Webmag is developing a platform for digital corporate publishing and is currently being Media Lab Bayern funded. Companies can use Webmag to create customer magazines and product brochures easily and affordably. The two founders explain their startup to us.
1. Who are you and what do you do? Please briefly introduce yourself and your product!
We are David Maus (34) and Christian Wust (34) from WebmagWe met over ten years ago during our bachelor's studies, shared an apartment together, and worked on a variety of projects. We then went into different professional directions: David dedicated himself to software design and development, Christian to communications, PR, and marketing for technology companies. We joined forces again for Webmag to bring a solution for digital corporate publishing to market. Why? Because we've noticed that publishing our own publications is becoming increasingly important for companies, but most are still lagging behind when it comes to digitalization. Customer magazines or product brochures end up as static PDFs on the company website and are anything but user-friendly. Digital First — not a chance! We've therefore developed a platform that companies can use to create digital magazines cost-effectively and, above all, easily — and quickly exploit new potential thanks to data analytics or call-to-action buttons.
2. But that's been around for a long time!
True, there are many ways to create digital magazines—but this is almost always associated with high costs and a lot of effort, because agencies are hired and employees with specialized knowledge are required. Small and medium-sized enterprises often lack the necessary capacity and IT resources—or the corresponding budgets. Nevertheless, they know that they must embrace digitalization if they don't want to be left behind. Even in larger companies, it is becoming increasingly important to be able to integrate digital projects into existing processes as easily as possible; otherwise, implementation often takes years or is never even attempted. Ease of business is the key word here. Our editor is designed to be integrated into existing processes with little effort. Thanks to preconfigured designs, anyone in the company can create digital magazines, brochures, white papers, or other publications that automatically look high-quality with just a few clicks. As a SaaS model from the cloud, companies can easily adapt its use to their needs.
3. What has been your biggest challenge so far?
The biggest challenge for us was finding out what really works for companies. The technology itself isn't the big issue, but rather the precise alignment of the system and user interface to the company's needs. In the end, it's the nuances that determine whether a tool like Webmag is adopted or not. During this process, for example, we realized that we needed our own CMS to ensure seamless integration. We also had to tailor the preconfigurations for the design to just the right extent so that employees without design skills don't run into problems and their results still look great. Another crucial factor was the realization that companies want one thing above all else: digitalization: yes, absolutely, but please no additional effort and no tying up of resources for new projects.
“Munich is of course particularly attractive for us as a media location”
4. Let’s get down to business: How is business going?
As of today, we have acquired a major commercial vehicle manufacturer as a customer and partner, whose marketing staff create their publications directly via our platform—without graphic designers, without an agency, and without extensive coordination loops. As a result, the department no longer has an unread PDF on its website, but a marketing tool that promotes lead generation, works in coordination with social media channels, and can be optimized thanks to real-time tracking. We are currently expanding the business together to include the small-scale dealer network. With Webmag as a white-label solution, the manufacturer acts as a service provider to its dealers and supports them in their digitalization. This allows dealers to easily adapt the pre-made online magazines to add regionally relevant content and distribute it to their customers—at the lowest cost. This is doubly advantageous for the manufacturer because, in addition to expanding relationships with its specialist dealers, it ensures that its own brand is optimally presented to the end customer. This concept will be crucial for many large companies with dealer networks in the future when positioning themselves in their respective markets.
5. What does Munich mean to you?
Munich is, of course, particularly attractive for us as a media location. The proximity to publishers, agencies, and publishing houses helps us immensely in developing our product and business model. As a member of the Fellowship Program of the Media Lab Bayern We also received our first grant here. Furthermore, Munich is David's home base, and Christian, a Berlin resident, uses its excellent connections as a popular reason for increasingly frequent business trips.
“We’re happy to accept the Unicorn stamp”
6. How will your startup become the next unicorn? Or will we see you soon at Epic Fail Night?
Our primary goal is healthy and continuous growth and to present our partners with a stable, reliable business. This means we're banking on the digital content marketing market growing as forecasted and, thanks to a solid foundation, being able to quickly scale up our partner business when it matters. If the strategy works, we'll happily take the unicorn stamp—and still share our experiences at Epic Fail Night.
7. Isar or English Garden?
Clearly: the Isar! Specifically, the northern section behind the dam. Even in midsummer, it's quiet here, and there are wonderful bays for swimming, barbecuing, and relaxing. You can get there by bike in 20 minutes, and with a cold beer, your evening becomes a mini-vacation.
