March 2008 by Egmont

MARCH 2008

Sweden’s best Art Director / Page 5 Newcomers to the Egmont family / Page 17 Judge a book by its cover! / Page 19

Egmont helps disadvantaged young people / Page 6

New media for senior readers / Page 14

Special edition – Group-wide personnel bulletin PlayStation – more than games! / Page 21

What has been your biggest recent challenge? “I was hired in August and had to learn the job in record time – so during my first weeks at work I rushed around asking everybody lots of questions, many of them probably silly.” Ann-Kirstine Simonsen, Egmont Serieforlaget

Welcome to Egmont’s stories! Good stories are Egmont’s pledge to the world – “We bring stories to life”. A promise we have to keep. We have therefore decided to share some of our own stories in this special issue of our Group-wide personnel bulletin. We bring some bite-sized tales about the world of Egmont – from PlayStation to green books, from Warsaw to Guangzhou.

Not all companies are mentioned, and certainly not all employees. On the contrary! However, we will take you on a journey through some of the challenges that occupy some of your colleagues, in the hope that they might further inspire you in your own daily work. This year Egmont’s annual report is shorter and only available in electronic form. As of April 2, you

will be able to read it on Insight and on egmont. com. Happy reading! Mika Bildsøe Lassen Vice President, Corporate Communications

Egmont’s performance in 2007 Egmont, Denmark’s largest and most international media group, comprises: Egmont Magazines, Egmont Kids & Teens, Egmont Books, Egmont Nordisk Film, Egmont International and the TV 2 Group. In 2007 Egmont generated 21% growth and record revenue of EUR 1,492 million. The profit before inter-

est, depreciation and amortization rose by 37% to EUR 119 million, another record. Profit before tax was EUR 65 million, up 22% on 2006. All of Egmont’s business divisions made a positive contribution to the net profit for the year, with Nordisk Film and the books division improving their results. Kids & Teens and

International performed on a level with 2006. The magazines division realized a high profit, although lower than in 2006 due to investments in internet activities.

Financial highlights (EUR million)

2007

2006

Net revenue

1,492

1,236

119

436

390

4,399

3,842

Profit before net financials, depreciation and amortization Profit before tax Equity Average number of employees

Editorial team Mika Bildsøe Lassen, Editor responsible under Danish press law. mbl@egmont.com Jan Sturm, Editor sturm@egmont.com

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Egmont Corporate Communications Vognmagergade 11 1148 Copenhagen K Denmark

www.egmont.com egmont@egmont.com Tel. +45 3330 5550 Fax +45 3332 1902

Design: Kontrapunkt Layout: KP2 Photos: Kristian Septimus Krogh, Steen Brogaard and others Printed by: Scanprint A/S

“I had to manage change. Change brings the risk of error and failure, which we don’t like, but it also brings rewards.” Gyorgy Babos, Egmont Hungary

growth targets too, but I like the fact that we have a coherent vision of what it means to be the best in the areas where we are a player. If we fail to be the best, our customers and business partners will certainly let us know! Egmont embraces so much potential. We are looking to generate revenue exceeding EUR 2 billion in a few years.”

What does being the best mean? “Being the first choice of talented people and of consumers.”

What is Egmont’s key focus area? “Innovation, without a doubt. We need to be razor sharp and innovative to sustain and develop our position. Our strength has traditionally been in developing, streamlining and consolidating. We have also excelled at developing products in certain areas. However, we need to be much better at grasping the underlying digital potential for all our businesses. From the teaching media to broadcasting. User-driven content is one example – how can we harness this consumer willingness and use it to advantage?”

What does that mean for the individual employee at Egmont?

Egmont in top form Egmont is financially strong and rich in ideas. Our goal is sustained growth in both areas.

The financial statements for 2007 have just been signed, and expressions ranging from smiles to thoughtfully knitted brows flicker across the face of Steffen Kragh, President & CEO, as he describes Egmont’s situation. Despite keen competition and a host of challenges in a volatile media market, the smile muscles are getting the real workout. Hardcopy met Steffen to hear his take on 2007, and his hopes and aspirations for 2008. “2007 has been a fantastic year in many ways. Financially, we generated a record revenue of EUR 1.5 billion, up on the EUR 1.2 billion of the year before. Our total profit has risen and practically all divisions have grown impressively. We have gained new companies such as Lindhardt og Ringhof and Cappelen Damm; we have launched activities in the Ukraine and the USA; product innovation is

going well; we have intensified our engagement in the rights business – through new partnerships for one thing; and our investment in RiksTV, the Norwegian digital gatekeeper, has secured us a stake in the digital future. I could go on, and the fact that I can makes me proud to say that 2007 has been a fantastic year in many respects. Everyone at Egmont has done well.”

What is your overall goal for Egmont? “We must be the best in all areas and markets in which we operate. For instance, we want to be the best book publishers in Denmark and Norway, we want to produce the best magazines for children and young people in all the countries where we have a presence, we want to be Europe’s best film producer. Naturally we have some clear financial

“Over the past five years we have forged a very sound financial platform. We have created a foundation that should give us even greater scope to develop ideas and put them into production. Our size enables us to pursue our ambitions and goals. My message to employees throughout Egmont is that we are all responsible for innovation. Think about how you can be more innovative in your role and speak up if you have ideas or suggestions.”

What would you like to do better in 2008? “We are working on ways of promoting a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship at Egmont. That is vital. We are living in the golden age of media. Consider: 15 years ago we had the Walkman. Now we have the iPhone. In 10 years we’ll have .... Our content has unlimited potential – if only we know how to tap it.”

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What has been your biggest recent challenge? “Finding new ways to develop the business posed a big challenge.” Dawn Cordy, Egmont UK

Everyone knows Egmont’s products. They are usually the result of a lengthy production process involving many different and highly dedicated employees. Every year Egmont employees are honored with awards and tributes because they have made a difference. Hardcopy interviewed three of the many colleagues who last year earned distinctions from external media.

A lawyer and an MBA, Jacob Houlind also has broad experience garnered from many years in the TV milieu. He joined Egmont only two years ago and, with the support of his employees, turned loss to profit at Nordisk Film TV.

Talent of the year buried in TV In just two years, Jacob Houlind has completed an overhaul of Nordisk Film TV in the Nordic region. His achievement has made him one of Denmark’s most talented young media makers.

The Danish business weekly, Berlingske Nyhedsmagasin, ranks Nordisk Film TV’s managing director among the 10 most talented under-35 managers in Danish industry. The men’s magazine Arena also named him one of the five most powerful media magnates under 40. Jacob Houlind is naturally pleased and proud. He stresses, however, that much of the credit goes to his cooperation with Peter Hansen, Creative Director, and the rest of his team at Nordisk Film TV. “We have grown from being a production company producing programs based on other people’s ideas to generating ideas ourselves and turning them into good programs we can sell on,” he explains.

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A good idea gives great returns “Rather than using other people’s concepts to make TV, we can now keep our own ideas and sell them for a long time to come,” says Jacob Houlind, who recently created a uniform profile for Nordisk Film TV’s companies in the Nordic countries. “We benefit from ideas that work in many countries. So You Think You Can Dance is an example. We produce the program for SBS TV in Denmark, Norway and Sweden with three local hosts.”

