KünzlerBachmann Verlag AG

What KünzlerBachmann Verlag AG does

KünzlerBachmann Verlag AG is a privately held Swiss publishing house founded in 1912 and headquartered in St. Gallen, Switzerland. The company operates a diversified portfolio combining owned consumer publications with B2B publishing services. Its owned brands center on family/youth media—SPICK (Swiss youth magazine, 40+ years, 500th issue), MiniSPICK, FamilienSPICK, swissfamily.ch (since 1999), and SPICK News (launched 2019)—alongside special-interest publications including TCS touring (Switzerland's largest-circulation special-interest magazine at 1,135,027 audited copies across German, French and Italian editions), Touring-Special myHome (763,000 homeowners), FORUM (Catholic parish bulletin of Canton Zurich, 168,943 copies monthly), TAVOLA, wir heiraten, and specialist titles for Swiss engineering (STZ/RTS) and energy (Schweizer Energiefachbuch) sectors. The company is wholly owned by the family-controlled KünzlerBachmann AG holding company and is supported by sister company KünzlerBachmann Directmarketing AG (kbDATA) for direct marketing services.

The company monetizes through five primary revenue streams: subscription/recurring revenue from owned consumer publications, advertising sales (both for owned and third-party titles via the Anzeigenmarketing service line), professional services mandates for associations and institutions (Verlagsservices), content creation services, and one-time retail sales through its online shop. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales for service mandates, newsstand and association channels for consumer publications, and a proprietary e-commerce storefront. The GTM motion is primarily sales-led and enterprise field sales, complemented by community-led engagement through SPICK's social media, newsletter and podcast presence. B2B clients include Touring Club Suisse, Catholic Church Canton Zurich, Swiss Alpine Club, Swiss Nursing Professionals Association (SBK), Swiss Engineering, and the Swiss energy sector.

Underpinning operations is a proprietary technology stack: an in-house CRM and Abo-Verwaltungssystem (subscription administration system) built since 2003, the proprietary XCampaign email marketing platform, and wholly-owned subsidiary Heussercrea AG providing in-house creative/prepress and corporate design. With approximately 11 employees, KünzlerBachmann Verlag AG operates as a lean, specialized publishing operation focused on the Swiss-German market with selected French and Italian editions, recently expanding into audio (SPICK Podcast, Dec 2025), seasonal content (SPICK-Adventskalender, Dec 2025), and family entertainment experiences (bybalzer partnership, 2025).

Name

KünzlerBachmann Verlag AG

Legal name

KünzlerBachmann Verlag AG

Website

https://kbverlag.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KünzlerBachmann Verlag AG is a privately held Swiss publishing house (est. 1912, ~11 employees, St. Gallen) operating owned family/youth brands like SPICK and special-interest titles such as TCS touring, alongside B2B publishing services for associations and institutions across German-speaking Switzerland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Magazine Publishing and Publishing Services

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Book Publishers (513130), Other Publishers (51319), Media Buying Agencies (54183)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food, Cooking & Beverage Magazines (MPAJAEAF), Scholarly Society & Association Publishing (EDAGAFAK)

Keywords

• Magazine publishing
• Family media
• Youth magazines
• Advertising sales
• Subscription management

Headquarters

HQ city

St. Gallen

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Publishing (Eigenverlag): Revenue from publishing own magazines and journals including SPICK, FamilienSPICK, MiniSPICK, Tavola, and various specialist publications. Sales through subscriptions and single copy retail.
2. Advertising Sales: Professional advertising marketing services for publishers, companies, and associations. Full-service ad sales including acquisition, page layout planning, invoicing, and accounts receivable management for both print and digital publications.
3. Publishing Services Mandates: Comprehensive publishing services for third-party clients including associations, companies, and institutions. Services range from full general contractor mandates to modular services covering specific areas like advertising, reader marketing, or subscription management.
4. Product Sales: Direct sales of specialist publications, yearbooks, and magazines through the online shop. Single copy purchases and annual subscriptions.
5. Content Creation: Content creation services for books, magazines, newspapers, posters, games, videos, newsletters, articles, social media posts, and guides across various topics including children/family, technology, marketing, health/education, and nature/outdoor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

KünzlerBachmann Verlag AG is a Swiss publishing house that publishes its own portfolio of print and digital magazines (SPICK, FamilienSPICK, MiniSPICK, TCS touring, FORUM, wir heiraten, TAVOLA, swissfamily.ch and others) and offers full-service publishing mandates to associations, companies and institutions covering advertising sales, subscriber management, content creation, and media production. The company operates a proprietary in-house CRM (Abo-Verwaltungssystem) for subscriber administration and uses the XCampaign email marketing platform for newsletter and reader marketing.

