ppi Media | Magazine production with Content-X at Egmont Publishing

Egmont Publishing Norway: Highly Efficient Magazine Production with Content-X

Egmont Publishing is the largest magazine publisher in Norway, producing over 50 different titles with 800 issues and 500 digital editions every year. In 2018, the company decided to switch to our Content-X editorial system to manage data in a more structured manner and establish tighter links in the production of print and digital media.

Starting point

Egmont Publishing Norway employs around 150 authors and editors in addition to 300 freelance writers, who create content for its print editions and online features. The systems previously used by the publisher limited its ability to manage a wide selection of content in a structured manner. There was no easy way to exchange content between its print and digital media. In 2017, the growing relevance of its web-based content led Egmont Publishing Norway to look for a solution that would ensure the efficient production of print editions while simultaneously supplying content to its digital channels.

The search for the right partner

The first step taken by Egmont Publishing Norway was to identify its requirements for the production of print and digital content, so that it could start scouring the market for suitable software solutions. The publisher wasn’t just looking to purchase a product; it wanted to find a reliable partner to help achieve its publishing objectives.

After reviewing various offers, the company narrowed its initial selection down to three solutions. Further in-depth workshops followed, before the Content-X solution developed by ppi Media and Digital Collections was eventually chosen in October 2018. There were many crucial factors that led to this decision:

ppi Media had managed to demonstrate its potential as a constructive partner during the first workshops and subsequent pilot phase.

Content-X allows the company’s editors – and particularly its 300 freelancers – to work in a browser-based environment, eradicating the need for costly licenses and the installation of programs and fonts.

Content-X is built upon the DC-X digital asset management system, which enables Egmont Publishing Norway to manage its texts, images and videos in a structured and efficient manner.

Thanks to its template-based workflows, Content-X makes it possible to produce a wide range of print titles with maximum efficiency. Many steps can be performed in the web browser without the use of InDesign, from the creation of InDesign documents to the generation of printable PDFs.

An important component of Content-X is “CX planner”, which was developed by ppi Media to make sure everyone involved in the editing process always has access to a schedule and production overview for all magazine editions.

Extensive pilot phase and successful implementation

In February 2018, Egmont Publishing Norway began an extensive Content-X pilot project with the aim of almost fully implementing the solution and producing a real magazine. ppi Media, Digital Collections and BrandMaster, the Scandinavian distributor of DC-X, worked closely together to test the solution with Egmont Publishing Norway in May and June 2018. The cooperation partners trialed the production of the weekly magazine “Vi Menn”.

Following the successful production of the first magazine, the company’s entire range of magazines was gradually migrated to Content-X in subsequent months. Egmont Publishing Norway now uses Content-X to produce all its titles, generating an average of over 300 PDFs and hundreds of InDesign documents every day via the central InDesign server.

A constructive connection

During its search for a new publishing solution, Egmont Publishing Norway had the ambitious goal of finding its self-defined “gold standard” in the form of the ideal system for content management and production. During the trial period, it became clear that Content-X was the right choice for Egmont to achieve its strategic objectives – optimized content management and the interconnection of print and digital.

“We started to identify our requirements for the management of multi-channel content and the efficient production of print media in early 2017. Content-X was the most impressive solution that best suited our needs. During the early pilot phase, we got to know ppi Media, Digital Collections and BrandMaster as our new partners, who are very much aware of our company’s requirements and even make constructive suggestions”, explains Axel Walø, Director of Egmont Publishing Norway. “We’ve expanded our partnership even further over the past few months, and our constructive cooperation with ppi Media will continue to be an important factor for successful magazine production at Egmont Publishing Norway in the future”.