TV primed for the net Nordisk Film\Play is a new unit that sells ideas for TV content to new customers. A TV clip or production can easily be used on several different media channels. In the quest for new channels, the unit is now

developing new, ready-to-go online TV stations for companies and other organizations. “This concept allows us to deploy our TV expertise to reach a wider circle of customers,” Jacob Houlind explains. The extensive restructuring produced impressive results. After just two years at the company’s helm and without acquiring other companies, Jacob Houlind has turned Nordisk Film TV from a red- to a black-ink operation.

“Leaving Denmark to start a new job at Egmont Ehapa in Berlin was my toughest challenge.” Dennis Kilian, Egmont Ehapa

Croatian tribute to Egmont manager Croatia’s best managing director is called Bruno Barbic and works for Egmont.

Angelica Zander has a degree in communications. For the past five years, she has put her graphic mark on the print edition of the travel magazine Vagabond

It’s not every day that US industrial giants like Microsoft and IBM are outshone. Nonetheless, this is exactly what happened last year when the “Organisation of Croatian Managers” presented honorary awards in the category “CEO of the Year in Croatia”. Egmont’s Bruno Barbic gained a top ranking

as the best Croatian manager of a foreign company. “It’s a pat on the back for everyone at Egmont, and thus an award for all of us,” said the proud Managing Director, who threw a party for employees to celebrate the distinction.

published by Vagabond Media AB – part of Egmont Magazines.

Sweden’s best Art Director The magazine business has given Swedish Angelica Zander a mark of appreciation – “Tidskriftspriset 2007” – for her layout of the travel magazine Vagabond. The name: Angelica Zander. The title: “Art Director of the Year”. The jury’s reasons: “A delightful browsing and reading experience. Like wandering through a bazaar headily scented with spices – no one knows what awaits them on the next page. Together, typography, layout and illustrations give the reader a foretaste of an exotic journey.”

A good layout “A magazine should be a total experience. The format must be familiar, because all magazines are written by ‘text people’ with no interest in form. But a magazine that offers readers more than textual content gives them a total experience,” Angelica Zander explains. In the prizewinner’s view, larger, better photos are the key to an inspiring layout. “We get the best results when we send one of our own photographers out. But many photo agencies today also have wonderful pictures on file that go well with Nordic magazines, so we use them frequently too.”

Coming from a career in the IT industry, Bruno Barbic joined Egmont Croatia ten years ago. His workplace has grown, attracting new media and more employees and generating higher revenue. Egmont International publishes a wealth of children’s magazines and books in Croatia, most under international licenses.

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What has been your biggest recent challenge? “The main challenge was adapting to the changed economic climate in Estonia.” Svea Uusen, Egmont Estonia

Social work instead of profit

Egmont helps disadvantaged young people Earnings is the day-to-day focus for most Egmont employees. A group of colleagues at Egmont’s Aid and Grants Administration, based at Egmont House on Møntergade in Copenhagen, are tasked with assessing who should have a share of Egmont’s profits.

“Fisken” – bringing jobs and young people together Fisken is a job agency that young people with ethnic minority backgrounds can contact if they are having difficulty finding an after-school job. This youth group may find it hard to get a job if they lack a clean criminal record or the right network. Those who manage to get a job soon lose it again. The job agency at Fisken links up these disadvantaged young people with companies that want to reach new, young staff. Through Fisken, the young people complete a training program and get support to keep their after-school job.

Documentary about handicapped children Siblings of handicapped children live with some challenges of which the people around them may be unaware because the more obvious problems directly related to the handicapped child overshadow these challenges. Egmont has therefore supported the production of a documentary and informative material that turn the spotlight on the difficulties facing siblings of handicapped children. The aim is to strengthen the children in the target group by helping the broader community to understand their situation and providing the tools to aid them.

Foster families with an ethnic minority background Egmont has supported the “Fisken” shelter, which helps young ethnic minorities to find an after-school job for students.

In practice, it is Egmont’s Aid and Grants Administration that considers applications for support from Egmont and helps applicants to carry out their projects. “We’ve been through a long process focused on determining the common theme of our work and the type of projects we should support,” explains Margrethe Ahlefeldt, who heads up Egmont’s charitable work. According to Margrethe Ahlefeldt, the main difference is the sharper profile that the process has created and thus that grants will be donated to fewer types of projects in future.

Less art – more marginalized youth “To improve the lives of all children and young

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people by actively involving them in society.” That is the vision for Egmont’s charitable activities. However, numerous social and cultural barriers will have to be removed if the disadvantaged children and young people that Egmont supports are to play an active role in society. This is the ultimate goal of the various projects. “Our focus has not so much changed as sharpened. We used to run lots of different projects about culture and education, social conditions and health. We will continue to support such projects, but it is vital that we focus our primary attention on the group of disadvantaged children and young people,” explains Margrethe Ahlefeldt.

It appears that, compared with the entire group of children in care, children with ethnic backgrounds are more often placed in institutional care than with foster families. At the same time although children up to the age of 14 are rarely placed in care outside the home, they figure more frequently in these statistics when they get older. The project intends to change these trends by training foster families with an ethnic minority background.

Animals can do more than be cute The “Animals as Therapy” project supports a revolutionary basic research project into the relationship between people and therapy animals. The project seeks to map the communication and interaction that takes place between animals and people in a therapy situation.

“My biggest challenges are related to the wide variety of issues that arose when Egmont acquired Bonnier Forlagene, including providing employees, authors and books with the best conditions in the new company.” Hanne Rask, Lindhardt og Ringhof

Safe chat on the net “Because we are Egmont, we have to do things properly,” is Egmont Serieforlaget’s Digital Manager Christian Steen Jensen’s simple explanation as he talks about children’s safety on the net.

As a provider of entertainment for children and young people, Egmont has a moral responsibility to ensure children are not molested when they use websites produced by Egmont. The company takes its responsibility seriously in many ways. Together with Save the Children Denmark, the police and the Danish Broadcasting Corporation, Egmont Serieforlaget in Denmark is setting up a training program to make sure chat sites are safe for children and youth to use. The Egmont Foundation has donated DKK 500,000 in support to the initiative. “The web gives children a wealth of sites to choose from. This means the Egmont sites that children visit must offer the types of environment and quality standards that parents expect from us,” the Digital Manager explains. He is pleased that he urged the organizations backing the initiative to apply for support from Egmont.

Cell phones give access The initiative launched by Save the Children Denmark is intended to train people to supervise websites targeted at children. Egmont Serieforlaget, which is part of Egmont Kids & Teens, has a permanent community webmaster who, together with the associated moderators, monitors all user-generated content. Users have to provide their cell phone number in return for an access code, a procedure that enables the webmaster to eliminate non-bona fide users or people with dubious intentions. “We are convinced that the combination of access requirements and our surveillance means we rarely have to intervene. Usually we just need to remind people to behave properly to each other,” says Christian Steen Jensen. “To return to the support for Save the Children Denmark: So it is important and encouraging to know that the more money Egmont earns, the more good we can do for others,” Christian Steen Jensen concludes.

Safety on the net is not always the greatest. This applies particularly to places where users create the content. With support from the Egmont Foundation, Christian Steen Jensen from Egmont Serieforlaget has joined forces with a number of organizations to create safer sites for children on the net.

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What has been your biggest recent challenge? “Managing the growth (organization, operations and processes)” Jacek Beldowski, Egmont Poland

Alinea on the school bench Egmont’s annual Group Analysis shows that Egmont is generally a good place to work. Hardcopy visited one typical workplace in central Copenhagen.

