Digitec Galaxus restructures content division - Martin Jungfer takes over as head of division

The two Martins in the kitchen of the Digitec-Galaxus marketing department. Left: Martin Walthert, right: Martin Jungfer. (Photo: Ann-Kathrin Kübler)

Digitec Galaxus is known for its in-house editorial team, which likes to write critically about the products the company sells. Now the online department store has restructured the editorial team in a newly created content department. Head of Marketing Martin Walthert explains what will now be different: "We produce a lot of content, but still have huge potential to use it." The distribution of content is to be given a higher priority. Up to now, content has mainly been placed on the company's own website, says Walthert. Now, it will be distributed more via external channels, especially social media.

For this, the company wants to produce channel-specific content, because each channel has its own rules. "You can't play out the same content on Instagram as on Facebook or our website," says Walthert. "We want to play the right channels with the right content. There's a lot we can do better in that area than we have in the past."

The previous Head of Editorial Aurel Stevens is leaving the company as part of the restructuring. Newly joining the company is Martin Jungfer, who holds the newly created position of Head of Content. The 42-year-old leads the four reorganized content teams, each consisting of four to five employees. Three teams take care of content production, writing texts and creating videos. Unlike before, these are no longer divided thematically according to Digitec and Galaxus, but according to their journalistic expertise. The fourth team is called the social channel team and is responsible for disseminating content that does not take place on the company's own platforms - primarily social media.

Martin Jungfer is the new Head of Content at Digitec Galaxus. (Photo: zVg)

Werbewoche.ch: Today is your second day at work as Head of Content at Digitec Galaxus. How did you get started?

Martin Jungfer: All the expectations I had have been met. The team is motivated. The employees know where the journey is going. I came on board to create the optimal conditions for spirit and creativity. That's especially important because Digitec Galaxus is growing so fast. I'm a trained journalist myself and know how important freedom is in this profession. In recent years, however, I've also spent a lot of time on the business side. Now I want to bring both together to be successful with my team.

You had previously only been working at Comparis for just under a year. Why the switch to Digitec Galaxus?

I had an exciting job as Content Innovation Manager at Comparis. But when the "Head of Content" position at Digitec Galaxus popped up on LinkedIn, I was curious. I cheekily wrote a short application letter and the management team invited me for an interview. It was quickly clear to me afterwards that it was a fit. I accepted. A love story (laughs).

So love at first sight...

Yes. It's extraordinary that content is part of Digitec Galaxus' mission. The editorial team is autonomous and independent of the sales team. Here, not every product has to be praised to the skies. The editorial team creates content that is allowed to be critical and uncomfortable, deliberately non-commercial. The combination of inspiring and informative content, the product range and the user experience makes Digitec Galaxus successful. This puts us in a better position than some media companies, which are currently being hit extremely hard by the crisis. There, you can now feel the dependency on advertisers, which could certainly also be linked to pressure on the editorial team not to upset the advertising customers who are now still left. At Digitec Galaxus, of course, we also feel pressure - but it's a positive one, because we want to grow and are allowed to.

Until now, Aurel Stevens was in charge of the editorial department. What would you like to do differently in the newly created position of Head of Content?

I cannot and will not judge how the editorial team has worked so far. I can only speak for myself and my style. I see my job as motivating teams and creating optimal conditions for them. At my advanced age (laughs), I don't have to tell anyone I know best myself how to make a podcast or run an e-gaming tournament. The teams themselves know best. I see myself as a coach and inspirer. It's important to me that everyone understands our mission and enjoys it.

What should work better with the restructuring of the content area than before?

I am convinced that you are most successful with mutual understanding. It's logical that different departments have different tasks to perform. And sometimes there may be different views. Category management may have the goal of pushing a new product. At the same time, the expert in the editorial department may not find the product so "shiny. We have to put up with that and know how to resolve such a conflict.

How?

As so often in life: by talking to each other.

Should the editorial team nevertheless continue to report critically on such new products?

Yeah, right. The advertising campaign with Digitec's unvarnished customer feedback works the same way. What our community is allowed to do, the editorial team should also do: be critical and cheeky. Otherwise, the editorial team would lose its raison d'être. Translating only PR texts from the manufacturer's site into a CMS would be uninspiring for our customers.

So far, you've been looking at Digitec Galaxus' editorial work from the outside. What did you like and what did you think could be improved?

What I like is the variety of topics and also the personal approach. Not just dryly dividing everything into grade points, but also sometimes saying: "I tried this for three weeks, somehow it doesn't work for me." That's authentic. But you can always do more, of course. Our community is always asking questions around products that have gone unanswered. That can be an exciting field where we could show ourselves more strongly.

Will users notice a change in Digitec Galaxy content in the near future?

There certainly won't be a revolution just because I'm there. The editorial work is already very good. My approach is more to optimize in many small areas - from content to internal processes. When a little plant grows, I want to help water and fertilize it. But I am also someone who says when something is no longer working. As a newcomer from the outside, I can certainly do that a little more painlessly.

Do you have an example?

It's much too early for that. It would be dubious to say what we're going to do after just one and a half days. I think it's good that there are different formats: a podcast, video formats... There's a lot of experimentation going on. That should be maintained. But maybe we still need a guardrail or two.