Newspaper publishers in Germany are reportedly moving to head off competition
in Internet advertising sales by forming a joint marketing organization for
online advertisements.
German newspaper industry association spokesman Hans-Joachim Fuhrmann said
that while many German newspapers already offer online ads, the new group
would use attractive content and services to fight off upstarts, Reuters reported.
Fuhrmann said that small companies specializing in huge databases with
industry specific headings such as automobiles, real estate, travel and
employment ads threatened to undermine the papers’ advertising business.
He added that while most newspapers only offer local or regional
sector-specific advertising, the new online companies were presenting
national or international ad databases.
The industry group BDZV said that newspapers remain the top source of news
and the largest advertising medium in Germany despite increasing competition
from other media.