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The series phenomenon Game of Thrones: When journalists become fans.
In-house journal July 2019
XGXoTL
poster
Startup
nation Israel
World-record holder in founding companies: Why this
country is a better Silicon Valley
CONTENT
4 Record-breaking country
Each year 1,500 startups are founded in
Israel. A visit to Impact Labs, the
country’s largest makerspace.
10 «No multicultural obligation.»
18
Robin Lingg, Head of Marketplaces at
Ringier, has worked on almost every
continent. He not only knows how to
explore new markets, he can also tell you
where people have what for breakfast
and where they pray before meetings.
29
13 News of Thrones
The HBO series «Game of Thrones» has
broken all records. Not least because
journalists became fans.
16 GoT: Graphics and fan poster
Who appeared in the cult series when
and for how long, who is how tall and
who talks how much. Plus: the big fan
poster!
he ghostwriters of
18 T
10
Storymachine
The Berlin startup created by Kai
Diekmann, Philipp Jessen and Michael
Mronz takes off. Their business model
has a name: Donald Trump.
24 What does 62W+52L actually do?
Three examples of how Ringier’s
4
corporate strategy and management
principles are put into practice.
26 My Week - Michel Jeanneret
The editor-in-chief of L’illustré flies
through his week.
28 Only the best intentions
Publisher Michael Ringier: What happens
when you give free rein to technology?
29 «There’s an outrage boiling in
me»
Interview with cartoonist Kevin
Kallaugher about the cancellation of
cartoons in the New York Times.
30 Manager in mountain boots
Anniversary: Natascha Knecht /
Recommended reading by Marc Walder
Cover photo: Sebastian Kopp / EyeEm
Publishing information
Publisher: Ringier AG, Corporate Communica-
tions. Executive Director: René Beutner, CCO,
Dufourstrasse 23, 8008 Zurich. Contact: domo@
ringier.ch Editor-in-chief: Alejandro Velert.
Contributors: Ulli Glantz and Markus Senn (visual
realization), Vinzenz Greiner, René Haenig, Marc
Kowalsky, Adrian Meyer (texts) and Priska
Wallimann (graphics). Translators: Gian Pozzy
(French), Claudia Bodmer (English), Ioana Chivoiu,
(Romanian) Proofreaders: Peter Hofer, Regula
24
Osman, Kurt Schuiki (German), Patrick Morier-
Genoud (French), Claudia Bodmer (English), Lucia
Gruescu (Romanian). Layout/Production: Zuni
Halpern (Switzerland) Image Editing: Ringier
Redaktions Services Zurich. Print: Ringier Print
Ostrava and SNP Leefung Printers. No portion may
be reprinted without the editor’s permission.
Circulation: 10,000 copies. DOMO is published
in German, French, English and Romanian. Photos: Maurice Haas, Markus Tedeskino, Paul Seewer, Corinna Kern DOMO – July 2019 | 3
FOCUS ON ISRAEL
Record-breaking
country
More venture capital is invested in Israel
than in Switzerland, Germany and Austria
combined. There is hardly any other
country in the world that is as successful
in terms of startups. What Switzerland
can learn from Israel.
Text Marc Kowalsky Photos: Corinna Kern
Just-do-it
mentality. In
Jaffa’s makerspace
«Impact Lab»,
hundreds of
startups
implement their
ideas, such as
developing bones
from a 3D printer.
4 | DOMO – July 2019 DOMO – July 2019 | 5
FOCUS ON ISRAEL FOCUS ON ISRAEL
T he iron stairs wind steeply down
from HaPelech street in Jaffa, a
southern suburb of Tel Aviv. In Eu-
Picture at left:
Investor Daniel
Gutenberg has
Ringier Digital
rope, Jaffa is known for its oranges. been investing his Ventures
In Tel Aviv, Jaffa is known for its money in Israeli
With Ringier Digital Ventures AG,
startups. Or rather, for the infrastruc- companies for 20
Ringier is also investing in start-ups.
ture it offers them. At the bottom of years: «The
The focus of the venture capital firm,
the stairs, two levels below ground startups here are
founded in January 2015, is investing
and far from daylight, an 11,000 sq ft. much more
in innovative digital start-ups that can
hall opens up. There are rows of 3D ambitious than in
benefit from the extensive media
printers and sintering machines, Switzerland.»
reach and expertise of successful
there is a counter for power drills and
companies within the Ringier
ear protectors, a vending machine for Large picture at
network. The focus of Ringier Digital
common electronic components is right: Engineer
Ventures is investing into innovative
available, even a sewing machine. A Sonny Lustov is
digital start-ups, which offer a clear
chart lists rates: using the laser cutter working on the
unique selling proposition in the
costs four shekels an hour (about 1.10 Harz 3D printer at
consumer internet space combined
dollars), the CNC lathe costs eleven Impact Labs.
with business model innovations.
shekels, and so does the 3D scanner.
«The idea is to find everything in one Picture below:
place,» says Sefi Attias, who runs this tious,» says Daniel Gutenberg. «They Systems engineer
outfit. usually go directly for the global Roman Dvorkin
Welcome to Impact Labs, Israel’s market without bothering with the simulates a drone
largest makerspace: high-end, high- local market – unlike Swiss startups.» delivery in the
tech. Hundreds of startups imple- Zurich-born Gutenberg ought to Flytrex control
mented their first ideas here before know: He has been an active investor room. This startup
they could afford their own work- in both countries for over 20 years is working on an
shops and laboratories. Dozens of and was involved in Netscape, Face- on-demand drone
them began their triumphs here. At book and Mobileye in their early delivery service.