Alinea is now based on Pilestræde opposite the Egmont House in downtown Copenhagen. Well-known to all schoolchildren and many students for its educational materials, the publisher has been through a series of mergers since the mid-90s. Egmont only took over the entire company a few years ago.

High response rate The publishing company’s employees had a high response rate in the latest Group Analysis and are generally satisfied with their jobs, particularly the cooperation between the numerous departments at Alinea.

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“We had a 100% response rate,” recalls Ebbe Dam Nielsen, Alinea’s Publishing Director, who strongly urges his employees to take part. The survey includes questions about work tasks, cooperation, development opportunities, immediate superior, customer and goal orientation, company management, corporate management, Egmont’s values and working life. At Alinea each department conducts its own workshop where everyone has the opportunity to talk about why the results are as they are. A HR-consultant always leads the sessions, making sure the discussions, though often difficult/tricky, are constructive. At the end of the meetings, the departments draw up an action plan for what to do differently in future.

Development in index for overall job satisfaction and workplace attractiveness Egmont, total

Holding

65 66

Books

Magazines

Kids & Teens

Nordisk Film

International

61 50

Very negative

Very positive 2005

2007

“Heading a Norwegian-based project with a Swedish distributor while working out of Denmark was a real challenge.” Inge Stuhr Bisgaard, Egmont IT

Main areas 2,2 2,2

Work areas Cooperation

2,1 2,1

Development methods

2,0 2,0

Immediate superior

2,1 2,1

Customer and goal orientation

2,4 2,4

Company management

1,9 2,1

Divisional management

1,9 2,0

Corporate management

2,2 2,1

Egmont’s value

2,2 2,2

Work life

2,0 2,2 0,0

0,5

1,0

1,5

2,0

2,5

Very negative

3,0

Very positive 2005

2007

Development in department index Egmont, total

71 71

Holding

Books

70 71

Magazines

70 69

Kids & Teens Nordisk Film

72 71

International

72 71 50

Very negative

Very positive 2005

2007

Improvement is the workshop goal Marketing Coordinator Charlotte Boe Hede, IT Editor Caroline Christiansen and Publishing Editor Søren Brandt all took part in the latest Group Analysis.

“We ran workshops on the topics that got poor scores. And we could, in fact, see the effect of the workshops in the subsequent analysis,” explains Søren Brandt, who is enthusiastic about the analyses. “I think it’s important that we tackle our problems and are personally involved in finding solutions. Lots more information surfaced during the meetings after the analyses. As the company grows, we need to find new ways of sharing knowledge,” Charlotte Boe Hede believes, continuing: “The workshops have made us better at handling everyday problems in-house. Things have gone well, but we can always consider whether we might do even better!” she smiles.

Publishing spirit kept alive Although Alinea is now part of a large multi-cultural group, its employees have perpetuated the original company’s special publishing spirit. The three colleagues feel that the Group Analysis, along with the follow-up workshops, has helped to ensure the individual employees the opportunity to continue developing professionally. “Our job is about passing on highly specialized knowledge to children, and that type of communication calls for committed employees – which is exactly what we are,” the three colleagues assure us.

Egmont’s Group Analysis Every year, Egmont conducts a Group Analysis among employees who are willing to give management their anonymous feedback. The survey from 2007 shows that Egmont generally scores higher on employee satisfaction than other companies.

The Group Analysis contains two key figures: A department index and an index for job satisfaction and attractiveness. The department index expresses how well things are going in areas where you as a manager or an employee in a department can have a direct influence.

The result in 2007, 71, is unchanged compared with the 2005 survey. The index for job satisfaction and attractiveness shows how attractive Egmont is as a workplace and how satisfied employees are with their jobs in general. Here, Egmont scored 63, compared with 67 in 2005.

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Egmont publishes media in over 30 countries and has 4,400 employees. Egmont is one of Scandinavia’s leading media groups. We create and tell stories that range from print to plasma screens, from entertainment to education and from high to popular culture. Egmont produces magazines, books, films, TV, interactive games and music. Egmont, which is also known for its charitable donations, was founded in 1878.

Egmont Magazines Egmont Magazines publishes magazines in Denmark, Sweden and Norway. The bulk of the market consists of time-honored family magazines like Hjemmet, inspiring women’s magazines such as Hennes, topical illustrated weeklies like Her&Nu plus a broad spectrum of special interest magazines like Bonytt. Kjeld F. Lucas / Executive Vice President

What key words describe 2007? We are pleased with the excellent annual profit, which surpassed the budgeted amount. Profit is lower than last year, but the figures should be seen in light of the investments that have bolstered our market position and created a platform for future growth.

Filipacchi Norway, which publishes Elle and Elle Interiør, was an important event. The acquisition gives us a more commanding position in the women’s magazine segment and makes us a prominent market leader in house and home publications. We are also very proud that Hemmets Journal is the largest family magazine in Sweden, and that we have appreciably strengthened our position in the Danish advertising market.

In what ways was 2007 satisfactory? The enthusiasm and energy employees devote to their jobs, and the pride and passion they feel for our products.

What was the highlight of the year? Hjemmet Mortensen’s acquisition of Hachette

What was the greatest challenge? Intensifying competition, particularly from magazines in the low-price bracket. The interactive segment posed a tremendous but exciting challenge in 2007. We have developed and bought websites and worked with new business models in the area.

What will be the toughest challenge in 2008? Continuing to generate income to compensate for the declining weekly market will certainly present a challenge. We also need to boost traffic in the interactive segment.

What changes do you foresee in 2008? We still expect to record satisfactory profit in 2008. Our focus is on developing the editorial and marketing sides of existing titles while making new investments in both the print and the interactive segments. We will meet even tougher competition in 2008.

Egmont Kids & Teens Egmont Kids & Teens develops and produces magazines, books, games, music and activity products for children and youth in the Nordic region and is a growing player in SMS, Internet and online activities. Comics in all genres and formats are the division’s main area. Tommy Melle / Executive Vice President

What key words describe 2007?

What was the highlight of the year?

In general, we did well. We increased revenue with our traditional publications making a particularly good showing. It was a year of change. We introduced a completely new finance system and focused on the digital business. Because our consumers’ media habits change quickly, we have to be able to adapt our mindset and tailor our products to evolving needs at all times.

We’ve had many great moments – especially the successful acquisitions of the Pondus universe in Norway, Rasmus Klump in Denmark, and the website stallet.se in Sweden. All represent huge development potential.

In what ways was 2007 satisfactory? It was satisfying to see all the energy employees devote to their daily work, and naturally, our success in both new and traditional areas was rewarding.

What was the greatest challenge? Integrating the new companies into our organization took some hard work – but restructuring is essentially our way of maintaining a solid foundation. Because if we don’t go on telling good stories that speak to the heart, we will lose customers.

What will be the toughest challenge in 2008? We want to keep on generating growth, so our main

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challenge will be to continue channeling resources into our strong brands – especially online activities.

What changes do you foresee in 2008? Employees at Egmont Kids & Teens can expect better opportunities to work with different products and companies across the Nordic countries.

Egmont Nordisk Film Egmont Nordisk Film is the largest Nordic producer and distributor of electronic entertainment, encompassing all elements of the value chain in the electronic world: developing, producing, marketing and distributing moving images and sound in the Nordic countries. Michael Ritto / Executive Vice President

What key words describe 2007?

What was the highlight of the year?

We achieved our budget target. All our business areas recorded higher profit than last year and contributed positively to performance, with the exception of our production facilities and our investments in new production companies.

