"Business is going indecently well"

Marketer Goldbach Media broke even in 2003. Despite the decline in the overall advertising market, Goldbach Media broke even in its third year of existence. Thanks to the refocusing on the marketing of online and offline media, the company even made a small profit of CHF 46,000 in 2003 (2002: loss of CHF 16.8 million). Gross revenues rose by CHF 3.9 million to CHF 145.6 million. Adjusted for the deconsolidated companies Swisscontent, Finanzfachmarkt and ActiveAgent Germany, sales even jumped by CHF 12.3 million, and the divestments already initiated in 2002 are also responsible for the reduction in operating costs by a striking 40 percent to CHF 34 million. Personnel expenses were practically halved to CHF 15.2 million. In addition, 2003 was the first year in which no special effects had a negative impact on the business result. "The concentration on pure marketing and placement business in the four core areas of TV, radio, adScreens and Internet has proven to be the right decision", explains Goldbach CEO Klaus Kappeler. The company has been able to increase its market share in television as well as radio and online media.
Goldbach Media in Austria has also achieved a turnaround. The branch, which according to Kappeler is developing into "a duplication of the Swiss business model", is expected to break even this year.
"Business is going indecently well," comments Kappeler on the trend. The first quarter of 2004 brought sales growth of a fantastic 21 percent: "We expect this dynamic to continue in the second half of the year."
Daniel Schifferle