Score Media Group vs Weischer

Christopher Kaiser wird CEO der Score Media Group

Der Medien- und Digitalmanager bringt langjährige Vermarktungserfahrung und umfassende Expertise in der digitalen Transformation mit.

Christopher Kaiser Named New CEO of Score Media

Score Media Group, a German alliance of regional newspaper and media houses, will have a new CEO starting January 1, 2027. Christopher Kaiser, currently Co-CEO of Ströer Media Solutions and a member of Ströer's Executive Board, will succeed Carsten Dorn, who leaves after more than eight years to become managing director of audio marketer RMS, alongside Sven Thölen, succeeding Stefan Mölling, who will become Chief Commercial Officer at Ströer. Kaiser brings over 25 years of leadership experience in agencies and marketing, with a focus on digital, data-driven business models, and a decade at Ströer where he expanded programmatic offerings and integrated out-of-home with digital. He will aim to further develop Score Media's print and digital portfolio, leveraging his expertise in digital transformation through technology, data, and AI, building on Dorn's strong foundation.

• Christopher Kaiser becomes CEO of Score Media Group on January 1, 2027.
• Carsten Dorn leaves after more than eight years to become managing director of RMS, succeeding Stefan Mölling, who moves to Ströer as Chief Commercial Officer.
• Kaiser joins from Ströer, where he was Co-CEO of Ströer Media Solutions and a member of the Executive Board for over ten years.

Video Advertising Effectiveness Goes Beyond Viewability and VTR

In an interview with ADZINE, Olaf-Norman Brandt, likely a representative of a company within the Score Media Group, discusses the evolving effectiveness of video advertising. He argues that traditional metrics like viewability and view-through rate (VTR) are insufficient and should be supplemented with attention metrics and interaction signals. Brandt highlights the importance of editorial context for high engagement and explains how interactive video formats, based on the IAB's SIMID standard, enable granular measurement of user engagement. He cites a campaign for Velux using a slider to demonstrate product features and mentions retail media scenarios where users can customize product combinations. Brandt notes the potential of combining video with retail media and CTV to bring ads closer to purchase decisions, while cautioning against simply repurposing TV spots for all screens. He also touches on the role of AI in campaign optimization and workflow efficiencies, emphasizing the need for context-appropriate creativity.

• Video advertising effectiveness is discussed beyond viewability and VTR.
• Interactive video formats based on SIMID enable granular engagement measurement.
• A Velux campaign used an interactive slider to demonstrate window effects.

Weischer takes a strategic stake in Erason

Lack of relevance costs the German advertising market billions

DOOH Growing Structurally — Industry Must Modernize

Tobias Hefele of Weischer says Digital Out of Home (DOOH) is in a strong position, with Nielsen reporting 5.6% growth in the first half of the year versus 1.1% for the overall ad market. He warns the sector is at a turning point and must address measurement, standardization and demonstrable ad effectiveness to secure long-term growth. Hefele highlights opportunities from linking DOOH with Retail Media and from AI — especially AI-assisted creative generation and faster, more flexible campaign processes — but stresses the need to modernize infrastructure and create common standards first. He also notes growing formats such as video, audio and content partnerships, and that both new and existing advertiser segments are fueling structural growth.

• Nielsen reported 5.6% growth for Out-of-Home in the first half of the year.
• The overall advertising market grew 1.1% in the same period (per the article).
• Weischer.OOH is growing faster than the broader OOH market, according to Tobias Hefele.

Weischer takes strategic stake in Erason

Mediengruppe Weischer has taken a strategic stake in Lüneburg-based AI market-research firm Erason to combine Weischer's media and mobility data with Erason's AIlon platform, aiming to improve targeting, measurement and reduce advertising waste—particularly in Out-of-Home and cinema. The companies say the integrated approach, including the SYNQ customer-data-hub module, can accelerate operationalization of complex audiences and boost campaign KPIs (claims include 70% faster operationalization, 2–3x higher click rates and 30–50% lower cost per action). The move forms part of Weischer’s broader shift toward an integrated, data-driven media ecosystem. The article names Niklas Mrutzek as Erason co-founder and CEO and Udo Schendel as Weischer managing director, and cites a Decentriq study estimating up to 56% (€24.7bn) of German ad budgets are avoidable waste.

• Mediengruppe Weischer has taken a strategic stake in Lüneburg-based AI and market-research company Erason.
• Weischer will combine its media and mobility data with Erason's AIlon platform to improve targeting, measurement and reduce advertising waste.
• Companies claim the integrated approach, including the SYNQ customer-data-hub module, can speed operationalization by ~70%, yield 2–3x higher click rates and cut cost per action by 30–50%.