That has to be the spectacular launch of PlayStation 3 and our Danish TV drama success 2900 Happiness.

In what ways was 2007 satisfactory? Once again we have created stories we can be proud of. It’s also rewarding to see how employees in the different countries and business areas have adopted our strategy and helped Egmont Nordisk Film to start making money again. Entering into partnerships with many small producers was another satisfying experience in 2007.

areas, we still see plenty of improvement opportunities.

What changes do you foresee in 2008? What was the greatest challenge? Our production facilities have had a rough year, with film production being notably smaller in both Denmark and Sweden.

What will be the toughest challenge in 2008? To sustain Egmont Nordisk Film’s current development. Although we have considerably improved our profit and also our market standing in most business

In addition to the reorganization of our distribution systems and our acquisition of a 50% shareholding in Zentropa, the changes will be to our daily practices. However, having peace and quiet to do our work properly, focusing on our core business and concentrating on bringing the best stories to life are our overriding objectives.

Egmont International Egmont International has companies in Central Europe, the UK, Eastern Europe and Asia, their products are sold all over the world. Egmont’s books, magazines and book clubs for children and young people make the division one of Europe’s largest publishers of printed entertainment for this group. Frank Knau / Executive Vice President

What key words describe 2007?

What was the greatest challenge?

What changes do you foresee in 2008?

Hard work, great results and lots of fun!

Handling the growth that ensues from gaining a large number of new colleagues and products, as happened in Eastern Europe. Maintaining a healthy business in Germany is another challenge. On the one hand, we have book clubs whose business model is under pressure, and on the other, fewer people are reading our classic teenage magazines.

My division has undergone fundamental changes over the past couple of years, so I hope we can now generate profitable growth and turbocharge our business.

In what ways was 2007 satisfactory? As an employer, I found the best experience was galvanizing our innovation process, which involves everyone at Egmont International. I believe the best ideas come from customers and employees. I’m pleased we have a tool in place that can merge ideas into a single system, making them easier to evaluate and implement. I realize we will also have to build a culture that can support and maintain our ideas, because, ultimately, ideas drive growth.

What was the highlight of the year?

What will be the toughest challenge in 2008? Managing growth in Eastern Europe will remain a challenge. We are also establishing a publishing house in the USA whose focus will be publishing literary fiction for the domestic market.

As a publisher, the best experience was the massive growth in Eastern Europe.

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The TV 2 Group TV 2 is one of Norway’s leading suppliers of news, sports and entertainment as well as information and content services for electronic media platforms such as TV, the Internet and cell phones. Alf Hildrum / Managing Director

What key words describe 2007?

What was the greatest challenge?

2007 was extremely hectic. We have won bigger market shares in the TV market overall. We launched a 24-hour news channel, Nyhetskanalen, whose monthly viewing figures are rising steadily, and our youth channel, TV 2 Zebra, is also taking a firmer foothold. We even found time to start up a sports channel last year!

We lost viewers in the first half of 2007. As TV 2 has been accustomed to continuous growth, this was slightly unusual for us. Our competitors also lost viewers, and we focused our attention more sharply on online media – which are growing. We also consolidated our efforts on the radio front when we teamed up with another company on our radio station operations.

What was the highlight of the year? It’s always hard to pinpoint a specific event, but it was gratifying to be named the best Norwegian brand for the third consecutive year. It will be interesting to see if our good reputation precedes us in the new media in 2008.

What will be the toughest challenge in 2008? Norwegian TV distribution will go digital in 2008. This will give all Norwegian households access to a huge number of TV channels, including our vital

commercial channels, where we have a headstart. Content will now determine which channel viewers choose. Maintaining market shares for TV 2 and the TV 2 channels will thus be a major challenge in 2008.

What changes do you foresee in 2008? We will see a culture change in 2008. We’re good at television production but also need to perform well on other platforms like the web and cell phones. This means using our material better across the various media. We have what it takes, but the new focus will probably affect the organization in 2008.

Cappelen Damm Cappelen Damm is Norway’s largest book publisher, producing books in all genres and categories. The publisher also runs the bookstore chain Tanum and the distribution company Sentraldistribusjon. Tom Harald Jenssen / Managing Director

What key words describe 2007? 2007 was a historic year for N.W. Damm & Søn, for the J.W. Cappelen publishing company and for the Norwegian book industry: Norway’s two oldest publishing houses merged to create Norway’s largest publishing house with publications in all genres. The resulting company – Cappelen Damm – is 50/50 owned by Egmont and Bonnier. The merger also involved Tanum, Norway’s best-known bookstore chain, and Sentraldistribusjon, which distributes 50% of the total amount of books distributed to Norwegian book stores for 110 Norwegian book publishers.

In what ways was 2007 satisfactory? 2007 was an exciting and rewarding year. The

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news of the Cappelen Damm merger was a good experience in every way – for employees, authors and the industry as a whole. I was especially happy to see how positively everyone responded.

What will be the toughest challenge in 2008? We have to continue integrating between different functions and across sales channels at all levels.

What was the highlight of the year? We had discussed the idea with Bonnier for over a year before we announced the merger. It was highly gratifying and a great relief when the competition authorities unconditionally approved the merger.

What was the greatest challenge? It took several months for the Norwegian Competition Authority to come to a decision. All we could do was await its verdict, even though both publishers were dying to get the organizational situation clarified. Many of us found this period frustrating.

What changes do you foresee in 2008? Our goal is to be Norway’s principal publishing house. Everything we do in 2008 must help us achieve that goal.

Lindhardt og Ringhof The activities of Lindhardt og Ringhof, Denmark’s second-largest publisher, span broadly from educational materials to literary fiction and bookclub publications. The publisher is the parent company of several strong brands: Akademisk Forlag, Alfabeta, Alinea, Athene, Børsens Forlag, Carlsen, Forlag Malling Beck and Sesam. Anette Wad / Managing Director

What key words describe 2007? Our acquisition of Bonnier’s Danish publishing companies wrote Nordic publishing history. We managed to keep the transaction secret right up to the announcement, which sent waves of surprise and admiration throughout the book industry.

In what ways was 2007 satisfactory? Thanks to thorough preparation and support from Corporate Communications and Corporate HR, we could plan the merger and make sure all 240 employees felt well-informed throughout the entire process until the physical relocation.

What was the highlight of the year? Teaching and retail sales are enjoying success –

Alinea’s revenue growth in 2007 was particularly satisfying. Publishers dream about “discovering” new talent and giving authors a platform no one else can. We found just such a talent in debut author Mikkel Birkegaard. Alongside his day job, he sat night after night writing his book manuscript Libri di Luca, which, once published, turned into one of our all-time bestsellers. We have sold the film rights to Nordisk Film and marketed the book in 20 countries, including the UK and the US.

What will be the toughest challenge in 2008? The main challenge is securing the best rights and identifying new ways of generating income on the Internet. Net bookstores are undergoing explosive growth at the expense of book clubs, so our big challenge will be to keep book clubs profitable while devising new types of Internet clubs.

What changes do you foresee in 2008? What was the greatest challenge? The battle to acquire good rights is intensifying all the time, challenging our ability to attract authors and offer them the right conditions to develop their talent.

After the far-reaching organizational changes, we need to consolidate this big new publisher in 2008. This year we will show the world how the new size affects authors and the struggle for market access.