a large wooden table, a group of stu- stages. The latter was Israel’s most
dents are working on a prosthetic successful company foundation ever:
arm, while next to them, young en- developing cameras and software for
trepreneurs are tinkering with a self-driving cars was founder Ziv
drone. They, too, want to make a Aviram’s vision – in 1999, mind you,
breakthrough, and they, too, want to when there was no automotive sup-
become rich and famous someday – ply industry in Israel to speak of and
with their own company. autonomous cars seemed like a pipe
No other country in the world is dream. Today, this company from the
more successful when it comes to north of Jerusalem supplies every
startups: there is one new company major car manufacturer with sensor
for every 1,300 inhabitants (in Swit- technology, except for Tesla and
zerland there is one for every 5,000). Daimler, and has – a positive side ef-
In total, there are 6,500 startups; fect – helped establish an automotive
only the USA numbers more. And supply industry with 800 companies called «Silicon Wadi». Last year, 6.5
every year, 1,500 new startups join in Israel. In 2014, Mobileye was listed billion dollars in venture capital was
them in Israel. Tel Aviv is considered at the US technology exchange Nas- invested in 623 companies – more
to be the sixth best startup ecosys- daq with a valuation of over four money than in Switzerland, Germany
tem in the world and – right behind billion dollars; two years ago, the and Austria combined! It all began
London – the second best in Europe. company was acquired by Intel for 15 with a government initiative: Be-
Israel currently boasts twelve uni- billion dollars. Gutenberg got in- tween 1992 and 1997, it provided $120
corns, i.e. young companies valued volved when the company was million in venture capital and provid-
at more than a billion dollars. Swit- founded and was able to reap the re- ed attractive conditions to ensure
zerland has five. The two countries wards 17 years later. «It was one of the that private investors contributed
are comparable in terms of size and best deals of my life,» he says. many times more. The program was
population. But in Switzerland, there Now, Gutenberg is banking on a great success and was copied world-
are few startups and many large Flytrex, a Tel Aviv startup augured wide. This year, 27 years later, Swit-
companies that would like to be like to become nothing less than the Uber zerland is launching the Swiss Entre-
startups. In Israel, there are many for drone flights. An online retailer preneurs Fund, its first government
startups and few large companies. In or a pizza service with goods for de- this technology. «I expect Flytrex to Young entrepre- support initiative – albeit at much
Switzerland, university graduates livery orders a flight via app, puts the become a unicorn,» says Gutenberg. neur Tal Yemin less attractive conditions for private
dream of a career with a major bank, payload into the drone and presses a «The largest drone logistics company cleans excess investors. Israel’s tax laws are also
big pharma or a management consul- button, according to their vision. The after Amazon.» material from a startup friendly: stock options as a
tancy. In Israel, even children dream drone then makes its own way to the Gutenberg is one of hundreds of 3D-printed major wage component are not taxed
of becoming entrepreneurs. recipient – several times faster and foreign investors in Israel. The ven- component at as income but are only subject to a –
«It is more lucrative to invest in more efficiently than a bicycle couri- ture capital scene there is now the Impact Labs. significantly lower – capital gains tax
Israel than in Switzerland because er could. A North Carolina shopping second largest in the world after Sil- if they are exercised.
their startups are far more ambi- center is already experimenting with icon Valley, which is why it is also Of course, in Israel, too, most
6 | DOMO – July 2019 DOMO – July 2019 | 7
FOCUS ON ISRAEL FOCUS ON ISRAEL
The world’s top startup centers: Picture at left: The
entrance to
1. Silicon Valley Impact Labs, the
2. New York City largest maker-
space in Israel. On
3. London and Beijing two floors and
5. Boston 11,000 sq. ft.,
young entrepre-
6. Tel Aviv and Los Angeles neurs will find
22. Lausanne-Berne-Geneva everything they
need for their
Source: Ranking Startup Genome
work, from milling
machines to 3D
startups fail. Strictly speaking, 96 scanners.
percent of them, a similar rate to
Switzerland’s. But unlike in Switzer- Picture below:
land, this is not considered in nega- British Prince
tive terms, on the contrary. «I’d William (r.)
rather hire someone who has already alongside Israeli
failed with two companies than Prime Minister
someone who hasn’t tried yet,» says Benjamin
Ziv Aviram, the man behind Mobil- Netanyahu (m.) ram. A position in an elite troop such
eye. This «can do» spirit reflects the and his wife Sara as the legendary Tapiots or the recon-
Israeli mentality: although its culture Netanyahu, while naissance unit 8200 is therefore re-
has 5,000 years of tradition, the na- Israel’s most garded as a ticket to a managerial
tion itself is only 70 years old and successful career and often counts more than a
considers itself a startup project. The company founder degree from a renowned university.
population is made up of 70 nation- Ziv Aviram Which is not to say that their edu-
alities. In the 1990s, hundreds of presents a pair of cation system should be underesti-
thousands of people immigrated talking glasses for mated. It consists of eight universi-
from the countries of the former So- the blind. ties, around 30 colleges, 320 research
viet Union. And while Switzerland and development centers and 19
has been barring access for foreign Picture at right: At technology incubators. No other
talent since its referendum against the Technion, the country has a higher density of sci-
mass immigration, any foreign entre- Israel Institute of entists or invests a larger share of its
preneurs can try their luck in Israel Technology in gross national product in research
for two years. If they succeed, their Haifa, an average per capita. And above all, no other
work and residence permits are ex- of one in four country translates it into products so
tended. Anyone who starts from graduates found a consistently. Thanks in part to gov-
scratch in their new home country startup. ernment aid from the Israel Innova-
has nothing to lose and can accord- tion Authority (IIA), which finances
ingly take risks as a company found- startup projects to the tune of 1.6
er. The mentality is shaped by the billion dollars a year, eight times
Hebrew «chutzpah» – a certain fear- more than the Swiss counterpart
lessness to try something new, a lack Innosuisse can provide. If the startup
of respect for authorities or of casu- is successful – and only then – it will
ally asking a favor of total strangers. pay back the interest-free loan in
But then, there aren’t that many total small installments, at three percent
strangers. Much as in Switzerland, of its annual turnover. The conse-
everyone here somehow knows al- there is a computer in almost every Generally speaking, the army quences become apparent, for exam-
most everyone else. Israelis are much child’s room. It also ensures that the holds the country together to a de- ple, at the Technion in Haifa, in the
more direct than Westerners, let army is constantly developing new gree that might have been true of far north of the country, Israel’s
alone Asians. Professional relations technologies for self-defense, such Switzerland until just after World counterpart to the ETH, the Swiss
are very informal; a Swiss would as drones, cybersecurity and satellite War II. In Israel, 25 years of reserve Federal Institute of Technology. Of
frequently regard such behavior as technology. Because the army releas- duty provide a lifelong network of the 14,000 graduates last year, an
impertinent. As a foreigner you may es the technology for civilian use, contacts. But first and foremost, a average of one in four (co-)founds a
have trouble with this mentality. But many soldiers who have accom- 22-year-old Israeli officer leads 50 to startup. At ETH Zurich with its 5,000
it is helpful if you want to succeed plished their mandatory period of 100 soldiers and is responsible for a graduates, a mere 27 new companies
Photos: Corinna Kern, Getty Images
quickly – or to fail quickly and then military service (three years for men, dozen vehicles and weaponry worth were created as spin-offs last year.
