What Kuenzler Bachmann does

KünzlerBachmann AG is a privately held, family-controlled Swiss holding company headquartered in St. Gallen, founded in 1912 by Eugen and Elise Künzler-Bachmann. It operates two principal businesses: KünzlerBachmann Verlag AG, which publishes a portfolio of niche consumer magazines (SPICK youth magazine, MiniSPICK children's magazine with circulation exceeding 30,000, FamilienSPICK, TAVOLA cooking) and trade yearbooks (Schweizer Energiefachbuch, Strassenverkehr Schweiz) plus the swissfamily.ch family portal; and KünzlerBachmann Directmarketing AG, which sells end-to-end target-group marketing services to Swiss B2B customers including brand product companies, associations, and institutions. The wholly owned Heussercrea AG provides in-house creative, and the XCampaign platform offers enterprise newsletter software, while kbDATA / ch-business provides what the company describes as Switzerland's most comprehensive marketing address file.

Technology and production assets include personalized color laser digital printing (Xerox X 1000), a CMC400 envelope inserting system with camera and barcode matching, single-sheet printers, continuous-feed color printers, and an in-house data analytics layer supporting target-group selection and analytical CRM. The XCampaign newsletter platform is hosted on servers operated by Super Network s.r.o. in the Czech Republic (inherited via the Mailprofiler acquisition). The direct marketing business has held ISO 9001 certification and the Good Privacy data protection quality label since 2005, and the group operates GDPR/DSGVO-aligned data processing, presented as a competitive differentiator.

Commercial mechanics combine recurring revenue streams (magazine subscriptions, address-data licenses via the kbDATA online shop shop.kbdirect.ch, XCampaign software subscriptions) with project-based services (direct mail production, creative/agency work from Heussercrea, lettershop). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is direct enterprise sales across Switzerland, supported by a small set of websites (kueba.ch, kbverlag.ch, kbdirect.ch), multilingual sites in German, French, and English, organic social presence on LinkedIn/Instagram/Facebook/YouTube, XCampaign-powered email newsletters, and historical co-founding (in 1998) of the SuisseEmex (X98) Swiss marketing trade fair. Customer concentration data, revenue figures, and headcount trends are not publicly disclosed beyond an overall 101–250 employee band, with two physical sites (St. Gallen HQ since 2001 and a Wangen-Brüttisellen branch since 2022).

Name

Kuenzler Bachmann

Legal name

KünzlerBachmann Verlag AG

Website

https://kueba.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

KünzlerBachmann AG is a family-owned Swiss holding company operating in publishing (SPICK, MiniSPICK, FamilienSPICK and trade titles), direct marketing services (kbDATA address file, lettershop, cross-media mailings), the XCampaign email platform, and the Heussercrea creative agency, serving Swiss B2B customers and consumer magazine subscribers from St. Gallen.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Direct Marketing Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Media Buying Agencies (541830)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Customer, Marketing & Sales Consulting (BPAHACAG)

Keywords

• Direct marketing services
• Magazine publishing
• Marketing address data
• Email marketing platform
• Advertising agency

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Gallen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Publishing Services: Publishing house producing trade journals, specialist magazines (family media, youth magazines SPICK, children's magazines MiniSPICK, family magazine FamilienSPICK, family portal swissfamily.ch, TAVOLA cooking magazine, Schweizer Energiefachbuch, Strassenverkehr Schweiz). General media contractor services for companies, associations, and institutions including advertising, reader marketing, and subscriber management.
2. Direct Marketing Services: Full-service target group marketing including target group addresses, customer analyses, analytical CRM, IT services, mailing production, lettershop, e-mail campaigns, cross-media mailings, and newsletter software. kbDATA provides the most comprehensive marketing data solution in Switzerland.
3. Creative Services: Heussercrea AG provides consulting, strategic planning, advertising and campaigns, photo editing, pre-press services, digital and online media, and corporate design.
4. XCampaign Newsletter Software: Email marketing campaign software solution with top security for sensitive data, providing easy and fast connection to any infrastructure.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

KünzlerBachmann AG is a Swiss holding company that provides direct marketing services (address data, target group marketing, mailing production, lettershop, email campaigns, cross-media mailings) through KünzlerBachmann Directmarketing AG, publishes consumer and trade magazines through KünzlerBachmann Verlag AG, and offers creative advertising services through Heussercrea AG. The company also sells the XCampaign email marketing platform and the kbDATA Swiss marketing address database to B2B clients.

