From a classical to a digital media company

For media companies to survive, they must be able to respond quickly to new needs. We supported the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in this endeavor with a central data platform.

In Short

CHALLENGE

Performance, functionality and interfaces of the on-premises databases were insufficient.

SOLUTION

Central Data Platform based on the Azure cloud and complemented by data lake technology.

BENEFIT

Being able to react to readers’ needs and to proactively create new offerings.

Our solution

Print media has been experiencing a sharp drop in readership and revenue for many years. One of the main reasons for this is that an increasing number of consumers are switching to digital alternatives. These media are consumed on a range of different devices and with flexible (pricing) models. So, what does this mean for traditional media companies? It means carefully monitoring user habits on digital channels, learning quickly from the findings – and launching suitable offers even quicker than competitors!

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, a German national newspaper, spotted a potential to make some improvements in this regard: the on-premises databases were stand-alone solutions. Their performance, functionality and interfaces were no longer able to cope with the new tasks at hand. It was difficult to link data, the amount of maintenance required was high, and ad-hoc analyses of user data required a great deal of time and effort.

From the Azure cloud environment to modern data lake technology

To make campaigns data available across all channels and systems and therefore enable it to be used, it was necessary to set up a central data platform in the Microsoft Azure Cloud. To achieve this, Trivadis developed various scenarios for migrating the on-premises database and established a modern Azure Cloud environment based on the proven TVD Azure architecture blueprint. With the help of biGENIUS, the data warehouse components were then generated automatically in the Microsoft Azure Cloud. As the final step, Trivadis replaced the data warehouse solution with data lake technology and added some modern analytical functions.

By establishing standardised campaign reports on the Cloud, we are able to use central KPIs transparently for steering our sales activities.

Stefan Buhr, Head of Readermarket, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

Improving sales steering with reporting

Trivadis’ data lake solution collects and integrates campaigns data that is generated on the newspaper’s analogue and digital channels. Thanks to the services in the Azure Cloud, the data lake solution can be scaled flexibly and independently. What is more, new data sources can be added quickly and with very little effort. By switching from capex (capital expenditure) to opex (operating expenditure), modern cost management has become possible. By replacing the technical island solutions with a central data platform, the maintenance effort could be minimized and fast ad-hoc analyses were made possible. The F.A.Z. is now in a position to react quickly to user behaviour, to create suitable offers and to adapt its portfolio to customer requirements. And last but not least, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung is now able to concentrate on its core business by handing over operation of the solution to Trivadis. Using such a platform for data analysis and presentation is also recommended and feasible for other companies and industries. The evaluation automatisms are to be adapted to new technical requirements.

ABOUT FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung is one of the most important daily newspapers in Germany, and this applies to its digital content, too. F.A.Z. is published six times a week with a circulation of 254,079 (average total circulation IVW 2016) and reaches 1.01 million readers every day (AWA 2016).

Technologies used

Azure Databricks
Azure Data Factory V2
Azure Data Lake GEN2
Azure SQL Database

Power BI
Logic Apps
Azure Key Vault