try something else. two years for women) start their own millions. And unlike Switzerland, This year, too, some 1,500 new
Add the fact that Israel is sur- businesses, setting up companies they do all this under warlike condi- startups will be founded in Israel,
rounded by enemies. This ensures with this knowledge. Checkpoint, tions in sometimes life-threatening and again, a handful of upcoming
that new technologies are very which is now the world’s largest pro- situations without the possibility of unicorns will be among them. There
quickly adopted by the population, vider of firewalls, was created in this checking back with their superiors. is a good chance that one of them is
to get in touch with the rest of the way, as was Waze, which has since «The leadership experience you gain just starting out down in that large
world. The concentration of smart- been taken over by Google as a pro- in the army is invaluable for busi- hall, two floors below the streets of
phones is the highest in the world; vider of navigation systems. ness,» says Mobileye founder Avi- Jaffa.
8 | DOMO – July 2019 DOMO – July 2019 | 9
INTERVIEW
«No multicultural
obligation»
Robin Lingg is in charge of marketplaces at Ringier. Previously, this expert
on Latin America headed the Asia and Africa business. A conversation about
Ethiopian flea markets, steaks for breakfast and wearing sneakers with suits.
Interview: Vinzenz Greiner Photo: Maurice Haas
Good morning, Mr Lingg! What did once said in an interview that you Robin Lingg (39) it brave or naïve to take on a leader-
you have for breakfast today? Ba- were as blunt as possible. Not exactly has been a ship position in these culturally very
varian Weisswurst, Mexican huevos a typically Swiss trait. member of the different areas?
rancheros or Nigerian akara? Here we are talking about stereo- Ringier AG Ultimately, leadership has to do
Robin Lingg: I don’t actually have types again. Of course, some of Group Executive with people. And people want to be
breakfast – except for coffee. them are true – for example, I am Board since 2014 understood and respected and feel
Has your anti-breakfast attitude ever extremely punctual. But I think a and heads the that you’re honestly interested in
presented a challenge for you in the culture goes beyond cookie-cutter International them. There is no difference
business world? notions like these. Marketplaces between Mexicans, Vietnamese or
It is a bit trying when you’re having Your wife was born in Germany, you division. Nigerians in this regard. But of
a sumptuous working breakfast have three children together. How do Previously, he was course, there are subtleties that
with clients in Mexico. You can you live culture in the family? CEO of need to be taken into account in
easily end up eating about 7800 We do not feel a «multicultural Ringier Africa and order to connect.
calories (laughs). But I can also eat obligation», but we try to set an Asia, and Head of Do you have an example of such a
a steak in the morning if it’s example in terms of being open. We Business subtlety?
appropriate. have an international circle of Development. In Ghana, at the beginning of major
You studied in Passau, Bavaria, lived friends speaking different languag- Lingg studied meetings or other business events,
in Mexico and spent a long time work- es, and language facilitates access languages, the highest-ranking person present
ing in Africa. Is that enough to qualify to cultures and people. My three economics and says a prayer. That’s pretty exciting.
as a «multicultural executive», as you children are growing up bilingual cultural science at How do you prepare yourself when
call yourself on LinkedIn? with Spanish. Our eldest was born the University of you want to open up a new country
(laughs) «Multicultural» is an in Mexico, so he is Mexican, and his Passau for Ringier?
elastic term. To me, it means that first words were in Spanish. He in Germany. Robin When you enter a new country on
you have an interest in and respect should keep that, and we have Lingg is married to business, you need to have an idea
for other ways of life and you can followed through with it. Myriam Lingg; of how their economy and politics
get excited about them. I’ve been The way to culture also leads through they have three are developing and where the risks
lucky enough to see a lot of the the stomach. Rumor has it that you children and live in lie. That means going there and
world. I like to observe and learn, are the Jamie Oliver of Dufourstrasse. Zurich. talking to people. Before we
and I quickly feel at home in Jamie Oliver is broke, so that’s invested in any of the countries I
different cultures. hardly a nice comparison (laughs). opened up, I took three or four trips
That makes almost all of us multicul- But yes: Cooking is my hobby. At there, in the case of Myanmar even
tural. Is there even such a thing as home, we cook Mexican, Indian, ten. You have to talk to potential
monoculture anymore? Asian dishes. In addition to business partners but also to
At the end of the day, I am Swiss language, eating provides another ordinary people, to get a feel for
and European. Because we grow up access to culture – and it’s free of how their culture works and how
in a given culture, we come with a tension at that. It’s hard to judge people think.
particular kind of baggage. But that food disrespectfully. What if you simply can’t get a feel for
doesn’t mean I wouldn’t accept You primarily studied the Latin Amer- the place?
things that I like elsewhere and ican region, where you lived until That happened in Cambodia. After
broaden my horizons. 2012. Two years later, you became two or three trips, I had to admit:
What is in your Swiss baggage? You Ringier’s CEO for Africa and Asia. Was This country and our company
10 | DOMO – July 2019
INTERVIEW MEDIA
aren’t compatible yet, it’s not a Bank of Africa recently bought a car
good fit. Let’s wait another five or from us via a platform. Communi-
ten years. cation was 100 percent via
Compatibility also has to do with eco- WhatsApp.
nomic culture. How do you adjust to There are already marketplaces for
that? You can’t clinch a deal in Kenya everything – real estate, jobs, elec-
the same way you do in Nigeria. tronics ... What’s the next big thing in
When I first got off the plane in «marketplacing»?
Lagos, I wanted to go home within In the future, we will be focusing
ten seconds. It was too much for me more on improving the handling of
back then, too hectic, too loud – platforms for buyers and sellers by
simply overwhelming. Eventually, I providing new services.
learned that Nigerians are not just Such as financing products for buying
hectic and come across as aggres- used cars?
sive, they’re also business-driven Absolutely. Insurance products are
and more blunt than Ghanaians, also part of it. With jobs, it’s
who are calmer. Meanwhile, Nigeria matchmaking or digitalizing the
has become one of my favorite assessment process.
countries to visit. We have a What role will technologies such
fantastic team there. as AR and VR play? Will I be able to
From Myanmar to Senegal to Switzer- walk digitally through advertised
land, there are almost 100 companies apartments?
in the Ringier universe. Is there still Sure. But other technologies are
something like a Ringier culture? also becoming more important.
