Zimper Media

What Zimper Media does

Zimper Media GmbH is a Berlin-based B2G (Business-to-Government) media and marketing-services company founded in 2014 as the German subsidiary of the Austrian publisher Österreichische Kommunalverlag. The company operates a 360° platform aimed at companies selling products and services to Germany's approximately 11,000 municipalities, which together spend more than €200 billion annually. Its core asset is the KOMMUNAL monthly magazine, distributed in 100,000 personally addressed copies to municipal decision-makers nationwide, supplemented by the regional die:gemeinde magazine (22,000 copies in Baden-Württemberg) and the KOMMUNAL Deutschland and diegemeinde.de online portals.

The underlying technology stack is a cross-media publishing and event platform spanning print, daily-updated web portals, four-times-monthly newsletters to ~30,000 subscribers, podcasts, webinars, the KOMMUNALBESCHAFFUNG.DE e-procurement marketplace, and owned events (Messe KOMMUNAL trade fair with 2,500+ visitors and 140+ exhibitors in 2025; Forum KOMMUNAL conference). Distribution is differentiated by zero-waste, personally addressed print delivery and by institutional partnerships with the DStGB, the Gemeindetag Baden-Württemberg, and the Niedersächsischer Städte- und Gemeindebund, which provide official-association credibility and access.

Zimper Media monetizes primarily through multi-year print and digital advertising (TKP-based online, circulation-based print), event sponsorship and exhibition fees (e.g., Messe KOMMUNAL Göttingen 2025 with multi-thousand-EUR booth packages and structured deposit/cancellation terms), and complementary services including corporate publishing, concept/branding, market research, content marketing, and free B2G marketing workshops that function as a sales entry point. The go-to-market is consultative and sales-led, executed through a Berlin-based direct-sales team targeting enterprise advertisers in automotive, construction, financial services, IT, mobility, waste, energy, and other verticals. The headcount band is 11–50 employees, with leadership comprising Managing Director Michael Zimper, Sales and Location Manager Germany Gunnar Lindner, and Editor-in-Chief Christian Erhardt. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Zimper Media

Legal name

Zimper Media GmbH

Website

https://zimpermedia.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zimper Media GmbH is a Berlin-based B2G media company that publishes KOMMUNAL (100,000 personally addressed copies monthly) and related digital, event, and procurement platforms to help enterprises advertise to Germany's roughly 11,000 municipalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

B2G Media and Marketing Services

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Newsletters & Email-Based News Publishers (B2B/B2C) (MPAJADAJ)

Keywords

• B2G marketing services
• Municipal trade publishing
• Public sector advertising
• B2G event marketing
• Corporate publishing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print Magazine Advertising: Sale of advertising space in the KOMMUNAL magazine (100,000 copies, monthly, personally addressed to municipal decision-makers) and die:gemeinde magazine (22,000 copies, monthly, targeting Baden-Württemberg). Advertisers include automotive manufacturers, construction firms, financial services companies, and municipal suppliers.
2. Online/Digital Advertising: Online advertising including banner campaigns, advertorials, content marketing, and sponsorship placements across kommunal.de and diegemeinde.de portals and newsletters. Delivered on a TKP (cost per mille) basis.
3. Event Sponsorship and Exhibition: Sponsorship and exhibition fees for Messe KOMMUNAL and Forum KOMMUNAL events. Companies pay to sponsor, exhibit, or speak at these platforms to connect with municipal decision-makers.
4. Workshop and Consulting Services: Marketing and sales strategy workshops offered free of charge to companies seeking to enter the municipal B2G market. The workshop covers targeting municipal decision-makers, positioning, marketing strategy, and sales strategy development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Zimper Media operates a 360° B2G (Business-to-Government) media and marketing platform that enables companies to reach German municipal decision-makers. The company publishes two flagship monthly magazines (KOMMUNAL with 100,000 copies nationwide and die:gemeinde with 22,000 copies in Baden-Württemberg), operates online portals (kommunal.de, diegemeinde.de), newsletters (~30,000 readers), podcasts, webinars, and the KOMMUNALBESCHAFFUNG.DE procurement platform, plus organizes the Messe KOMMUNAL trade fair and Forum KOMMUNAL conference. It also offers Corporate Publishing, Concept & Branding, market research, and marketing workshop services.