Product overview

KünzlerBachmann Verlag AG operates as a diversified Swiss publishing house founded in 1912, offering a portfolio of print and digital publications alongside comprehensive publishing services. The company's core products include youth magazines (SPICK, MiniSPICK, SPICK News), family publications (FamilienSPICK, swissfamily.ch, Unser Baby), and special-interest magazines (TCS touring, Touring-Special myHome, FORUM, wir heiraten, TAVOLA), as well as technical publications (Schweizer Energiefachbuch, SWISS ENGINEERING). Complementing its publishing business, the company provides publishing services including subscriber management, content creation for children and families, media production, advertising marketing, and multimedia association publications. The product portfolio is structured around family media as a specialty area, with the SPICK magazine family (SPICK, MiniSPICK, FamilienSPICK) serving as flagship products, complemented by third-party publications under marketing partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SPICK: The flagship youth magazine published since 1982, targeting teenagers with background reports, current topics and interviews
• SPICK.ch
• FamilienSPICK
• MiniSPICK
• swissfamily.ch
• TAVOLA
• Kömedia AG
• Heussercrea AG

Products and services

• SPICK Switzerland's flagship youth magazine offering background reports, current topics, and interviews in an accessible format for teenagers; published since 1982.
• SPICK News Weekly newspaper for teenagers launched in 2019, providing background reports, current topics, and interviews with personalities in an accessible format.
• MiniSPICK Children's magazine launched in January 2015 targeting younger readers than the original SPICK.
• FamilienSPICK Parent and family magazine relaunched in 2014, providing guidance and content for families with children.
• Unser Baby Magazine for expectant and new parents, providing guidance on pregnancy, baby care, and early childhood development.
• TCS touring Switzerland's largest circulation special-interest magazine covering mobility topics, published 10x per year in German, French, and Italian editions with a total audited circulation of 1,135,027 copies (WEMF/SW 25-26).
• Touring-Special myHome Switzerland's largest special-interest magazine for homeowners covering property maintenance, renovation, energy efficiency, and sustainable living, with over 1 million copies and 763,000 homeowners as readership.
• FORUM Monthly parish bulletin of the Catholic Church in Canton Zurich, serving Catholic households, parishes, and related institutions with coverage of church life, spirituality, ethics, and society (168,943 copies per issue).
• wir heiraten Annual wedding magazine published in October in German-speaking Switzerland, covering wedding rings, bridal fashion, and luxury wedding cars.
• TAVOLA Cooking and dining magazine serving as the customer magazine for Swiss household and porcelain retailers.
• Schweizer Energiefachbuch Swiss energy reference book published annually, providing technical information on energy topics for professionals and interested parties.
• SWISS ENGINEERING (STZ, RTS) Technical magazines for Swiss engineers, covering engineering topics, salary surveys, and industry news in German (STZ) and French (RTS) editions.
• Verlagsservices (Publishing Services) Expert publishing services for associations, companies, and institutions including target audience analysis, subscriber acquisition, and reader/user marketing, leveraging decades of print and digital media experience.
• Abonnentenverwaltung (Subscriber Management) Full-service or modular subscriber management using the in-house proprietary CRM software, including data migration and professional data handling for client publications.
• Content Kinder und Familie Content creation and planning services for books, magazines, newspapers, posters, games, videos, newsletters, articles, and social media posts, with specialization in children and family content.
• Medienproduktion (Media Production) End-to-end publication production from concept and editing through design, production, delivery, and distribution for customer magazines.
• Anzeigenmarketing (Advertising Marketing) Professional advertising sales services for Swiss publishers, companies, and associations covering ad placement, page makeup, invoicing, and accounts receivable management.
• Multimediale Verbandspublikationen Cross-channel association communication services including printed magazines, physical and electronic newsletters, and various digital media for member organizations.
• swissfamily.ch Family online portal launched in 1999, providing online family content, parenting resources, and digital extensions of the FamilienSPICK and SPICK brands.
• SPICK.ch Online platform companion to the SPICK magazine, providing digital content for youth audiences.
• SPICK-Podcast für Eltern Parenting podcast launched in December 2025 by hosts Esther Volz and Alexander Volz, providing practical tips on bonding, stress management, and self-esteem for mindful parenting.

