Südwest Media Network GmbH

What Südwest Media Network GmbH does

Südwest Media Network GmbH (SWMN) is the advertising sales, media services, and crossmedia marketing arm of Neue Pressegesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, one of Germany's five largest newspaper publishers. Founded in 2001 as Stuttgarter Zeitung Werbevermarktung (STZW) and rebranded in 2022 to its current identity, the company operates from Stuttgart and employs 113 staff. SWMN commercializes the Southwest German regional media portfolio of its parent group, which includes flagship daily newspapers Stuttgarter Zeitung, Stuttgarter Nachrichten, and Esslinger Zeitung along with 26+ additional regional titles, weekly papers, official gazettes, and themed magazines. Combined print circulation is 316,750 daily copies (IVW Q2 2025), with 869,000+ print readers per the 2025 media analysis, and the digital network reaches 4.99 million unique users monthly (October 2025) plus 2.7 million newsletter contacts.

The company's core offering is a multi-channel, crossmedia advertising and media services platform spanning eight product categories: Print (daily and weekly newspapers, magazines, official gazettes), Digital (display advertising, content marketing, social media, newsletters, SEO), Messen und Events (trade fairs, virtual events, Round Tables, the Zeitung im Dialog platform), Druck (printing services via partner MHS Print GmbH), Marktforschung (market research via partner Media Opal), Audio & Video (podcast and video production using HQ-Remote remote recording technology), Corporate Publishing (custom magazines, books, scrollytelling, podcasts), and the Shop711.de e-commerce storefront. Underlying capabilities include a dedicated healthcare content series (Fokus Medizin), signature events (FirstJob career fair, Schwarzer Löwe business award, Baden-Württembergische Weinmeisterschaft), and corporate subscription services (Firmen-Abos) for businesses, schools, and public institutions.

SWMN monetizes through six primary revenue streams: print advertising, digital advertising, event and trade show services, corporate publishing, subscription revenue, and printing services. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales — key account managers serve regional B2B advertisers and corporate customers across industries including tourism (Schweiz Tourismus, Interlaken, Fribourg), healthcare (Bosch BKK, multiple hospital systems), financial services (Sparkasse Karlsruhe, Volksbank Stuttgart), retail (Möbel Rieger), automotive, education, and government (bwegt). The company is led by Managing Directors Lars Barnstorf and Herbert Dachs.

Name

Südwest Media Network GmbH

Legal name

Südwest Media Network GmbH

Website

https://swm-network.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Südwest Media Network GmbH is the advertising sales and media services arm of Neue Pressegesellschaft, commercializing a regional Southwest German portfolio of daily newspapers, digital properties, events, audio/video, and corporate publishing for B2B advertisers across Baden-Württemberg and adjacent markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Media Advertising & Marketing Services

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Periodical Publishers (51312), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

National & General-Interest Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Regional newspaper advertising
• Crossmedia marketing services
• Corporate publishing solutions
• Digital advertising networks
• Regional event management

Headquarters

HQ city

Stuttgart

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Print Advertising: Revenue from selling advertising space in daily newspapers, weekly papers, and magazines including display ads, classifieds, and special formats
2. Digital Advertising: Revenue from online advertising including display formats, content marketing, social media advertising, newsletters, and targeting solutions
3. Events and Trade Shows: Revenue from organizing and hosting regional trade shows (FirstJob, Immobilien Messe Stuttgart, Gesund Leben), virtual events, round tables, and hybrid events
4. Corporate Publishing: Revenue from creating corporate books, customer/magazine publishing, brochures, podcasts, scrollytelling, and workshops for B2B clients
5. Subscription Revenue: Revenue from newspaper subscriptions including print and digital (ePaper) offerings for individual readers and corporate subscriptions
6. Printing Services: Custom printing services for publishers, companies in industry, tourism, events, and retail including magazines, catalogs, and promotional materials through MHS Print GmbH partnership

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Südwest Media Network GmbH operates as a regional media marketing company that sells advertising space (print and digital), corporate publishing, event management, audio/video production, market research and printing services to B2B advertisers and corporate communications clients across southwestern Germany. Its portfolio is anchored by the trusted journalistic brands Stuttgarter Zeitung, Stuttgarter Nachrichten, Esslinger Zeitung and 26+ regional daily newspapers, complemented by digital advertising formats, social media, newsletters, trade shows and corporate publishing solutions.