Yes, there’s a Ringier DNA. Here’s Machine learning, for example, in
what it’s about: How you deal with image recognition. Data analysis
people and risk, with speed and and aggregation are becoming
mistakes. Above all, we believe in indispensable, which is why we
allowing a lot of locality – especially have invested in IAZI and are
when it comes to personnel policy. cooperating with Archilyse. We
Of course, there are things you can want to make environmental data
apply worldwide in terms of available on real estate platforms
technology. We are convinced, and match it with the lifestyle of
however, that you can’t measure our customers. The client buying an
differing local needs by the same apartment should be able to see
News on Thrones
yardstick. There are other compa- conducts a large part of its business «Yes, there’s a how much sun the apartment gets,
nies in our field that take a much in Switzerland. Because locality is Ringier DNA,» says how well it is connected to public
more centralistic approach. important, it naturally entails that Robin Lingg. In the transport or where the nearest
Let’s talk about error culture. Every- many people in the company are mid-term he will school is. People will expect these
body says we need one like they have Swiss. At the end of the day, we sim- become the head kinds of things in the future. And if
in the USA. At Switzerland’s biggest ply want the best people. Period. of the next we don’t meet these expectations,
bank, everyone is on a first-name At Ringier, you are in charge of generation of we won’t have a good product.
basis, including the top management. marketplaces – for example, Qefira in shareholders. To what extent does Blockchain come
Just like in Silicon Valley, European Ethiopia. Should you first check out into it?
CEOs have suddenly taken to wearing
sneakers with their suits. Are we all
a flea market in Addis Ababa before
investing in a company like Qefira?
There are no business-relevant
blockchain products as yet. They
«Game of Thrones» is the most successful TV series ever. Not just because
going American?
Not everything that comes out of
Absolutely! It’s essential to
understand how traditional trade
are conceivable, for example, with
relation to notarizing processes in
of its millions of fans but because media companies also went crazy about this
Silicon Valley is worth copying, but works in any given country. And the real estate sector, but that will HBO production. To the point where one came close to believing that
it’s not all wrong either. There is a then you have to implement this in probably take some time. Our
cultural change underway in the the digital world. Certain techno- investment in BOTLabs is therefore Westeros was a continent on our globe. Vinzenz Greiner
world of work: Today, age, gender logical issues that are present may an investment in a research and
and hierarchical thinking are apply across countries. But a development center. We can talk to
fortunately much less important Vietnamese expects a completely experts who work with the
than performance. You now get
30-year-old CEOs, and sneakers is
what they wear, not leather shoes.
different user journey on a platform
than a Swiss.
In other words: Marketplaces don’t
technology instead of merely
reading theoretical papers.
Will Ringier invest more in technolo-
T he 25-page report reads like an
ABC of war crimes. Enslavement,
hostage-taking, forced displacement,
The Washington Post had been
investigating the same conflicts for
even longer. According to their re-
Queen Elizabeth II
marveling at the
Iron Throne on the
illustrations and graphics on the Web.
State of the art stuff: A full year before
the first version appeared online, the
This has nothing to do with work the same way everywhere? gies or in new markets in the future? rape, killing of defenseless civilians, search, the body count reached 6887 set of Game of editor in charge had begun research-
Americanization, it’s an expression I’ll give you the example of used I’m sure you have your eye on Latin torture ... These harsh accusations are – including farmers and soldiers but Thrones in ing, designing and programming her
of a change in thought patterns. cars. In some African countries, America! solidly backed up with facts: volun- also animals such as horses and pi- Northern Ireland. presentation.
Including you, there are three Swiss they are sold on the street corner on We have invested in Ukraine and teers of the Australian Red Cross geons. And these are only those In the background: So, readers can no longer talk their
and two German members on the Saturdays. There, the personal are looking at Singapore and the collected data for several weeks this deaths that have been witnessed. The GoT actors Lena way out of it by saying they didn’t
Photo: Getty Images
Group Executive Board. Given Ringi- relationship between customer and USA. But it’s always about very past spring and analyzed them to- number of unreported casualties is Headey, Conleth know just how bloody this war was.
er’s cultural diversity, wouldn’t it also salesman is much more important specific companies and their gether with human rights specialists. many times higher. Hill and Kit No, it doesn’t take place in Yemen,
be good thing to have such a diversity than in a very structured, formal technologies, not about countries. The brutal upshot: International hu- The newspaper made this suffer- Harington (from Sudan, or Ukraine but on Westeros
in corporate management? market like Switzerland. In Kenya, At the end of the day, what matters manitarian law had been violated a ing accessible to its readers through left). and Essos, the two big continents in
We are still a Swiss company that the long-time CEO of the Central is staying focused. total of 103 times. multimedia stories crammed with the HBO series «Game of Thrones».
12 | DOMO – July 2019 DOMO – July 2019 | 13
MEDIA MEDIA
In fact, according to the Australian goes beyond ordinary series: «At the
Red Cross, Ramsay Bolton, a sadistic end of the third season, we realized
patricide with a yen for women and that the series had changed from a
bloodhounds, and Daenerys Tar- mere hit to a cultural phenomenon.»
garyen, mistress of three dragons, Caroline Fux, columnist and sex pod-
aspiring ruler over all kingdoms and caster at BLICK, describes the series
self-proclaimed savior with a Stalinist in a similar way: «‹Game of Thrones›
streak, are by far the most horrific war is a social phenomenon,» says this
criminals. The Washington Post con- psychologist. That’s why she recorded
cludes that most lives were wiped out a sex podcast called «Sex on Thrones»
by Daenerys’s dragon Drogon. In his about this series, in which «sex in all
last attack, he burned an entire city to its variations is really a fundamental
a crisp. part of the story.»
This penultimate episode of the The more intensely viewers and
eighth and last season was seen by journalists engaged with the series,
about 18.4 million people on its first the more it diffused through the
night. The last GoT episode, in which– screens into our pop culture. West-
spoiler alert! – the Iron Throne, which eros became part of our world.
most kings want to ascend, melts in At American universities, depart-
dragonfire, was watched by more ments of history and philology began
Australians than the semi-final of the to offer courses on «Game of Thrones».