The Aid and Grants Administration Egmont Harald Petersen expressed a special wish in his will: That the business would continue to grow, living on as healthy companies after its founder’s death. At the same time, a portion of company profits should be spent for the good of the community. Since 1920 children and young people have benefited from Egmont’s charitable work through donations. Margrethe Ahlefeldt / Director

What key words describe 2007?

What was the highlight of the year?

The key words for us are good initiatives that help to break down social and cultural barriers for disadvantaged children and youth.

October 3 was a wonderful day. For the second year running, we staged a networking event for our current projects. In 2008 we welcomed 101 participants, who enthusiastically shared ideas and experiences with each other.

In what ways was 2007 satisfactory? I think our daily work has been satisfying, and our work of helping to start new initiatives, models and methods and getting cooperation partners involved has been very satisfying. As something new, we have worked with visiting facilities for children with a parent in prison. We continue our work with VIL:kan our project that helps children and young people aged 2-18 to deal with their grief on the death or life-threatening illness of a close relative.

What was the greatest challenge? I think realizing how long things take is challenging. From the moment we help identify inappropriate social patterns until lasting improvements are actually implemented for children and young people. I’m impatient to do more, but it’s also a question of getting involved at an early stage and helping to develop basic ways of providing help and support. From that point, it’s up to other people to take over and maintain the projects in a private or public sector setting.

What will be the toughest challenge in 2008? I believe our greatest challenge will be to optimize our application procedures and continue attracting applicants who develop new models and methods. Our focus is marginalized children and young people, and we strive to signal and implement this focus in our application procedures.

What changes do you foresee in 2008? A new plan is for Hardcopy to bring regular information about our projects, and we also aim to give our projects better exposure.

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What has been your biggest recent challenge? “I’ve been covering for my colleague who is on maternity leave. I’m a marketing manager, and she’s a sales manager. Heading up the sales department for six months was my greatest challenge.” Ivana Krnic, Egmont Croatia

New media for senior readers Hjemmet in Denmark and Hemmets Journal in Sweden have discovered that it is possible to run well-visited websites even when mature women are the target group. In Denmark, text messaging services are the main draw. In Sweden, the Hemmets Journal website garnered an award for best magazine website of the year, offering an array of games and updated offers.

Hjemmet, the first weekly Egmont ever published, celebrated its centenary in 2004. Hemmets Journal is slightly younger. The two publications face a common challenge: As their readerships age, it gets harder to recruit new, younger readers. Every week Hjemmet reaches half a million readers, but this figure is lower than the magazine boasted a few decades ago. The editorial team responded by constantly adapting the magazine’s editorial content, but produced no tangible results until the team completely changed its strategy. “We decided to create a website to underpin the print publication. We wanted to involve people and get them to use the site actively, but were uncertain whether it would work. Fortunately, readers’ responses have shown that age is no barrier to using the net,” Web Editor Sune Fedders recounts.

Bingo on the net Readers are on average over 50, and almost 70% have access to the Internet. This group of readers may have played bingo at the community center in the past – now they need go no further than their PC to visit hjemmet.dk and play Solitaire against others on the net. As well as boosting allegiance to the magazine, the website is a much faster way for users to communicate. Readers can use a text message service to send their answers to Hjemmets competitions. They have to use a code from the printed publication to get access to the puzzles and competitions. Half of the responses today are already received as text messages. Both the Danish and the Swedish websites contain a range of reader offers compiled with the help

Text messages drive the traffic on Hjem-

met’s website. “We don’t have actual articles to read, but lots of puzzles, facts and offers that readers enjoy,” explains Majbritt Kallehave from the Egmont Magasiner marketing department.

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“I had to start a company and launch a magazine in a whole new country. That was a daunting challenge!” Sergiy Suprun, Egmont Ukraine

Web Editor Joakim Norling and the team behind the Swedish website of

Hemmets Journal beat out hundreds of competitors to win the coveted prize for best website of the year.

Hjemmet runs weekly quizzes on the net, but the competitions attract varying numbers of participants. Readers prefer small prizes. And competitions with a prize of chocolate attract far more responses than those offering a diet book!

of external travel agencies, an astrologer, a dietician and retail traders.

Best website of the year Joakim Norling, Web Editor of Hemmets Journal in Malmö, has received the prestigious award “Årets Tidskriftspris” in the “New Media” category for the magazine’s website. The Swedish Magazine Publishers Association awarded the prize for the 86-year-old magazine’s substantial experience and ability to take interactivity and the virtual community concept to the next level. “We have built the website over ten years and been able to attract new, younger readers,” says Joakim Norling. The site is open to everyone and packed with content not found in Hemmets Journal. Advertising, pay services and other retail offers are the sole source of revenue. “Senior readers use the printed edition, while younger ones use both the print magazine and the Internet universe. The young group enjoy chatting and sending text messages too. They are, however, also more capricious than traditional readers, so we have to make sure the site maintains their top-ofmind awareness,” Joakim Norling concludes.

Hjemmet is published by Egmont Magazines in Denmark, Sweden and Norway with localized names and target groups. The first weekly to be published by Egmont, the magazine laid the foundation for Egmont’s later switch from printing business to media group.

Dialogue with more consumers The Internet, cell phones, headphones – Egmont is present in all these media, offering a wide variety of products. The relaunch of TV 2 Norway’s website is among the new initiatives.

Egmont is counting on digitalization to strengthen consumers’ brand loyalty, sell content and generate a volume of traffic large enough to draw advertisers’ attention to the new media platforms. A project is currently underway in Norway to revitalize TV 2’s brand names using the new media.

Internet as the point of convergence All the TV 2 departments have been involved in the project, which is being led by representatives of the current affairs, sports, programming and marketing departments.

The new-style tv2.no is divided into entertainment, sports and news, with all areas incorporating the weather, TV 2’s web TV and cell phone services. The new site focuses on videos and user profiles. “The new tv2.no is a product with which people will identify. Visually and in terms of content the new product more faithfully reflects the TV 2 identity than the current tv2.no, and the new pages will thus come much closer to the essence of TV 2,” explains Project Manager Trine Falnes.

With a new website and the related platforms TV 2 will forge a clear link between TV, the Internet and mobile content.

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What has been your biggest recent challenge? “Being involved in acquiring Bonnier Forlagene and merging them with our old book publishing companies was a tremendous challenge.” Jeppe Mossin, Lindhardt og Ringhof

Talent and creative muscles at Egmont

Quirkily fun concepts and comedy Anders Morgenthaler and Sarita Christensen own their production company Copenhagen Bombay as a joint venture with Nordisk Film, thus combining the advantages of small and large companies.

“Having a strong financial platform is an advantage, but we must also preserve our own identity,” asserts the well-known Danish comedian Anders Morgenthaler, who established Copenhagen Bombay with Nordisk Film. In a brief time, the company has produced animations, documentaries and TV programs whose quirky style and provocative content have particularly captured the imagination of young viewers. Customers are typically TV stations, organizations and large companies. The company recently launched a documentary series on the Internet site Myspace, where users can follow the daily doings of four young people.

When you outgrow the basement Nordisk Film’s partnership with Copenhagen Bombay is an example of how co-owned partnerships and alliances can attract creative talent to Egmont. “We decided to set up our own company because we wanted the payoff from our own ideas. At the same time we couldn’t face starting everything from scratch so we teamed up with Egmont. The key advantage for us is being able to build our own network while having the creative resources of a large group to draw on.” The recipe seems to be right. In just 18 months, the permanent staff of Copenhagen Bombay has grown from 10 to 24, and the company works with 30-40 affiliated freelancers. The huge expansion and the fact that Copenhagen Bombay is almost synonymous with Anders Morgenthaler have been a challenge. “I can’t be everywhere at once, so I’ve built up an organization of highly skilled people whom I trust and try to involve in developing the business. I prefer to be the one who gets the best ideas, but being challenged by creative minds is inspiring too!” Anders Morgenthaler admits with smile.

