Services

INNOVATIVE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENTMade by Sternwald

Innovations are rarely accidental; they are rather the result of a company-controlled process. Whether you establish internal “think tanks” or let “scouts” explore the market is not decisive. The correct “processing” of the ideas and suggestions however, is crucial.

For this purpose, Sternwald has developed a highly flexible process that accompanies new business models and products in five PHASES:

THINK: Realize ideas, make implementation plausible
DESIGN: Create editorial/visual concept, design user interface
BUILD: Implement concept, test application
RUN: Put into operation, provide customer service
IMPROVE: Measure acceptance, optimize concept

Various tools and techniques, such as design thinking, agile software development or lifecycle management, are incorporated within each phase in order to identify undesirable project development early on in the process and to allow for timely course corrections. The development results from each phase are tested as prototypes with real customers to accurately meet the needs of the target group.

New business models, editorial concepts and designs are created by mixed teams of designers, developers and consultants. After the development process in a narrower sense (e.g. product, website for marketing), Sternwald supports the first steps of the new products in the market (e.g. search engine optimization), takes over operation and support upon request, and is also available if suggestions for product optimization should come from feedback in the market.

The product development of a digital publication takes place in different STREAMS, which cover the partial aspects of product development:

BRANDING AND BUSINESS MODEL

The questions at the beginning of every project are: What do customers want? Can we fulfill these desires? If these questions are answered positively in alignment with your own assets and competencies, a business model that forms the basis for a concrete project is created. The decision for a brand at this early stage determines how the product fits into the framework of the corporate positioning.

Brand strategy / Development of a digital brand
Define appropriate content strategy

PRODUCTDESIGN

Digital products gain their distinctive design from the interplay of various media components: text, image, video and sound. Consequently, text editors, graphic designers and usability experts work closely together to provide customers with a unique media experience. A particular task of the team is to test the acceptance by means of the future target group at every stage of further implementation. Sternwald works according to the “user-centred design approach”:

User segmentations and personas
User journeys and user stories
Sitemaps, wireframes and functional specifications
Functional prototypes, as well as interactive design prototypes for user tests
Design mockups and screen designs
Style guides and documentations

MARKETING AND SALES

Press publications traditionally derive their revenue from two main sources: reader-based sales, and advertising revenue. Digital publications today no longer find their users through classical advertising, but even the new communication channels on the internet are not “self-running” and require careful planning and implementation. TOP placements in the most important search engines are paramount. Sternwald finds the key concepts that bring your publication to the top – and thus into your target group’s field of vision. This preliminary work is also what convinces advertising customers to use your product as a medium. In addition to the search engines as our “duty”, we also master the “freestyle” and design attractive advertising formats for your customers and smart joint campaigns, which carry the messages of your advertising partners to affluent recipients.

Search engines: Analyze search algorithms, position relevant search terms
Self-promotion: Place digital forms of advertising, design microsites for marketing activities, book Facebook instant articles
Guerilla marketing: Create original campaigns, manage performance
PR: News positioning, use press contacts
Sold ads: Define attractive advertising placements, integrate Google AdWords
Sales partners: Select suitable partners, provide advertising data
Collaboration: Cooperate with suitable partners, seek sponsorship

TECHNOLOGY

From a technical perspective, new digital publications are similar to many other IT projects. They differ in the requirement to consider the “customer” factor in a particularly flexible way. Multiple user tests and iteration loops take the place of a straightforward implementation according to specification; cooperation with creative- and usability experts ensures regular concept readjustment. Sternwald’s mixed teams replace by-the-book processing with agile concepts of continuous review and improvement – your readers get a chance to speak early on!

Software Development

Feasibility analyses
Evaluation of operating environments
Use case definitions
Business process design, business logic
Software architecture
Collection / storage / management of digital assets
Interface integrations
ERP systems / product management
CRM systems (e.g. salesforce, intercom)
Review and optimization of system architecture
Performance consulting (high performance / high volume traffic)

Test and security

Automated quality assurance
Consultation on security concepts

Operation

Hosting consultation
System support / operation
DevOps
24/7 support

Special solutions

Digital assets, gathered and managed in huGO, can be integrated into a wide range of products that enable the exploitation of the market opportunities provided by the new technologies. We not only prepare you for these publications, but also actively support you in the marketing and the generation of follow-up business.

e-paper development
App development
Payment solutions for digital products
Shop solutions for merchandising offers / additional assortments
Content and user analytics
Marketing automation

SAP Services

Our team in Düsseldorf specializes in the introduction, integration and operation of SAP for Media with the complete product portfolio for the media industry.

These include industry-specific applications such as advertisement management with the ad editor, the sale of media products through subscriptions and retail as well as product development and rights management.

SAP IS-M/AM: Advertisement management
SAP IS-M/SD: Subscription sales
SAP FI, SAP CO, SAP SD

FINANCES / CONTROLLING

The days when digital products were merely a hopeful venture, free from pressure to make money, are long gone. However, powerful controlling tools are used not only to monitor public acceptance shortly after market entry, but also to provide the vital sensorium for successful products in the long run, in order to be able to promptly discover and react to changes in consumer behavior. Experts at Sternwald develop concise report forms for you with which you can perfectly monitor and control the market performance of your products.

Collect circulation / user figures
Revenue and transaction costs
Click-rate analysis
Track reader behavior, optimize editorial concepts
Record usage history, improve usability

PROJECTMANAGEMENT

Project management is often caught up in the conflict between creative freedom and pre-defined budgets. Here, a professional and methodical project management with flair is required. The Sternwald methodology helps to master this area of conflict:

Set up multi-functional teams
Plan project in phases and streams
Prepare workflows for teams
Obtain and keep reports
Commission and process tests for interim results
At the end of each phase obtain approval for the next phase
Ensure quality of the final results
Monitor budgets and time plans

The project managers at Sternwald understand their trade and know exactly how to create attractive and eye-catching products from the budgets at hand: Best value for your money!