2011 Rugby World Cup that pitted Nespresso and Soda Stream borrowed
France against Australia’s derby op- events from the series for TV commer-
ponent New Zealand. A national re- cials. In Dubrovnik, Croatia, the loca-
cord! The production costs also tion for many scenes set in the GoT
reached a record high: HBO, the TV no arts section, whether in the Neue Global mass The reason for all this is of an port city of King’s Landing, special
company behind the series, spent up Zürcher Zeitung, the German weekly phenomenon. economic nature. A New York Times city tours were conceived for fans of
to 15 million US dollars per episode. Spiegel or in the time-honored Times, People all over the spokeswoman told DOMO at the end the series.
On average, each episode of GoT’s that did not discuss GoT in detail. world gathered to of May that reports on «Game of At the 2016 White House Corre- how viewers watching the series in Not a soccer final What Washington Post arts editor
final season attracted a gross audi- How did this mania come about? watch Game of Thrones» were among the most wide- spondents’ Dinner, then-US President bars reacted to the latest twists in the but a series finale: David Malitz describes to DOMO
ence of around 44.2 million viewers To find out, it’s worth taking a look at Thrones together. ly read articles on the NYT website in Barack Obama, after welcoming two saga. In Moscow, seems to bear that out. For the final
worldwide. That’s as if countries like Washington and New York. It is hard to say the last six weeks. «Most readers were Republican senators, said the doors Editors writing about fan theories, thousands season, more «passionate editors»
Argentina or the Ukraine were collec- In the Big Apple, TV editor Jeremy just how many not subscribers, so the show helped should now be barred immediately. producing huge features, drawing watched the last were added to the team covering GoT.
tively sitting in front of their televi- Egner has been reporting on «Game people really us reach a new audience.» «It’s like the Red Wedding.» This is the parallels with international politics episode of Game The GoT coverage was so extensive
sions. This makes «Game of Thrones» of Thrones» since the series launched watched GoT. Reports by their Washington com- name for that evening in the series – isn’t all that going too far? of Thrones in the because the series combined the fol-
the most commercially successful in 2011. His employer, the New York What we do know: petitor expanded in a similar fashion. when a wedding party is locked up «Yes, it is,» says Amanda Lotz, who RZD Arena, the lowing elements, Malitz explains:
series of all time. From the Emmys to Times, has made the journalistic illegal streams and On the release of the first season in and slaughtered and the royal house published an analysis of how «Game home pitch of the «Massive ratings, intense interest plus
the Golden Globes and the American newsletter «great again», so a GoT downloads 2011, the Washington Post TV critic of Stark is butchered to the brink of of Thrones» became TV’s first global Lokomotiv a rich range of storylines, characters
Cinema Editors Award, the series has newsletter, as curated by editor Jen- exceeded the one Hank Stuever wrote that «Game of extinction. The ominous mantra of blockbuster. Sure: «Many editors are Moscow soccer and theories.» And these are exactly
also been showered with countless nifer Vineyard, is indispensable. And billion mark (!) in Thrones» could be admired «for its this royal house, «Winter is coming», chasing clicks and readership,» this team. the factors that basically decide how
awards. it was successful. By 2017, the GoT the seventh sincerity and clarity of purpose». All has become a catchphrase with a life Professor of Media Studies at the Uni- many resources are allocated to re-
No question: «Game of Thrones» is newsletter has more than 61,000 season. in all, however, he thinks the series is of its own and made its way into Twit- versity of Michigan explains. «My porting.
one for the history books. Probably subscribers. While an industry aver- basically for nerds. Season two: Intro- ter timelines. US President Trump, for concern about the coverage is the Did the storylines Malitz is talking
because the series captured the atten- age of 15 out of 100 newsletters are ductory analysis at the beginning of example, sent a warning to Iran in degree to which this very coverage about get the editors hooked? That
tion of those who also write history: opened, the New York Times’ GoT the season. Third season: Hank November 2018 by tweeting in «Game has made GoT a bigger phenomenon, wouldn’t be surprising. «Game of
journalists. newsletter sometimes reaches an Stuever calls «Game of Thrones» «a of Thrones» script: «Sanctions are at the expense of very good pieces of Thrones» is crammed with stories
At first, the series was only noticed opening rate of over 100 percent – in masterpiece in the making». coming.» In 2016, the Economist TV culture that may not be so well- that many journalists are hungry for:
by TV critics and arts editors. And other words, subscribers open it sev- The viewers share his verdict: In wrote about the succession in the known.» political intrigues, ideally paired with
they wrote about it just like any other eral times. the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), Gulf: «The real game of thrones» was Lotz gives the example of the fina- sex scandals, tangled family relation-
TV series. But things didn’t stay that NYT coverage intensifies with each the episodes of this season score an going on in Saudi Arabia. le of the series «The Big Bang Theory», ships and complex allegiances. And
way. season. Soon, «in-depth analyses» are average of 9.1 out of 10 possible GoT suddenly stood for Machiavel- whose audience was not much small- that’s exactly the stuff that the books
USA Today analyzed the «econom- added to the reviews of the series, as points. From the fourth season on- lian power politics, for intrigues and er than that of GoT. «An equally on which the TV series is based are
ics of mercy» in the series. The Verge are service articles on the «key epi- wards, the paper always provided the continuation of diplomacy by meaningful moment, which received made of.
asked how moral it was to send drag- sodes» of the various seasons. Then summaries at the start of each new other means, as our world knows it, less attention,» says Lotz. The saga «A Song of Ice and Fire»
ons into battle and tried making the actors of the series are inter- season «to give readers more of what too. Or as Verge editor Jonathan Eas- So, did journalists make «Game of was written by the author George R.
analogies with the deployment of viewed, for example on the «cryptic they want,» David Malitz, deputy ton puts it: «A significant amount of Thrones» bigger than it is? According R. Martin, voted one of the 100 most
tanks in the First World War. The humanity of Melisandre» – a priestess Features editor overseeing arts cov- the series’ success comes from its to Lotz, the series was «a cult hit, ca- influential personalities by Time
French daily Le Figaro looked at the who does not mind resorting to dark erage at the Post, told DOMO. Just in relevance to real-world events.» tering especially to the taste of arts magazine in 2011 and now a multimil-
50 most impressive costumes in the magic to fulfill the supposed plan of time for the fifth season, the Wash- In fact, journalists also reported on journalists and critics.» lionaire. He knows only too well what
series and speculated about the ways her fire god. Travel journalists visit ington Post came up with its big mul- GoT-related events in our world. Echo Scoffers like to say that sports stories journalists get excited about.
