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Explainer Videos in B2B Sales – Are the Short, Expensive Marketing Films Worth the Investment?

10/17/2025 | by Patrick Fischer, M.Sc., Founder & Data Scientist: FDS

Explainer videos: From niche to mainstream

Explainer videos were once the domain of startups and SaaS companies trying to simplify complex products. Today, they’re standard in B2B sales strategies across industries — from mechanical engineering and IT to pharmaceuticals and finance.

“A good explainer video conveys what used to take a ten-page brochure or a 20-minute sales pitch — in just 90 seconds,” says Julia Werner, marketing lead at a German software company. “It’s a powerful tool at the top of the funnel.”

Videos are used on landing pages, in cold emails, trade show presentations, and increasingly in personalized sales outreach via LinkedIn and email automation tools. The logic: visual storytelling sticks — and it helps cut through the noise in oversaturated digital channels.

But they’re expensive — sometimes painfully so

Depending on style, quality, and agency, a professionally produced explainer video can cost between €3,000 and €20,000. That includes scriptwriting, storyboard, voice-over, animation, sound design, and sometimes translation for international audiences.

“The problem is that many companies underestimate the production time and internal coordination effort,” says Thomas Berger, founder of a B2B video agency in Munich. “There are weeks of back and forth — and that makes the process expensive and slow.”

In tight B2B sales cycles, especially in the mid-market, decision-makers often hesitate to approve such high costs for a single video asset — particularly when ROI is hard to quantify directly.

Do explainer videos really increase conversions?

Advocates say yes. Numerous case studies show that landing pages with video can increase conversion rates by up to 80%. A 2024 HubSpot report found that 74% of B2B buyers are more likely to purchase after watching an explainer video — especially when the product or service is complex.

“It helped us cut down our average sales call duration by 30%,” reports Marcel Döring, sales director at an industrial automation firm. “Clients came into meetings with a basic understanding of our value proposition — which made closing faster.”

However, effectiveness depends heavily on context. A slick video alone won't rescue a weak message or poor targeting. Quality scriptwriting, clear messaging, and proper distribution are just as important as visual polish.

Cheaper alternatives: AI, templates, and DIY tools

In 2025, companies have more options than ever. AI-powered video tools like Synthesia, Pictory, and Lumen5 allow marketing teams to create semi-professional videos without actors, cameras, or large budgets. Pre-built templates and avatar voice-overs have lowered the barrier to entry significantly.

“For internal training and basic explainer content, AI-generated videos are often ‘good enough’,” says Lisa Neumann, content strategist at a logistics software provider. “But for brand-critical assets, we still go the professional route.”

Even agencies are starting to use AI in production workflows — to reduce storyboard development time, automate subtitles, or speed up versioning in multiple languages.

When does an explainer video make sense?

Experts agree: Explainer videos are not a universal solution, but they work particularly well when...

  • The product or service is complex or intangible
  • The sales cycle involves multiple decision-makers
  • The company has a clearly defined target audience
  • The video is embedded in a broader content and campaign strategy

“A standalone explainer video without a distribution plan is a waste,” warns Birgit Scholz, B2B marketing consultant. “You need to think of it as a content asset with a lifecycle — not a one-off gimmick.”

Conclusion: Worth it — under the right conditions

Explainer videos can be highly effective in B2B sales — if they’re part of a smart, strategic content plan. Their high cost remains a barrier for many SMEs, but the return on investment can be significant when the message hits the mark and the video is properly deployed across channels.

Cheaper, AI-powered alternatives will continue to grow — but for high-impact, brand-sensitive communication, professional production still sets the standard. The key is knowing when to invest — and when a leaner, faster format will do the job.

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Wave of Bankruptcies Among Agencies and B2B Service Providers 2025 – How Bad Is It Really?

10/15/2025 | by Patrick Fischer, M.Sc., Founder & Data Scientist: FDS

The headlines are dramatic: more and more agencies and B2B service providers are filing for bankruptcy. But how serious is the situation – and what is really driving this trend?

The Scale of the Crisis

Since early 2025, the number of insolvencies in the services sector has risen sharply. Marketing and communications agencies, IT service firms, and consultancies are particularly affected. According to industry associations, insolvencies are now well above pre-pandemic levels.

“We are seeing the strongest wave of bankruptcies in more than a decade – but not all segments are equally affected.”

Root Causes: A Combination of Pressures

  • Margin pressure: Intense price competition and cost pressure from global rivals.
  • Client caution: Many businesses are postponing projects or cutting budgets.
  • Digitalization & AI: Automation reduces demand for traditional services.
  • Interest rates: Higher financing costs hit smaller providers especially hard.