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Kömedia AGcoreOthers · 1 July 2020Acquired 100% by KünzlerBachmann Verlag AG in July 2020. Known for publishing, managing, and operating a diverse portfolio of media. Integration completed with merger into KünzlerBachmann Verlag AG in 2021.
• Heussercrea AGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2020Acquired 100% by KünzlerBachmann Verlag AG in July 2020 (after initial participation in 2016). Creative agency specializing in advertising and design, handling prepress, print production, and digital media. Located in-house to provide seamless creative services.
• bybalzermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading Swiss cultural agency for musical and theater productions for families. Partnership announced April 2025 to combine SPICK and bybalzer strengths for children's and family entertainment. bybalzer has toured German-speaking Switzerland for 25 years with new productions.
• XCAMPAIGN (Mailprofiler Development s.r.o.)coreTechnology or IntegrationProprietary email marketing platform provider for newsletter campaigns. Complete solution for email marketing with highest data security standards and easy integration capabilities. Server hosting in Switzerland and Czech Republic.
• Google LLC / Google Ireland Ltd.supportingTechnology or IntegrationProvides Google Analytics, Google Ads, Google Tag Manager, YouTube integration, and Google Maps services for website analytics, online advertising, and content delivery.
• Facebook/Meta (Facebook Ireland Ltd.)supportingTechnology or IntegrationSocial media platform integration including Facebook Remarketing/Retargeting, Instagram presence (@spickmagazin), and Custom Audiences for targeted advertising.
• LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited CompanysupportingTechnology or IntegrationCorporate LinkedIn page operator for company presence and professional networking at linkedin.com/company/kuenzlerbachmann-verlag/.
• Nine Internet Solutions AGsupportingTechnology or IntegrationSwiss web hosting provider for website infrastructure services.
• METANET AGsupportingTechnology or IntegrationSwiss hosting and cloud services provider for digital infrastructure.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)supportingTechnology or IntegrationCloud infrastructure provider used for content delivery network (CloudFront) and DNS services (Route 53). AWS GDPR data processing agreements in place.
• KünzlerBachmann Directmarketing AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company within KünzlerBachmann holding group. Specializes in target audience marketing with kbDATA solution - comprehensive Swiss marketing data (private and business addresses). Full-service direct marketing provider.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Bauer Media Group: German-founded, now global magazine publisher with titles across lifestyle, entertainment, and specialist categories, plus digital audio and advertising. Comparable as a large-scale multi-brand magazine operator with recurring subscription and advertising revenue streams.
• Ringier AG: Switzerland's largest privately held media group, publishing Blick, Handelszeitung, and numerous consumer/trade titles plus digital marketplaces (Ricardo, Scout24). Comparable to KünzlerBachmann as a diversified Swiss publishing and media-services operator with both print and B2B services exposure, though at vastly greater scale.
• NZZ Mediengruppe: Swiss media company publishing Neue Zürcher Zeitung and various specialty magazines and digital platforms. Comparable as a long-established Swiss publisher operating across editorial, advertising sales, and subscription services in the same Swiss market.
• Hubert Burda Media: Large German media and publishing group producing consumer magazines (Focus, Bunte), digital brands, and B2B services. Comparable as a multi-decade magazine publisher with a portfolio of consumer special-interest titles and integrated advertising and content services.
• TX Group (Tamedia): Major Swiss media group operating 20 Minuten, Tages-Anzeiger, and various advertising and marketing services. Comparable as a Swiss-headquartered publisher combining print titles, digital media, and advertising services across Swiss language regions, though much larger and publicly listed.
• Axel Springer Schweiz: Swiss arm of the German media conglomerate, operating business and consumer digital media plus advertising. Comparable as a Swiss-market publisher combining editorial, advertising sales, and digital subscriptions — directly competitive for advertising budgets in Switzerland.

Regional players

• Vogt-Schild/Häuser print (Galledia): Swiss printing and publishing group producing regional newspapers and specialty magazines from central Switzerland. Comparable as a regional Swiss publisher combining print production, editorial, and advertising services — a similar integrated services model at modest scale.
• Südostschweiz Medien: Regional Swiss publisher based in Chur producing newspapers and magazines for eastern Switzerland. Comparable as a Swiss regional/specialty publisher that operates both owned titles and third-party publishing services — KünzlerBachmann even partnered with this firm on the Expodata trade fair magazine.
• Christoph Merian Verlag: Basel-based Swiss publishing house specializing in cultural, historical, and literary books and journals. Comparable as a Swiss specialist publisher with a long institutional history, focused on niche/quality content rather than mass-market magazines.

Direct peers

• WEKA Media Group: German-language B2B specialist publisher producing technical reference books, professional journals, and industry handbooks for the DACH market (including Swiss energy and engineering sectors). Comparable to KünzlerBachmann's specialist publications business (Swiss Energiefachbuch, SWISS ENGINEERING STZ/RTS) and B2B publishing services model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 KünzlerBachmann Verlag AG