in which Jon Snow – a tragically hand- locations of «Game of Thrones» for the timedia story keeping track of all the Moskvy wrote, for example, that the journalists are often just fans who He himself had studied journalism.
some lad with a pet wolf, who stabs Times. Vineyard, Egner and three deaths, whose updating required Saint Petersburg authorities had con- made it across the barrier. Does the And he later taught journalism at
Photo: afp, Keystone
his lover Daenerys (who is also his other colleagues finally build a land- another month’s work per season. fiscated an Iron Throne that fans had same apply to GoT? Have fans been Clarke College in Dubuque on the
aunt) to death – and his ilk changed ing page: the «ultimate ‹Game of Isn’t this rather too much effort set up as a photo subject near the writing puff pieces on their favorite Mississippi.
the TV industry. On LinkedIn, the Thrones› Guide», including recom- with respect to events in the fictional palace square. There were also reports series? After all, the NYT editors de- «Game of Thrones» and journalism
focus was on what HR departments mendations on which episodes should world of a series? about the Dubrovnik city tours and scribe their ultimate guide as an – they have always been closely
might learn from the series. There was be watched before the last season. For Malitz, «Game of Thrones» numerous reaction videos showing «obsessive compendium». related.
14 | DOMO – July 2019 DOMO – July 2019 | 15
Who appears when
The screen time of the different Houses in
the individual seasons.
Total Da e
ner
tell appearance ys T
e ll
Ma r
ar g
ar t Ho ar y
u se time
M
ra n u se en
Do Ho Season 0 9: Ta
13:5 rg
8 2 ar
ye
Season n
5 7
1:1
:4 Season
01
6
Season
5
Season
e ll
4
Sa
ns a
r
Ty
Season
Sta
3
u se
r
ll
k
y re
Ho
Ho
2
na T
u se
Ole n
1
Star
4:18
k
03:4
29 :0 8
:16
If you want to see every episode of Game of The
Iron
Thrones in one go, you’ll need to spend 70 hours Throne
and 30 minutes in front of your screen. That’s the
Tully
Ce r s e i L a
total running time of the 73 episodes in the HBO
H o u se
H o u se
cult series. A temporal analysis of the struggle for
n n i s te
ll y
re Tu
power and the Iron Throne.
La
r
u
nn i s
Edm
21:0
:29
ter
1:4
:58
3
00
05
n
Protagonists and their screen time
:17
eo
:4
3
h
at
Many characters leave their mark in this series. Here is a r
Ba 06
Y
Ho ar
selection of protagonists, their height and the total screen e 0: aG
n us 9 :0 us re
time they are given over 73 episodes. eo 0 eG y jo
th
ra Ho rey y
Ba joy
er t b 0 0: 3
Ro 8:01
House Arryn
Robin Arr yn
Man’s world
If you count the words spoken in
the dialog, the women don’t have
(as) much say.
Men’s words 71 % Women’s words 29 %
214 320 87 770
Infographic & Illustration: Priska Wallimann
Sources: Dataset from Jeffrey Lancaster
White Brienne Jon Cersei Daenerys Tyrion on Github, HBO, Pictures: HBO
Drogon Dongo Walker of Tarth Snow Lannister Targaryen Lannister Ghost
7,62 m 3,65 m 2,13 m 1,9 m 1,72 m 1,65 m 1,57 m 1,35 m 1,55 m
1:48:37 0:04:10 0:25:57 4:00:56 11:12:45 7:05:22 8:48:14 11:25:04 0:48:29
Photo: Marc Hom / Trunk Archive
BERLIN BERLIN
Faith food, not fast
food: At Storyma-
chine, employees
take a pew (bought
on eBay) to have
lunch. Each
prepares his or her
own meal, but
once a week they
order in a menu of
their choice for a
team lunch and the
bosses fork out the
money.
The ghostwriters of
Storymachine
It is shrouded in mystery and the stuff of legends: Storymachine!
This start-up created by former «Bild» editor-in-chief Kai Diekmann, Philipp
Jessen and Michael Mronz in 2018 has grown very quickly and already
numbers 55 employees. «Totally crazy!» as even the amazed new
entrepreneur Diekmann puts it. Text: René Haenig Photos: Markus Tedeskino
18 | DOMO – July 2019 DOMO – July 2019 | 19BERLIN BERLIN
B erlin-Kreuzberg, Tempelhofer
Ufer 17. A reddish-brown brick
building from 1898. Once upon a
time, rubber goods were produced
here. Nowadays, behind a thick black
steel door on the second floor, expe-
rienced journalists, young social
media experts and seasoned data
analysts are the ones that are deliv-
ering the goods. A yellow squeaky
duck and a grass-green Frog Prince
floating in an artificial puddle of
acrylic resin on the floor in the lobby
are the only rubber items to be found
in the stylish Storymachine offices.
Philipp Jessen, 41, the former
head of stern.de, the online version
of the German weekly Stern, is one of
three Storymachine founders and
CEOs. He sits in his office in front of
a wide curved monitor. Behind him
on the wall is a huge picture of Kai
Diekmann, 55, sitting cross-legged
on the floor of his old, gutted office at
the tabloid Bild on the 16th floor of
the Springer skyscraper. «Almost
dadaist,» says Jessen, who wanted
Diekmann’s picture for the agency.
«Kai tells everyone that this way he
can keep tabs on everything – even
when he’s not in the house.»
A few days earlier, Jessen had met
with Angela Merkel. As part of the
party leadership’s closed meeting to
analyze the European elections,
he gave a lecture on digital commu- Three of the four anz, Vodafone and Deutsche Bahn
nication in the presence of the brains behind call on the services of the Berlin start-
Chancellor and party leader Anne- Storymachine: up. This is only public knowledge
gret Kramp-Karrenbauer. «Die Welt» CEO Philipp because the companies chose to
subsequently wrote that the Chan- Jessen (at left), communicate Storymachine’s in-
cellor had been duly impressed by his CIO Nora volvement. «We would never reveal
presentation. And the media service Beckershaus and a client’s name,» says Nora Beckers
turi2.de reported that the CDU party Kai Diekmann. haus, 32, unequivocally. Having
had hired Jessen and his team «to Diekmann’s wife helped build Storymachine as Chief
explain that Internet stuff». Even «off Katja Kessler Innovation Officer right off the bat,
the record», Jessen refuses to talk found the sofa at a she recently gave a lecture in Zurich,
about the CDU. Discretion is a top flea market and where a client subsequently gave
priority at Storymachine. Never other items on herself away by using the all too fa-
mind that it costs them opportunities eBay and at Ikea. miliar phrase, «As Nora already said
for self-promotion. «For years, she’s ...».