Product overview

Südwest Media Network GmbH operates as a comprehensive media conglomerate with the largest media portfolio in Southwest Germany, offering a multi-platform approach across Print, Digital, Live/Events, Audio, and Video channels. The core offering consists of: (1) Print Portfolio including daily newspapers (Stuttgarter Zeitung, Stuttgarter Nachrichten, Esslinger Zeitung, and 26+ regional titles) with 316,750 daily circulation, regional weeklies, and official gazettes; (2) Digital Portfolio featuring display advertising formats, content marketing, social media, newsletters, and SEO consulting reaching 4.99 million monthly unique users; (3) Messen und Events division managing trade fairs, virtual events, and Round Table discussions; (4) Audio & Video production services including podcasts; (5) Corporate Publishing for custom publications; (6) Market Research partnerships; (7) Online Shop (Shop711.de); and (8) Printing Services via MHS Print GmbH. The company also operates branded event platforms like 'Zeitung im Dialog' and hosts notable events including FirstJob career fairs, the 'Schwarzer Löwe' business award, and Baden-Württembergische Weinmeisterschaft. Formerly known as Stuttgarter Zeitung Werbevermarktung (STZW) until rebranding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Print Portfolio Daily newspapers with circulation of 316,750 copies, regional weekly papers, official gazettes, and magazines including Stuttgarter Zeitung Magazin, Fokus Medizin, Kulturreport Stuttgart, and STANDORT. Sold as advertising inventory to B2B advertisers and as subscriptions to readers and corporate/institutional subscribers.
• Digital Portfolio Digital advertising offering including display formats (Fireplace, Sitebar, Billboard, Rectangle, Skyscraper, Wallpaper, Content Ad, Parallax Ad, Halfpage Ad, Interstitial), content marketing (PR articles, Native Ads, Subchannels), social media marketing, newsletter advertising, targeting solutions, and SEO consulting services. Reaches 4.99 million unique users monthly. Sold to B2B advertisers.
• Messen und Events (Trade Fairs and Events) Event management services including trade fairs (FirstJob, Immobilien Messe Stuttgart, Gesund Leben), virtual fairs, Round Table discussions, hybrid events, and the 'Zeitung im Dialog' event platform with video replays. Sold to B2B clients for participation, sponsorship, and event marketing.
• Printing Services (Druck) Custom printing services provided in collaboration with MHS Print GmbH, including newspapers, weekly papers, magazines, catalogs, product brochures, and promotional inserts with personalization and addressing options (Memosticks, Tip-On-Cards). Sold to B2B clients in publishing, industry, tourism, events, and retail.
• Marktforschung (Market Research) Market research services conducted with Media Opal (a service of delta Marktforschung Köln and ZMG Frankfurt) including reader panel surveys and advertising effectiveness studies for display ads, PR formats, and special publications. Sold to B2B media clients.
• Audio & Video Production Audio and video production services including video production, vodcasts/podcasts with remote HQ-Remote quality recording, image films, documentaries, radio spots, and professional moderation. Sold to B2B clients for branded content and communications.
• Corporate Publishing Corporate publishing solutions including corporate books with storytelling, customer/employee magazines, brochures and flyers, scrollytelling, video/audio podcasts, workshops, and audio plays for children. Sold to B2B clients such as healthcare, financial services, automotive, education, and public-sector organizations.
• Shop711.de Online Shop Online shop offering exclusive products related to the region including wine and gourmet items, art and literature, health and prevention, and gift ideas sourced from regional partners in the Stuttgart area. Sold direct to B2C consumers.
• Firmen-Abos (Corporate Newspaper Subscriptions) Corporate subscription offerings including digital corporate subscriptions (ePaper) and gift codes, plus the 'Zeitungspate' newspaper sponsorship program for schools and social institutions. Sold to businesses, schools, and public institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reach 4.99 million monthly online users across regional network
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MHS Print GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for customer-individual printing services including newspapers, weekly papers, magazines, product catalogs, and promotional materials. Also offers personalization and addressing capabilities with special attention-grabbing formats like Memosticks and Tip-On-Cards.
