Klambt Verlag

Background

Klambt Verlag, also known as Mediengruppe Klambt, is one of Europe’s larger media groups, publishing over 65 magazines on a regular basis.

They were founded back in 1843 in Nowa Ruda, which is now a part of Polen, before moving to Speyer, Germany after the second world war. Today, Klambt publishes a wide range of magazines, from fashion and interior to healthcare, food, and much more.

They publish for both online visitors and print, and even host fashion shows, making it one of the most significant publishers in Germany.

Challenges

Spending time on selecting the right image

With millions of images stored and over 65 magazines to publish, Klambt needs a system for efficient filtering and selection of images.

Oftentimes, specific pages need specific types of images, and photo editors need to find the right ones at high speed in order for the magazine to be published on time.

Managing images at large events

At large events, such as the Oscars, photographers from Klambt might take thousands of images in just a few hours.

Some are for their own magazines, while others are being sold to other publishers, and in order to get the most out of these, they need to be uploaded, tagged, filtered and distributed fast.

However, this is not a short and simple process, as culling and selection of such quantities can take many hours without the proper software in place.

Keeping track of rights and prices

Even though Klambt has their own photographers, they sometimes need to use external images as well. However, different agencies have different prices and license agreements, and keeping track of everything can be a hassle.

Enabling every employee to work on several magazines

With approximately 700 employees working on about 70 magazines, there is often a need for people to work on several magazines at once, or help out with tasks related to a different magazine than what one typically works with.

In such instances, having multiple different systems can become a massive bottleneck, since employees will have to learn new routines and ways of doing things before being able to help another department.

Solutions

Use a metadata-based system for efficient filtering and search

With FotoWare, Klambt is able to have a system that is 100% metadata-based. This means that no one ever needs to know a specific file name or what folder the file is stored in, but can instead make detailed searches based on keywords or other metadata properties. This makes finding the right files a much smoother process for everyone involved.

Ensuring super-fast culling and selection with the PRO Interface and FotoStation

With tools like FotoStation and the FotoWare PRO Interface, Klambt is able to ensure the fastest culling and selection processes on the market. This enables the photo editors to sort and select the right images at high speed, ensuring that the best pictures receive the best placements.

Using metadata and markers to stay on top of image rights and pricing

By adding price and license information to the files' metadata, Klambt is able to keep 100% track of all their image rights. And by adding markers to the images, employees know if an image has a restricted or expired license, or if it is particularly expensive. This is especially beneficial when it comes to costs, as photo editors might choose differently if having price information easily available.

Creating one system for all magazines

With FotoWare, Klambt is able to have one central repository for all their content that is the same across all magazines. They’ve also set up an editorial workflow, which is tailored for collaboration across different departments, in the sense that it offers one system for all magazines. The workflow is configured so employees only see the tasks necessary for them, which keeps the publication process looking tidy even when many people are working on it at once.