A quirky angle Copenhagen Bombay produces educational, original content for children and young people

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Anders Morgenthaler studied interactive design and film direction. He is well-known to Danish children and adults for his unconventional and awarded provocative animation. He is possibly best known for his reams of cartoon strips produced in partnership with comedian Michael Wulff, creator of the cartoon series and TV programs about the pale-blue hippopotamus Dolph.

across the media platforms. The company works with feature films, TV, animations/games, publishing and digital universes. “Our main commitment is to producing something we believe in. We work a lot with off-beat, unusual ways of communicating, but use humor and playful concepts to sustain a form of built-in learning,” Anders Morgenthaler explains. The learning takes place unobtrusively and without moralizing. It may be part of a concept

for an energy organization that explains the extent of fossil fuel consumption. Or it may be tucked into a universe for a supermarket chain that presents organic products as an alternative to sugar and candies. “Even though ours is a world of fun and games, we have a commercial focus and are also running a business,” says Anders Morgenthaler.

“Negotiating the acquisition of the majority shareholding in Sudd AB was my key challenge.” Kaspar Kofod, Corporate Finance

Newcomers to the Egmont family 2007 brought us a slew of outstanding new colleagues. Besides buying a publishing house and a merger in Denmark and Norway, Egmont welcomed a wealth of creative talent to its ranks. Some of the year’s new companies are:

sion Song Contest, marks Solar’s collaborative debut with Nordisk Film.

Respirator Nordisk Film joined forces with stand-up comedian Omar Marzouk, Chris Nørgaard and Michael Petersen to establish Respirator, a company that produces comedy programs for TV, cell phones and the Internet. Respirator’s productions include the satire program Tjenesten, but the company’s concepts also target both Danish and international consumers.

Angora The Angora team members are Simon Kvamm, Esben Pretzmann, Rune Tolsgaard and producer Jesper Rofelt. This creative Danish quartet produces TV comedies and explores other film and TV production genres. Another ambition is to develop new talents for the Danish film and TV industry.

Cappelen Damm Norway’s largest book publisher was formed through a merger between Egmont-owned Damm and Cappelen, owned by Bonnier. Egmont and Bonnier own the new publisher 50/50. In 2006, the original companies published more than 1,200 titles in all genres and generated revenue of EUR 187.5 million.

Lindhardt og Ringhof Denmark’s second-largest publishing company, Aschehoug, acquired the country’s third-largest, Bonnier Forlagene. The new entity, Lindhardt og Ringhof, employs 220 people. In the year before the merger, the two original companies published over 1,000 titles in all genres and sold about 8 million books.

Rasmus Klump Egmont Serieforlaget acquired the Rasmus Klump universe – featuring a little bear in red polka dot pants and his friends. Since 1951, Rasmus Klump has appeared as a cartoon strip in more than 400 different dailies, and the books have been translated into 18 languages and published in 25 countries.

Dogan Kitap Dogan Egmont acquired the publishing house Dogan Kitap, Turkey’s third-largest publishing company. It primarily publishes literary fiction and reference books for adults. The acquisition made Egmont a broader publisher in Turkey.

Co + Tv

S/S Fladen

Today, entertainment and creative messages tend to coalesce. Responding to this trend, Nordisk film teamed up with Co+Høgh to establish the creative company Co + Tv, which develops original content and TV formats for the whole of Europe. The content comprises advertising-financed concepts for TV programs, the Internet, cell phones and other media.

S/S Fladen is a Swedish production company started by a successful Swedish duo, Hannes Holm and Måns Herngren. The couple are the masterminds behind popular films such as Adam & Eva.

Maipo Film & TV Maipo is a prominent production company in the Norwegian film industry. The Oscar-nominated feature film Elling epitomizes Maipo’s vision – to produce quality films for broad audiences. Maipo is currently working on a 12-episode TV serial inspired by the novel Doghead by award-winning Danish author Morten Ramsland.

Poulin Poulin A/S is a Danish film distribution company that buys film catalogue titles for the Scandinavian market. It also buys the rights to specialty products to produce for the Danish market.

Sudd Egmont’s Swedish company Kärnan has acquired stallet.se, one of the favorite websites for children and young people in Sweden. On the site, users can build their own stable where they can train horses and meet other horse-loving friends.

Solar Films A frontrunner in the Finnish film industry for many years, Solar is one of the country’s largest independent TV production companies. Dark Floors, a thriller starring the rock group Lordi, which won the Eurovi-

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What has been your biggest recent challenge? “It was quite a challenge having to manage massive growth that brought a lot of employees new responsibilities.” Lev Yelin, Egmont Russia

In a village near Guangzhou There’s a world of difference between the trendy office environment of a modern media company and local factories in developing countries. However, in the Chinese factories where some of Egmont’s production takes place, workers are aware that Egmont’s Code of Conduct is the basis for inspections of their safety and working environment.

Egmont Social Compliance Manager Charlotte Damgaard: “Our auditors act more as consultants and sounding boards than actual police. Because it’s important to support our business partners find ways to improve.”

Egmont’s Code of Conduct The Code of Conduct is a set of rules specifying what Egmont expects of its collaboration partners and others. Inspections of local factories help to ensure that our suppliers meet standards for human rights, working conditions and environmental requirements. Twice a year, Charlotte Damgaard from the Egmont House in Copenhagen, joins some of the inspection teams.

Chinese control procedures “One of my latest visits was to a factory in a little village outside Guangzhou in southeastern China. The Chinese factory was a group of rundown, old buildings. The factory workers slept in bunks in a couple of buildings near the factory. The factory had the standard of an abandoned warehouse. Many local workers have this lifestyle while their families live somewhere far away. We can help make sure they have reasonable sleeping accommodation

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without leaking roofs, but we can’t get them their own apartments,” Charlotte Damgaard explains. Two local auditors, usually engineers, economists or other advisers familiar with the area, assist her during the inspection visits or audits. They make sure the factory’s paperwork is in order and that the workers get the pay and working hours to which they are entitled. Since Egmont does not accept child labor, the auditors also check the workers’ identity cards. “Egmont’s Code of Conduct lays down general guidelines, which we in fact share with Disney, Mattel and some of our other major business partners. The code is a common set of international manufacturer requirements. We also use local laws to make sure that fire extinguishers are in place, emergency exits are accessible and that workers use the prescribed safety equipment.”

Every bit counts Egmont’s auditors carry out regular inspections of local suppliers, regardless of geographic location. “We can’t change the world, but we can make sure our products are manufactured under acceptable conditions. It’s progress in small steps, and we have to comply with the country’s culture to reach our goal,” says Charlotte Damgaard.

Egmont’s Code of Conduct sets out in writing what we expect from ourselves and our collaboration partners. Besides providing information about Egmont’s requirements, the supplier program, The Egmont Social Compliance, includes inspection visits, or audits, to selected factories and printing works. Although Asia is the prime focus, suppliers in Europe also receive visits from our auditors. At Egmont we are committed to: – a standard of excellence in every aspect of our business all over the world. – ethical and responsible conduct in all of our operations. – supporting, respecting and protecting the rights of all individuals. – respect for the environment. If a supplier repeatedly violates Egmont’s Code of Conduct, it is put on a blacklist of suppliers.