Industries Under the Most Pressure

Providers heavily dependent on marketing and communications budgets are hit hardest. Creative and advertising agencies face shrinking budgets. IT and software service providers are split: while commoditized offerings are under stress, specialists in AI, cybersecurity, and automation continue to grow.

Market Consequences

The insolvency wave has far-reaching consequences:

  1. Market consolidation: Larger players absorb smaller insolvent firms.
  2. Talent mobility: Laid-off employees quickly move to expanding tech companies.
  3. Client disruption: Customers suddenly left without providers must scramble to find alternatives.

Paths Out of the Crisis

Despite the challenges, opportunities exist for those willing to adapt:

  • Focusing on specialization and niche markets.
  • Investing in automation and AI-driven services.
  • Building stronger, longer-term client partnerships.
  • Streamlining cost structures and diversifying business models.
Bottom line: Not all service providers will survive this crisis – but those who adapt early may emerge stronger.
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The Swiss Media Landscape 2025 – Newspapers, Magazines, Radio Stations and More in Switzerland

10/13/2025 | by Patrick Fischer, M.Sc., Founder & Data Scientist: FDS

Between Alps, algorithms, and four national languages: The media in Switzerland in transition

In 2025, Switzerland’s media landscape is diverse, linguistically rich, and undergoing transformation. With a total of 2,715 media outlets, Switzerland is an essential part of the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), which collectively includes 20,432 media entities. Despite its relatively small population, Switzerland maintains a dense and regionally rooted media network.

The Swiss media ecosystem is characterized by a fine web of local newspapers, specialized publishers, public service broadcasting, and digital niche platforms — all underpinned by a culture that values press freedom, media diversity, and journalistic quality.

1. Print Media: Regionally Anchored, Digitally Renewed

Newspapers and Online News

Switzerland has 232 newspapers and online news outlets, with a strong emphasis on regional coverage. Local papers such as the Aargauer Zeitung, Thurgauer Zeitung, or Walliser Bote play a vital role in their communities.

Major national publications like NZZ, Tages-Anzeiger, and Blick are expanding their digital strategies — including paywalls, apps, newsletters, and podcasts — while smaller publishers focus on reader engagement and hyperlocal content.

Magazines and Journals

With 737 magazines and journals, Switzerland boasts a strong publishing sector. Titles such as Die Weltwoche, L'Hebdo, or Bilanz are widely read, with many publications appearing in multiple languages or regional editions. Trade and industry magazines — especially in finance, health, and tourism — are also influential internationally.

2. Science and Publishing: A Swiss Strength

Switzerland is home to 1,118 scientific journals, a disproportionately high number due to its strong academic and research infrastructure. Institutions like ETH Zurich, EPFL Lausanne, and the University of Basel drive numerous high-quality scientific publications, often in international cooperation.

In addition, 357 publishers operate in Switzerland, many of them highly specialized. Their focus often includes scientific, legal, and medical content. New publishing models are emerging, blending print, e-books, and open access strategies.

3. Radio and Television: Multilingual and Multimedia

Radio Stations

Switzerland hosts 100 radio stations, including public (SRG SSR) and private broadcasters. A key feature: content is produced in all four national languages — German, French, Italian, and Romansh — making the radio landscape uniquely diverse.

TV Channels

With 46 television stations, Swiss broadcasting is broad and multilingual. Major networks like SRF, RTS, and RSI operate under SRG SSR and provide content across languages and regions. Increasingly, they are investing in streaming platforms, digital archives, and media libraries to reach younger audiences. Private regional stations like TeleZüri or TV24 complement the offering with local news and entertainment.

4. Digital Formats and Emerging Voices

Blogs, Podcasts, and Online Portals

Switzerland has a vibrant digital media culture, with 37 blogs, 12 podcasts, and 32 online portals. While the numbers may be smaller than in Germany, the content is often deep, high-quality, and highly specialized — particularly in politics, science, and environmental reporting.

Podcasts are increasingly seen as a natural extension of traditional media — offered by outlets like SRF or NZZ — but also as a space for new, younger voices discussing issues such as education, gender, or urban culture.

5. Music Labels, Communities, and Agencies

Music Labels

Switzerland is home to 22 music labels, many of which focus on electronic music, jazz, and Alpine folk genres. Labels like Mouthwatering Records or Quartz Records are known for their creative projects and growing international recognition.

Forums and Communities

With 13 forums and community platforms, the scene is modest but impactful. Many serve as academic or technical discussion spaces, often developed in collaboration with universities or research institutions. Topics range from energy and health to information technology.

Press Agencies

Switzerland has 9 press agencies, including the SDA – Swiss News Agency, the country’s primary newswire. Others provide specialized content in finance, science, or culture, serving both traditional media and digital platforms.