There is a simple reason for this been fixing up old Beckershaus’office is next to Jes-
secrecy, especially when it comes to houses, so she sen’s. They are separated by a glass
their clients. «We consider ourselves furnished our pane. These two are the only ones
ghostwriters,» Diekmann says, put- «Basically, our business model is build and reach a perfectly defined was born in Africa, had studied offices.» with personal space at Storyma-
ting it in a nutshell. Nobody expects «Basically, our business Donald Trump,» says Diekmann. as well as substantial, high-quality abroad, come home and was now Small picture at chine. And when they’re not in, their
Merkel herself to have written her Since taking office, the US President audience. To do this, the agency’s running the African branch, at the right: In the lobby, offices are open to any of the 55 em-
own recent speech at Harvard that model is Trump. He no longer has shown the world that he doesn’t representatives meet with potential top of the organization, as a single staff and visitors ployees. Beckershaus’ office feels
earned her standing ovations. In need traditional media to communi- customers to develop new ideas to- parent. What a story! In the past, a are welcomed by a more like a living room: comfortable
cases like these, writers inevitably needs traditional media.» cate with his audience. «Trump gether. Jessen: «We want to tell gen- journalist would have shadowed the rubber duck and a armchairs in front of a fake fireplace
take a back seat to their clients. doesn’t care what the New York uine and lasting stories.» woman for weeks and then published Frog Prince in a with lavish floral arrangements. On
«That’s how we hold it with our cus- Kai Diekmann, Storymachine co-founder Times or CNN on either side of him In order to illustrate how Story- a three-page report in the weekly Der puddle of acrylic the floor is a baby mobile adorned
tomers. We make them appear au- say. He has more followers on Twitter machine works, Diekmann cites the Spiegel,» says Diekmann. Storyma- resin. with a crocheted Storymachine
thentic instead of imposing some- than the biggest media in the country example of a large company operat- chine told the story on behalf of the «Like» button, a rocket and a rainbow
thing on them.» Or as Jessen puts it: have on that channel.» ing in Africa, among other places: client on that company’s Instagram – a gift from her female colleagues for
«We want to put the brands and Storymachine, the founders say, «First, we asked the client what sto- account – over a period of three the impending birth of her first
people we communicate for front and helps brands, companies or individ- ries they had to tell. At some point, months. daughter in September. Instead of
center. So, it’s not about us.» uals become their own publishers to we heard that their local female COO Large corporations such as Alli- sitting at a bulky desk, the 32-year-
20 | DOMO – July 2019 DOMO – July 2019 | 21BERLIN BERLIN
old works at a small Ikea table. She
only uses the screen on it to create
things, maybe jump in at the deep
end once in a while? And even more
dining table, the trio secured the
name rights on the Internet. In Jan-
We only employ people who he rode in the back of the fat, chauf-
feured Mercedes limousine that took
Excel spreadsheets. «Otherwise I importantly: Will this person, even uary 2018, Storymachine was born in are capable of teamwork.» him from his home in Potsdam to his
work exclusively on my mobile if he or she fails, get back up and a Berlin shared work space. After Berlin office for many years. Upon his
phone.» tackle the task again? only four months, the exploding Philipp Jessen, CEO Storymachine departure from Springer, the new
Before Beckershaus joined Story- On the wall of the open-plan of- start-up moved into the Tempelhofer entrepreneur suddenly found him-
machine’s founding trio in January fice, a faux white-grey marble stone Ufer rooms. self at the wheel of his big car, and
2018, she established the German tablet lists Storymachine’s «10 Com- A sheltered corporate child turned within a matter of days knocked off
branch of the US lifestyle portal Re- mandments». From item 1 – «We be- independent entrepreneur, Diek- its side mirror in the underground
finery29 as managing director, lieve in the power of stories» – to item mann, who does not have his own parking lot twice. «That’s when I
worked in the innovation depart- 10 – «We always help each other, we office at Storymachine and is in about today, think about tomorrow!» Top left: bought a Mini.» Now, all he has to do
ment at Axel Springer, ghostwrote don’t belittle anyone to make our- charge of strategic orientation, is in Now, Diekmann is mostly unafraid Diekmann talking is kick the habit of phoning while
texts for Diekmann’s wife Katja selves look big» – it’s really the final the kitchen, caught up in a discussion even to look at the payroll for their 55 to customers. «We driving and ease off on the accelerator.
Kessler’s blog, worked for the youth P.S. that stands out: STRICTLY NO with about a dozen employees who employees. «But I’m still kind of in are not your It’s enough that Storymachine has
magazine Bravo when Philipp Jessen ASS-HOLES. «We want people who have taken a seat for lunch on a for- awe, especially of our rapid growth.» typical start-up put the pedal to the metal.
was editor-in-chief there, and was meet each other on equal terms, re- mer church pew bought at auction on He is happy to have Mronz on board that has to go
personal assistant to Patricia Riekel, gardless of age, ability and experi- Ebay. «I don’t think this plastic table- as a partner «who is the only one of knocking on
the former boss of the weekly Bunte. ence,» Beckershaus puts it somewhat ware belongs in the trash...» In the us to have a college degree and who doors. In most
She dropped out of law school to less drastically. The fact that employ- kitchen, everyone can prepare his or even has a head for figures.» Mronz cases, it’s the
pursue a career in the media. «What ees are lolling on sofas or antique her own menu, and once a week, food has founded several successful com- customers who
I really am is a storyteller.» And she bedsteads with their laptops or that’s chosen by the employees and panies. approach us.»
