Observed Signal · Dec 19, 2025 · Technical Release · Source: Adzine · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Revolutionizing AdTech: BCN's Smart Stack for Cross-Media Success
ADZINE interviews Carsten Sander about BCN, a cross-media marketing and technology platform formed in 2024 as a joint venture of Burda, Funke, and Klambt. A year later, Burdaforward joined BCN as a client. BCN represents more than 300 media brands, including Focus, Grazia, TV Spielfilm, ADAC Motorwelt, Bild der Frau, and Gofeminin, with a digital online reach of 57 million. The company is building an operating system for cross-media advertising, integrating print and digital campaigns via a central data foundation, a custom booking system, and an internal tech-management framework to enable faster decisions and greater efficiency. The discussion covers shifts in the industry, the move toward a cookieless future, emphasis on first-party data and ID solutions, and the role of AI in automation, optimization, and sustainability. Sander highlights the human role in the Smart Stack and envisions AI ‘agents’ to automate routine tasks while preserving human oversight.
Industry-wide shift to cookieless advertising and AI-driven cross-media marketing; substantial implications for the ad tech ecosystem.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- BCN was formed in 2024 as a joint venture of media groups Burda, Funke, and Klambt.
- Burdaforward joined BCN as a client one year after formation (2025).
- BCN represents over 300 media brands, including Focus, Grazia, TV Spielfilm, ADAC Motorwelt, Bild der Frau, and Gofeminin.
- BCN reports a digital online reach of 57 million.
- BCN is developing an OS for cross-media marketing with an integrated booking system for print and digital campaigns and a central data foundation plus a tech-management framework.
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