“Managing a major professional undertaking on top of my new responsibilities on the home front.” Lykke Neiiendam, Nordisk Film

Judge a book by its cover! Egmont UK takes care of the trees and the woods and has launched an environmental mark for books printed on paper produced in an environmentally responsible way.

Production and Distribution Director Alison Kennedy has set new industry standards for ethical and sustainable book production in Great Britain. “I’m very proud that the publishing industry has decided to support our initiatives, particularly when you consider that Egmont is not among the largest in the British market.”

This pledge has become something of a challenge because the paper used to make the books can consist of an array of woods from all over the world. That Egmont’s system can separate paper produced legally without endangering rare tree species from illegally produced paper is therefore a unique achievement. “At first, whenever I asked the paper manufacturers about the ingredients in their products I felt as though I was working with Italian chefs zealously guarding their secrets. Nobody would tell me anything!”

A dream of a better world

Unlike food, clothes and other consumer goods, whose ethical production is usually a selling point, to date no-one has introduced similar marking systems for books. This is what makes Alison Kennedy, Egmont UK, so remarkable. You won’t find her outside hugging trees or shouting slogans in a street demonstration. She does most of her work at the computer in her London office. However, she wields a powerful weapon in the fight against illegal spraying and trading in wood for paper manufacture.

Pedigree for trees With a click of the mouse, Alison Kennedy can trace the origin of the trees used for each and every one of the 18 million books Egmont UK produces each year. “Our aim is to raise standards and abolish all unlawfully manufactured products,” Alison Kennedy explains. She is adamant that “nothing coming out of this publishing house has been made by illegal or irresponsible forestry.”

She has now succeeded in getting paper manufacturers to supply information about their paper production. “I’m privileged that Egmont has given me the chance to realize my personal dreams for a better world while ensuring that they also add value to Egmont. We already deliver excellent products, and supply chain management is simply another reason to be proud of working for Egmont UK,” Alison Kennedy explains.

Other publishers are following suit Egmont’s grading system has enabled Egmont UK to invite a number of publishing companies to form the organization Publishers’ Database for Responsible Environmental Paper Sourcing (PREPS). Read more on: www.egmont.co.uk/ethicalpublishing/

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What has been your biggest recent challenge? “My challenge was to create ‘familywork’ – instead of teamwork.” Nantaporn Wongchestha, Nation Egmont Edutainment Company

Media in growth

Experts in storytelling for children and youth Egmont Poland produces magazines, books and games for children and families with children. Polish consumers are so thrilled about the products that their shopping carts are overflowing with Egmont products.

Huge construction cranes loom large over downtown Warsaw. Shopping centers and new housing are shooting up all over the capital’s suburbs. People in the media industry are scrambling to satisfy the growing need for information and entertainment. Egmont Poland is poised to add 11 new titles to its current stable of 35 magazines, which boast an annual circulation of 21 million. “We have been especially fortunate with preschool children’s magazines covering topics like computers, as well as with a range of simple computer games,” says Managing Director Jacek Beldowski, who has worked for Egmont since 1995.

Tailored books

that companies can have made to order – for example, a magazine for parents that companies can give to buyers of diapers orr baby food. “We produce publications on behalf of companies that use the books, magazines and CDs in their own marketing efforts. Customers use the products as an added bonus,” Jacek Beldowski explains. To sustain its position, Egmont Poland also has to forge new paths. Its most recent idea is to deploy its extensive expertise about children and young people in partnership with other companies. “Egmont Poland wants to be ‘the kids’ company’ and help others to reach the interesting target groups – children, young people and their parents,” Jacek Beldowski rounds off.

At its inception in 1990 Egmont Poland sold Polish editions of Mickey Mouse. Today the publishing company produces localized versions of such international titles as Barbie, Disney, Teletubbies and Winnie-the-Pooh. The company publishes a considerable number of local titles and fiction books – 400 new titles every year – for children and youth.

The latest concept in Poland is publications

TV 2 – the Norwegian miracle 15 years old TV 2 are among the largest commercial Norwegian mediahouses.

The TV 2 television activities are being extended to all media platforms. New channels, new websites, a radio station, a distribution company, TV 2 Sport and Nyhetskanalen have been born. Nyhetskanalen broadcasts news 24x7 from its studio in Bergen. “A survey of company reputations established TV 2 as the best Norwegian brand name for the third consecutive year. We now have to capitalize on this position to become a major Internet brand as well,” says Øivind Johannessen, Director of Finance for TV 2.

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“Motivating and helping my colleagues to generate better results this year has been a key challenge.” Mirka Vobecka, Egmont Czech Republic

PlayStation – more than games! Nordisk Film Interactive heads the field for sales of games and consoles for PlayStation. The Nordisk Film team’s focus on games and content for the whole family has reinforced this leading position.

Sony produces PlayStation, but since its launch in 1995, Egmont has distributed the brand, first Nordic-wide and later in the Baltic states. Convincing sales figures have secured Egmont the Sony license year after year. “The competition is cutthroat. Even so, we’ve managed to generate higher sales here than in comparable countries,” explains Dennis Englund, General Manager of Nordisk Film Interactive. The newest games, sporting titles like SingStar, Buzz! and EyeToy, challenge traditional prejudices about digital games. They offer shared experiences, lots of physical activity and learning opportunities.

Social entertainment for everyone PlayStation 2 has been on the market for seven years. Nonetheless, in 2007 alone a quarter of a million machines were sold in the Nordic and Baltic countries, while at the same time Nordisk Film Interactive launched its massive campaign for the PlayStation 3 – a machine now selling at record speeds. “We have expanded the range of games because PlayStation has become a socially acceptable phenomenon,” explains Dennis Englund, who believes PlayStation 3 has opened up an entirely new market. “We know competition is intense and will get tougher than ever. On the bright side, there is poten-

tial too, and the victors will be the companies who know how to remain relevant and keep appealing to users in a future market marked by product and media consumption in a state of constant upheaval,” Dennis Englund concludes.

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What has been your biggest recent challenge? “My main challenge was establishing a new strategic business plan for the Ukraine.” Mariusz Czapnik, Egmont Poland

ABC... Egmont

in-side magazine is a fashion and lifestyle magazine for Norwegian women aged 16-26. – The in-side editorial team has offices at Egmont Serieforlaget in Oslo.

From A-Z Egmont’s products cover the ground!

Egmont’s founder, Egmont Harald Petersen, grew up in abject poverty. That’s why he declared in his will that a portion of his company’s profits should consistently be spent on improving the quality of life for children and young people. – Last year Egmont’s charitable activities donated EUR 4.7 million in support to 43 projects.

Jubilee – 2008 marks Egmont’s 130th anniversary. In 1878 while Egmont’s founder, Egmont Harald Petersen, was on his way to buy the simple, handoperated printing press that would help him start his company, he spotted a coin lying on a cobbled street. The coin is now in safekeeping at the Egmont House, Egmont’s head office in Copenhagen. – The business that started as a tiny print shop in the kitchen of a humble apartment is today one of Scandinavia’s largest media groups. And we guard his lucky coin closely!

Financially Egmont is faring well. With a record revenue of EUR 1.5 billion and solid equity, the group ranks among Scandinavia’s elite companies in terms of both size and revenue.

