The success of the “50 Shades” erotic trilogy boosted Bertelsmann’s 2012 profit. Yet the media giant’s successful book publisher hides structural weaknesses. Many of the company’s markets are shrinking, and its many attempts to adjust to the digital age haven’t been convincing.
The fictitious adventures of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, the protagonists of the “50 Shades” erotic trilogy may have spared Bertelsmann’s management some nasty questions on declining profitability. The books’ global success helped boost operating profit at the German media group’s publishing unit, Random House, by 76 percent to a record of 325 million euros – 19 percent of group profit on only 13 percent of its revenue. Continue reading