• Media Opal (delta Marktforschung Köln / ZMG Frankfurt)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReader panel of Stuttgarter Zeitung and Stuttgarter Nachrichten readers for regular online surveys on advertising effectiveness, PR formats, and special publications. Studies conducted scientifically for media clients on brand awareness, activation, and creation.
• Neue Pressegesellschaft mbH & Co. KGcoreOthersParent company and one of the five largest newspaper publishers in Germany, encompassing publishing, editorial, media services, online, radio, event management, printing, and distribution/logistics operations.
• Robert Bosch KrankenhauscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFokus Medizin event series featuring medical experts from Robert Bosch Krankenhaus discussing various health topics with video replays available.
• Diakonie Klinikum StuttgartminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthcare partner for Fokus Medizin event series and corporate publishing scrollytelling projects.
• Klinikum EsslingenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthcare partner for Fokus Medizin event series featuring medical professionals from the clinic.
• Rems-Murr-KlinikenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthcare partner for Fokus Medizin event series featuring doctors from Rems-Murr hospitals.
• Roland Berger StiftungminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPodcast collaboration partner for healthcare content production.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Mainpost (Main-Post GmbH): Regional newspaper publisher in Franconia/Bavaria offering print, digital, events, and additional media services. Comparable to SWM in operating model as a regional full-service newspaper media company with cross-media advertising offerings.
• Madsack Mediengruppe: German regional newspaper publishing group operating digital and print advertising sales, events, and corporate publishing across multiple regional titles. Highly comparable business model to SWM as a multi-title regional newspaper media house with cross-media advertising monetization.
• DuMont Mediengruppe: Diversified German regional media group publishing newspapers and operating digital advertising, marketing services, and events. Closely comparable to SWM's structure of newspaper-led cross-media advertising sales targeted at regional advertisers.
• Rheinpfalz Verlag: Regional newspaper publisher with full-service digital advertising, events, and corporate publishing offerings in the Rhineland-Palatinate region. Comparable to SWM as a regional newspaper-led media company with integrated cross-media ad sales.
• Badischer Verlag (Badische Zeitung): Regional newspaper publisher based in Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg with adjacent geographic coverage. Operates similar print, digital, events, and corporate publishing services, competing directly with SWM for regional advertisers in Baden-Württemberg.

Broad incumbents

• Axel Springer: Largest German digital publisher with BILD, WELT, and major classifieds platforms. Broad incumbent in the German media space with overlapping newspaper publishing, digital advertising, and marketing services capabilities relevant to SWM.
• Hubert Burda Media: German media conglomerate with Focus, Bunte, and major digital properties spanning print, digital, events, and marketing services. Broad incumbent comparable to SWM in cross-media advertising and event-led enterprise marketing solutions.
• Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck: Major German publishing group controlling Die Zeit, Handelsblatt, WirtschaftsWoche, and other national titles. Broader incumbent in the German newspaper media space with overlapping capabilities in print and digital advertising, marketing services, and events.
• Ströer SE & Co. KGaA: Major German out-of-home and digital advertising sales company with strong regional presence. Comparable to SWM in operating a multi-channel German advertising sales platform, though OOH-focused rather than newspaper-led.
• Süddeutscher Verlag (Süddeutsche Zeitung): Publisher of Germany's largest national quality newspaper SZ with integrated advertising sales, digital products, events, and corporate publishing. Operates a comparable cross-media advertising model to SWM but at national scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/swm-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Südwest Media Network GmbH