can tell stories on paper as well as on smartphones is part of the plan and paid for by the bosses is ordered in for As far as Storymachine’s growth
all social media channels, data-opti- not a sign that people are just here to a team lunch. is concerned, the founders have be- Top right: Seeing
mized or in any other scaled manner. chill. Diekmann has visibly lost weight. gun to put the brakes on. In addition the forest for the
At the moment, however, her The Berlin start-up originated in The former boss of the tabloid Bild to the German customers beating a trees – In
main job is something else: finding a Cologne pizzeria on 30 August 2017. Kai Diekmann Jessen and Mronz, whom everyone feels comfortable in his new role as path to their door, companies and Storymachine’s
and hiring capable people. «Not an The restaurant was where Michael does not have his calls Micky, were putting their heads an employer, but he is also aware of individuals from Austria and Swit- open-plan office,
easy thing,» she admits. In addition Mronz, 52, life partner of former own office. At together to come up with a name for his responsibility. «When I first heard zerland have also come knocking. one hundred
to technical skills, she is particularly German Foreign Minister and Vice least his image can their future company. It was Jessen what we were paying in rent here, I Another limit that is fast ap- birch-tree trunks
interested in soft skills when hiring Chancellor Guido Westerwelle, who keep tabs on who suddenly called out «Storyma- was so scared I almost fainted,» he proaching is Diekmann’s account of create a woodsy
new staff: Is this person flexible? Will died of cancer in 2016, used to temp things from Philip chine», to improve on «Content-Ma- says. Micky Mronz, who is in charge points for traffic violations as filed by atmosphere. The
he or she get involved? Will they go during his business administration Jessen’s CEO’s chine», which had sounded too anti- of finances at Storymachine, reas- the Flensburg Driver and Vehicle couch is there for
the extra mile, fearlessly try out new studies. That evening, Diekmann, office. septic to them. Still sitting at the sured him by saying: «Don’t think Register. In his days as boss of Bild, brainstorming.
22 | DOMO – July 2019 DOMO – July 2019 | 2362W+52L
What does 62W+52L
engaged with 62W+52L. For every and how they are to be implemented point of the whole thing for themsel-
single piece of the 62W puzzle they and applied. ves, the team and the company.» So
deduced what it entailed for the CSC. Improved communication and far, this seems to have worked well.
With the following results: Concrete commitment, a clear idea of «Where Lavanchy adds: «Everyone needs to
actually do?
focus fields and action steps have are we heading?» or more responsi- be willing to keep on investing in this
been defined for each strategy field. bility for employees: Everyone at the process and the people.»
In addition, a roadmap specifies CSC benefited in some way or other
which project must be implemented from the discussion of corporate
by when. «We can develop much strategy. And that should continue,
further, in systemic, processual and says Lavanchy. «A process
professional terms. The strategy gi- like this only works if
Three examples of how the Ringier Group’s corporate strategy and ves us the direction and the basis for
our work,» adds Lavanchy. The dis-
the employees see
the benefit
management principles are put into practice in different areas. cussion of 52L was no less intense.
Here, too, they defined point by point
and the
Text and Interview: Alejandro Velert what the leadership principles mean
Human Resources Ringier Axel Spring- only the kick-off for a whole range of
Ringier AG – «Feed- er Switzerland – activities. Since then, a kind of Ru-
bik’s Cube has been used to familiar-
back» «Change Team» ize employees with 52L, another ini-
tiative was the launch of a big
Hannah Zaunmüller, as Head of HR, «Of course you can set a lot of things summer party. The RASCH Road-
how do you rate the feedback culture in motion if you get involved,» says show was a great success: Each mem-
at Ringier? Corinne Strebel, advisor and editor ber of the Change Team organized an
It’s good. At Ringier we promote a at Beobachter magazine. She is one event to familiarize their colleagues
feedback culture as a matter of of five members of the «Change with the five management principles
principle. I’m sure some areas are Team» for German-speaking Switzer- and to introduce the various depart-
better at this than others. The trick land at RASCH; the team for the ments in a relaxed atmosphere.
is to give constructive feedback. country’s French-speaking part is «Some colleagues had reservations.
Why do you support an open feed- made up of four people. The two They thought this was just token-
back culture? Change Teams emerged from a work- ism,» says Marketing Manager Anne
Feedback plays an important role shop that dealt with the partly disap- Kugel, also a member of the Change
within the framework of our 52L pointing results of a RASCH employ- Team. «But we took up the challenge
management principles. And quite ee survey. The effort that the Change and tried to make a real impact.»
rightly so. An open feedback Team has put in since then has been
culture is essential to the further
development of all employees and
considerable. «Over the past eight
months, we have met every week and
Customer Service
to improving the company’s worked intensely,» says Annina Center Zofingen and
performance. Feedback strength-
ens mutual understanding and
Krähenbühl, HR manager at RASCH
in Zurich. Their work was based on
Lausanne
builds trust. the corporate strategy 62W+52L. One To the employees of the Customer
If someone criticizes their boss, do of the project’s major upsides, ac- Service Center (CSC), the 62W+52L
they have to be afraid of a backlash? cording to Rostislav Zotin, Business corporate strategy was initially a
Not if they give constructive Engineer at RASCH in Zurich, is: «It’s distant, abstract message hailing
feedback. The boss also depends on a bottom-up approach and the sup- from remote Zurich, says Florence
feedback in order to develop port from the company’s manage- Lavanchy. She is Head CSC in Zofin-
further — especially in today’s ment has been great.» gen and Lausanne. «Soon, however,
complex environment. One particular shortcoming iden- the employees realized that this
Giving feedback can build trust — or tified by the Change Team: identifi- would change and improve their day-
destroy it. How do you give feedback cation with the company. «Most of to-day work and that it would help
properly? the 400 employees feel they are de- them advance as employees and as a
If you approach the other party voted to their product, but not to the team.»
respectfully, honestly and with a big picture,» says Otto Hostettler, a The CSC handles about 500,000
solution-oriented attitude, you’re journalist with the Beobachter. The customer contacts per year. Few are
almost there. If something bothers first step, however, was to introduce closer to the readers of Blick, Beob-
you, react spontaneously or soon the Change Team to the employees. achter or Glückspost. « If someone
after rather than waiting four And so, last December, the Change wants to cancel their magazine
weeks. You should also focus on the Team put a glass of honey and a subscription, for example, it is our
Photo: Paul Seewer
optimal employment of your Christmas card on each employee’s job to prevent this. And we do suc-
workmates’ strengths. desk. On the card, the RASCH vision, ceed in stopping one in three cancel-
which had been developed in a work- lations over the entire range of tit-
shop attended by 27 employees, was les.»
presented for the first time. This was Lavanchy and her team are deeply
24 | DOMO – July 2019 DOMO – July 2019 | 25You can also read