Product overview

KünzlerBachmann AG is a Swiss holding company offering a portfolio of publishing and direct marketing products under a unified structure. The core offerings include XCampaign (enterprise email marketing platform with security features), kbDATA (comprehensive Swiss marketing address database), and KünzlerBachmann Verlag AG (publishing division with family media brands including SPICK, MiniSPICK, FamilienSPICK, swissfamily.ch, TAVOLA, Schweizer Energiefachbuch, and Strassenverkehr Schweiz). The direct marketing division provides target group marketing, mailing production, lettershop services, and CRM analytics. Subsidiaries include Heussercrea AG (creative agency), Adressenshop (address e-commerce), and bybalzer (cultural productions). The products work together as an integrated marketing ecosystem: kbDATA provides address intelligence, directmarketing handles production and delivery, XCampaign enables digital campaigns, and publishing brands reach end consumers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SPICK: Youth magazine with website spick.ch
• MiniSPICK
• FamilienSPICK
• Kidy swissfamily
• TAVOLA
• SwissFairs
• Schweizer Energiefachbuch
• Strassenverkehr Schweiz
• kbDATA
• ch-business
• XCAMPAIGN

Products and services

• XCampaign Email Marketing Platform Complete email marketing campaign solution for existing and potential customers, featuring top security for sensitive data and easy integration with existing infrastructure. Used by enterprises, associations and publishers for newsletter campaigns.
• kbDATA Marketing Address Database The most comprehensive marketing data solution in Switzerland covering private and business addresses, including the ch-business address file covering all of Switzerland. Available through the online address shop for target group marketing campaigns.
• KünzlerBachmann Publishing Services (Verlag AG) Publishing division offering trade journals, specialist magazines, family media including SPICK, MiniSPICK, FamilienSPICK, TAVOLA cooking magazine, Schweizer Energiefachbuch, Strassenverkehr Schweiz yearbook, and the family portal swissfamily.ch. Includes verlagsservices, subscriber management, content production, media production and advertising marketing services for publishers.
• KünzlerBachmann Direct Marketing Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30,000 MiniSPICK magazine copies in circulation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Heussercrea AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020KünzlerBachmann Verlag AG acquired and fully took over Heussercrea AG, an advertising and graphics agency. The creative agency shapes markets through consulting, strategic planning, and implementation in advertising, campaigns, photo editing, pre-press services, digital and online media, and corporate design. Originally acquired as a partial stake in 2016, followed by full acquisition.
• Kömedia AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020KünzlerBachmann Verlag AG acquired 100% of kömedia AG in July 2020. kömedia publishes and sells a broad range of successful print and online products. Merged into KünzlerBachmann Verlag AG in 2021.
• Schober Information Group (Schweiz) AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016KünzlerBachmann Directmarketing AG took over the direct marketing company Schober Information Group (Schweiz) AG in 2016, expanding their Swiss direct marketing capabilities.
• Somedia AGminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1989Partnership with Somedia AG in Chur for the trade fair and event magazine Expodata, acquired in 1989.
• bybalzerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural agency partnership for musical and theater productions for family audiences. Leading Swiss provider touring German-speaking Switzerland with new productions for 25 years. In 2025, SPICK and bybalzer joined forces for children's and family entertainment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Tamedia (TX Group): Swiss media group operating newspapers, magazines and digital marketplaces; comparable as a Swiss publisher but at significantly greater scale, and previously sold the SPICK youth magazine to KB in 2004.
• Mailchimp: Global email marketing platform (Intuit-owned) offering campaign, automation, and analytics tools; competes directly with KB's XCampaign in the email marketing software category, though Mailchimp operates at vastly greater scale and feature depth.
• Ringier (Swiss publisher): Largest private Swiss media group with print magazines, digital platforms and advertising sales; comparable to KB Verlag's publishing and advertising sales business, but operating at much greater scale and across a broader portfolio.

Direct peers

• Jung von Matt (Swiss offices): Swiss-rooted creative and digital advertising agency offering campaigns, digital, branding and media services across Germany, Austria and Switzerland; competes with KB's Heussercrea AG and KB Verlag service portfolio for the same Swiss brand and institutional clients.
• Wirz Communications: One of Switzerland's largest full-service advertising agencies with creative, media, digital and publishing capabilities; directly comparable to KB's integrated ad agency / direct marketing / publishing model serving Swiss enterprise clients.
• Imagic (Swiss agency): Switzerland-based digital agency specializing in web, e-commerce, and digital marketing services; comparable to KB's digital and dialogue marketing offerings and a competitor for the same Swiss B2B brand marketing budget.
• Schober Information Group: Predecessor direct marketing data business (Swiss arm acquired by KüenzlerBachmann Directmarketing AG in 2016) — historically the closest Swiss peer in B2B/B2C address data, target group analytics and direct marketing services that still compete in overlapping segments.
• CleverReach: German/DACH-focused email marketing platform offering newsletter, automation and GDPR-compliant tools; directly comparable to KB's XCampaign in function, target market segment and DACH positioning.
• Farner Consulting: Major Swiss marketing, communication and digital consulting firm serving enterprise clients across campaigns, content, PR, and marketing transformation; competes with KB for end-to-end Swiss marketing mandates.
• Brevo (formerly Sendinblue): European-headquartered email and marketing automation platform with strong presence in DACH and Switzerland; competes head-to-head with XCampaign in the email marketing software category and offers an overlapping SMB/enterprise feature set.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kuenzlerbachmann-verlag
• Instagraminstagram.com/spickmagazin

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 Kuenzler Bachmann