Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung GmbH (F.A.Z.) and Süddeutsche Zeitung GmbH (SZ) have jointly founded the advertising marketing company Republic Marketing & Media Solutions GmbH (REPUBLIC). The joint venture of the two publishers will market the nationwide advertising inventory of F.A.Z. and SZ and offer effective communication solutions for upscale target groups from a single source. Unaffected by this is the marketing of the regional and local print and digital inventory. These will remain with F.A.Z. and RheinMainMedia GmbH and SZ respectively. The role of iq digital in digital marketing is also not affected by the merger. REPUBLIC provides advertisers with cross-media access to 29.95 million readers per month.
The joint venture, in which F.A.Z. and SZ each hold 50 per cent, is scheduled to start operations on 1 April 2021. The company is headquartered in Berlin, with additional locations in Frankfurt, Munich, Düsseldorf and Hamburg as well as a network of international marketing partners. REPUBLIC will start with about 80 employees, most of whom will be recruited from the previous marketing units of the shareholders.
With the foundation of REPUBLIC, F.A.Z. and SZ are reacting to the changing advertising market, which is increasingly characterised by mergers, intensified marketing cooperations and the demand of customers for comprehensive communication solutions. In 2020, the Federal Cartel Office had already given the green light for the joint venture and joint advertising marketing – with an eye on the advantages for customers.
GÖRG Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB advised F.A.Z. on the establishment of the joint venture under the lead management of Frankfurt partner Dr. Matthias Menke. GÖRG has been advising the F.A.Z. media group for many years in various fields of law.
Advisors F.A.Z.
GÖRG Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB
Dr. Matthias Menke, Partner (lead management), Corporate, Frankfurt a.M.
Dr. Lars Weber, Partner, Corporate/M&A, Frankfurt a.M.
Dr. Adalbert Rödding, Partner, Tax, Cologne
Dr. Florian Schmitz, Partner, IT, Frankfurt a.M.
Dr. Lars Nevian, Partner, Labour and Employment, Frankfurt a.M.
Taro W. Stenger, Associate, Corporate/M&A, Frankfurt a.M.
Project Management F.A.Z.
Lenard Bielmeier, Head of Investment Management and M&A
Antitrust (for F.A.Z. and SZ)
OPPENLÄNDER Rechtsanwälte
Dr. Donata Beck, Stuttgart
Dr. Ulrich Klumpp, Stuttgart
Notarisation
Notary Dr. Annegret Bürkle, Schiedermair Rechtsanwälte, Frankfurt a.M.