Product overview

Zimper Media operates as a B2G (Business-to-Government) marketing and publishing company offering a comprehensive portfolio of print and digital products and services. The core offering consists of two flagship publications: KOMMUNAL (a monthly magazine with 100,000 personally addressed copies reaching all German municipal decision-makers) and die:gemeinde (a monthly magazine with 22,000 copies serving Baden-Württemberg municipalities as the official organ of the Gemeindetag Baden-Württemberg). These publications are complemented by digital platforms including kommunal.de and diegemeinde.de web portals, the KOMMUNAL Podcast, newsletters (30,000+ subscribers, 4x monthly), and the KOMMUNALBESCHAFFUNG.DE procurement marketplace. The company also organizes events including Messe KOMMUNAL (trade fair) and Forum KOMMUNAL (networking forum), and offers services in Corporate Publishing, Concept & Branding, Marketing Workshops, Market Research, and Content Marketing. This multi-channel approach enables companies to reach the approximately 11,000 municipalities and 2,100 cities in Germany with an annual budget of over 200 billion euros.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KOMMUNAL Magazine Monthly print magazine with 100,000 personally addressed copies distributed to all German municipal decision-makers (mayors, treasurers, committee chairs, department heads). Sold via advertising space to companies wanting to reach the B2G market.
• die:gemeinde Magazine Monthly print magazine with 22,000 copies serving as the official publication of the Gemeindetag Baden-Württemberg, reaching all municipal decision-makers in the state of Baden-Württemberg.
• kommunal.de Portal Interactive web portal covering topics relevant to German municipalities, providing news, articles, guides, advertorials, and banner advertising for municipal decision-makers nationwide.
• diegemeinde.de Portal Regional web portal focused on topics relevant to municipalities in Baden-Württemberg, supported by the Gemeindetag Baden-Württemberg.
• KOMMUNAL Newsletter

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 vehicles sold to municipalities by a single automaker client via a KOMMUNAL campaign in 2015, with ongoing daily tender invitations.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Deutscher Städte- und Gemeindebund (DStGB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZimper Media maintains a close cooperation with the DStGB, Germany's largest municipal association representing cities and municipalities. This partnership provides credibility and audience access, and positions KOMMUNAL as the trusted voice of German municipalities.
• Gemeindetag Baden-WürttembergcoreStrategic or Co-development Partnerdie:gemeinde is the official publication of the Gemeindetag Baden-Württemberg. The partnership grants exclusive access to Baden-Württemberg's municipal decision-makers and positions die:gemeinde as the first point of contact and solution provider for municipal topics in the state.
• Niedersächsischer Städte- und GemeindebundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMesse KOMMUNAL is organized in cooperation with the Niedersächsischer Städte- und Gemeindebund (Lower Saxony's municipal association), giving the event official standing and access to Lower Saxony's municipal network.
• LOKHALLE Industrielocation GöttingenminorOthersLOKHALLE Industrielocation Göttingen serves as the venue for Messe KOMMUNAL events. The partnership provides the physical infrastructure for the company's largest owned event.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Heise Medien: Established German B2B tech publisher with strong trade magazines, online portals, events, and newsletters. Comparable in cross-media B2B publishing model and audience-monetization approach, though focused on the IT vertical.
• Vogel Communications Group: Major German B2B media group operating trade publications, digital platforms, and events across multiple industries. Comparable multi-channel B2B media model to Zimper Media, though across diversified industries rather than municipal-focused.
• Deutscher Fachverlag (dfv): One of Germany's largest specialized B2B media houses, publishing trade magazines across multiple verticals and operating events. Comparable to Zimper Media's cross-media B2G model but at much greater scale and across many sectors.
• Erich Schmidt Verlag: German professional and legal publisher serving public administration, tax, and compliance professionals with specialized books, journals, and digital products. Comparable as a niche publisher monetizing access to public-sector decision-makers.

Direct peers

• Vergabe24: German public-procurement platform connecting suppliers with municipal and government tenders. Comparable to KOMMUNALBESCHAFFUNG.DE in enabling B2G transactions and reaching the same municipal procurement audience.
• Kommune21: Online magazine and information platform for municipal IT, digitalization, and e-government in Germany. Closely comparable to kommunal.de in serving municipal decision-makers with editorial content and B2G advertising.
• Behörden Spiegel: German public-sector publication (print and digital) targeting government and administrative decision-makers. Directly comparable to Zimper Media's KOMMUNAL in addressing the same B2G audience with trade journalism and advertising.
• Der Landkreis: Official publication of the German County Association (Deutscher Landkreistag), targeting county-level public administrators. Comparable to KOMMUNAL as a trade magazine serving municipal/county decision-makers with association backing.

Emerging players

• Subreport: German public-sector tendering and procurement platform serving municipalities and suppliers. Comparable to KOMMUNALBESCHAFFUNG.DE in the B2G procurement space but more focused on bid notifications than on broader media/advertising.

Regional players

• Bitkom Servicegesellschaft: Service arm of Germany's digital industry association, producing events, studies, and content reaching public-sector decision-makers on digitalization. Comparable as an association-backed platform monetizing access to public-sector buyers, though primarily events-led.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zimper-media-gmbh
• Facebookfacebook.com/kommunal.magazin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Zimper Media