and transit surfaces.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TSK