KING is Sweden’s first fashion magazine for men. Here Swedish men can read about fashion trends, the hottest fashion news and how to dress for the occasion. – KING is published by Egmont Tidskrifter.

A ALT for damerne is a Danish brand for modern, active, quality-conscious women who want ideas and challenges in every aspect of their lives. Besides the weekly magazine, the brand includes an ALT live fashion fair and ALT for damerne women’s run. – Egmont Magasiner has published ALT for damerne since the first issue hit the streets in 1946.

B Bamse is a Swedish comics created by Rune Andréasson in 1966. The series about the world’s strongest and kindest bear has had its own magazine in Sweden since 1973. Bamse also features in films and picture books. – Egmont Kärnan in Malmö publishes the Bamse comics.

C Cappelen Damm, now one of Norway’s largest book publishers, was created when the Egmont publishing company Damm merged with the Bonnier company Cappelen. It produces more than 1,200 titles in all genres. – Tom Harald Jenssen, Managing Director of Damm before the merger, spearheads the new publishing giant, headquartered in Oslo.

G GRAVID is a specialty magazine published in Denmark for expectant and new mothers. The magazine brims with advice for women experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions, swollen legs, mood swings, ever-tighter clothes and escalating weight! – Egmont Magasiner in Hellerup produces GRAVID.

H Hemmets Journal is read mainly by women interested in their house, garden and family, cooking, interior design and fashion. – Hemmets Journal is based at Egmont Tidskrifter in the southern Swedish town of Malmö.

L Lindhardt og Ringhof became Denmark’s secondlargest publishing house when Aschehoug took over the country’s third-largest publishing house, Bonnier Forlagene. – The publishing companies have sold 8 million books in just one year – in a country whose population is just 5.4 million.

M MBO or Music Business Organisation comprises 10 wholly or partly owned companies, including one in Norway and one in Sweden. – MBO sold 3.5 million CDs and DVDs over a 12-month period.

D Donald Duck, Kalle Anka, Anders And. According to a Scandinavian saying, a favorite child – or in this case a duck – has many names. Egmont’s first issue of the comics about the Duckburg universe was printed in 1948. – Egmont publishes Disney comics in over 30 countries, and with millions of weekly readers, Egmont is the world’s largest producer of comics.

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N Nordisk Film awards an annual prize amounting to DKK 1,000 multiplied by the age of the company. The most recent award went to Peter Schønau Fog, who directed the successful drama film The Art of Crying. – The Nordisk Film Foundation established the Nordisk Film annual award to encourage the film and TV industry and related media and art

“My biggest challenge? Lack of time!” Pernille Horneman, Egmont Magasiner

forms to produce entertainment of high artistic, technical and professional standards.

O Obelix is Asterix’s best friend, created along with all the other redoubtable Gauls by copywriter René Goscinny and artist Albert Uderzo in 1959. – Egmont produces Asterix as an album series in Germany, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland.

P PlayStation is a successful game console produced by Sony. Nordisk Film is the official PlayStation distributor for Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Baltic countries. – In 2007 Nordisk Film made PlayStation 3 consoles a success in the Nordic region.

imagined these wonderful trains as living beings, and they inspired him to create the tales about Thomas the Tank Engine. – Egmont acquired the publishing rights to Thomas the Tank Engine in 1998 and now publishes books and activity products about the little blue locomotive in Europe and Asia.

which was an instant hit. The following year the series appeared in book form. – Egmont distributes W.I.T.C.H. to readers in Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Turkey and China.

USA is the latest country in which Egmont is gaining a foothold, with Egmont UK establishing a publishing company in New York at the start of 2008. The focus is quality literature for children and young people.

X9. Agent X9 is a cartoon series, the brainchild of crime writer Dashiell Hammett and artist Alex Raymond in 1934.

Y Yvonne Jensen from the Olsen Gang is world famous – at least in Denmark! – thanks to her shrill, insistent voice and flowered hats. – Nordisk Film produced 14 Olsen Gang films in the period 1968-1998. They are among the most popular movies ever shown in Danish movie theaters.

Q Quist Møller, whose first name is Flemming, is a man of multiple talents – author, artist and much more. Together with Egmont’s animation company A.Film, he recently created the animated cartoon Jungo Goes Bananas – the third in the Jungo series. – A.Film is Scandinavia’s largest animation company with subsidiaries in Tallinn, Riga and Munich.

Z Zebra is a sister TV channel to TV 2 – Norway’s biggest commercial TV channel. Launched in 2004, TV 2 Zebra focuses on youth programs.

R ‘Rummelig’ is one of Egmont’s three core values. Our company can tell a world of stories in every medium imaginable. This diversity embodies an openness to everything that’s new and the flexibility to embrace a multitude of cultures and personalities. – The two other Egmont values are Passion and Ambition.

S Storytelling is our mission. Stories are at the heart of all our activities at Egmont. Stories are our promise to the world. In short: We create and tell stories. – Egmont’s payoff – We bring stories to life – was scribbled by hand during a plane journey from Japan to Denmark.

T Thomas the Tank Engine was written by Wilbert Awdrey in the 1940s. These huge, powerful trains had fascinated the young Wilbert as a child. He

V Villmarksliv is Norway’s leading magazine for hunting buffs, sports fishermen and other outdoor enthusiasts. The monthly publication offers excellent advice and tips on a range of topics spanning fishing tackle, hunting grounds, gun maintenance and gundog training. – Villmarksliv makes its way to Norwegian hunting cabins via Egmont’s joint venture company, Hjemmet Mortensen in Oslo.

W W.I.T.C.H. stands for Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia and Hay Lin. Normally, they’re five quite ordinary schoolgirls, but when they transform into witches, absolutely anything can happen! Egmont launched the magazine W.I.T.C.H. in February 2001,

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Egmont in the media

“Although Egmont will continue to stand as a Danish cultural institution, make no mistake about the Group’s new direction. The old media group is turning into a swan.”

“Everyone should be judged by their actions, not by fear. The resolute strategy of two expanding media houses also bears witness to an unwavering faith in the book as a bearer of culture.”

Berlingske Nyhedsmagasin on Egmont’s expansion and broad media market strategy.

Frederiksstad Blad on the merger between Cappelen and Damm and their goal to be Norway’s leading publisher.

Managing Director Anette Wad to Berlingske Nyhedsmagasin about how Lindhardt og Ringhof’s view on their duty and responsibility towards readers distinguishes the company from the UK book industry.

“Egmont. You must know the name. Forget DR, TV 2 and Politiken for a while. Egmont is omnipresent in people’s daily lives.”

“The end-result is that the Norwegian book sector in reality consists of three trolls, each with an impressive number of heads.”

The Danish Daily, Information, about finding Egmont’s name on everything from magazines, schoolbooks, reference works and literary fiction to TV productions and PlayStation games.

Dagbladet’s metaphor for the merger between Cappelen and Damm, which made the company one of Norway’s three largest publishers along with Gyldendal and Aschehoug.

“Ambition is really about mastering all the small processes that make the big goal attainable.” President & CEO Steffen Kragh to Berlingske Nyhedsmagasin on Egmont’s values.

“We want to expand and we want to grow. I strongly believe we can be a market leader or command a prominent position in the market.” President & CEO Steffen Kragh to Børsen on Egmont’s 20% growth target.

“Our job as publishers is to give readers what they want but also what they didn’t know they wanted.”