Conclusion: Diversity Across Language Borders and Digital Change

The Swiss media landscape in 2025 reflects the nation’s identity: multilingual, decentralized, independent — and facing the challenges of digitization, media consolidation, and economic pressures. The balance between regional journalism and global connectivity remains both a strength and a challenge.

Nevertheless, Switzerland’s media sector is remarkably resilient — not only in quantity, but in quality. It proves that even a small country can support a strong, diverse, and internationally respected media system.

In Switzerland, media diversity is not an aspiration — in 2025, it’s a democratic reality.

Overview: Media in Switzerland 2025

Media Type Total (DACH) In Switzerland
Blog64337
Forum / Community18613
Scientific Journal4,9481,118
Music Label / Record Label39722
Magazine / Journal6,738737
Newspaper / Online Newspaper1,663232
Podcast18612
Press Agency / News Portal1089
Publishing House4,155357
Radio Station664100
TV Broadcaster31446
Online Portal43032
Total20,4322,715
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The Austrian Media Landscape 2025 – Newspapers, Magazines, Radio Stations and More in Austria

10/10/2025 | by Patrick Fischer, M.Sc., Founder & Data Scientist: FDS

Diversity between Alps and Algorithms: A look at Austria's media in 2025

In 2025, Austria’s media landscape is evolving — digital, diverse, and deeply rooted in a tradition of quality journalism. With a total of 1,960 media outlets, Austria represents a vital part of the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), which together hosts 20,432 media entities.

The Austrian media scene reflects the dynamics of a small but media-savvy country — shaped by strong regional newspapers, specialized publishers, public broadcasters, digital pioneers, and independent platforms.

1. Print and Online Media: Tradition Meets Transformation

Magazines and Journals

With 806 titles, magazines and journals form the largest media category in Austria. This includes not only traditional consumer magazines like profil, trend, or News, but also a wide range of trade publications, cultural journals, and scientific magazines. Especially in Vienna, but also in Salzburg, Graz, and Tyrol, unique publications with regional or thematic focus are thriving.

Newspapers and Online News

Austria has 134 newspapers and online newspapers, many of which are strongly focused on local coverage. In addition to major national newspapers such as Die Presse, Der Standard, Kronen Zeitung, and Kurier, local titles like the Salzburger Nachrichten or Vorarlberger Nachrichten play a key role in informing the public.

The digital shift is in full effect: many editorial offices are using data journalism, personalized news apps, and subscription models to adapt to changing user behavior and funding challenges.

2. Science and Publishing: Knowledge at the Core

With 302 scientific journals and 367 publishers, Austria is a significant hub for academic publishing and knowledge dissemination. Universities and research institutions in cities like Vienna, Graz, and Innsbruck are key players in publishing peer-reviewed content and driving scholarly communication.

In addition, numerous small and specialized publishers — in areas such as medicine, law, or architecture — are innovating and remaining competitive through expertise and quality.

3. Radio and Television: Austria on Air

Radio

Austria hosts 67 radio stations, including the public broadcaster ORF with channels like Ö1, FM4, and Ö3, as well as numerous private and regional stations. Especially in rural areas, radio remains a vital source of information and entertainment.

Television

There are 44 TV broadcasters in Austria, including ORF and private stations such as ServusTV and Puls 4. Television is still one of the most widely consumed media, although the landscape is rapidly evolving: media libraries, video-on-demand, and streaming platforms are redefining how Austrians watch TV — across all age groups.

4. Digital Formats and Emerging Voices

Blogs, Podcasts, and Online Portals

Digitization has brought forth new formats in Austria. With 154 blogs, 9 podcasts, and 24 online portals, a creative and diverse media culture is growing — balancing journalism, activism, and community building.

Some blogs operate at a professional level, focusing on politics, the environment, or urban development. Podcasts in Austria are still developing compared to Germany, but notable formats like Besser leben (Der Standard) or Inside Austria are steadily growing their audience.

5. Agencies, Labels, and Industry Players

Press Agencies and News Portals

Austria has 8 registered press agencies, led by the Austria Press Agency (APA), the dominant player in delivering news, data, and multimedia content to media houses, public institutions, and private companies.

Music Labels

With 24 music and record labels, Austria may not be large in number, but its contribution — especially in the classical and indie sectors — is culturally significant. Creative music projects, particularly in Vienna and Linz, often operate at the intersection of art, journalism, and performance.

6. Forums, Communities, and Digital Niches

There are 21 forums and community platforms in Austria. Though relatively few, they are important venues for public discussion — often in the form of specialist forums, educational networks, or local online communities. These digital spaces encourage participation and strengthen civil society engagement.

Conclusion: Small Country, Big Media Impact

The Austrian media landscape in 2025 is marked by a remarkable density and diversity — particularly when compared to the size and population of the country. It bridges tradition and innovation, local relevance and global dialogue, print legacy and digital disruption.

Challenges such as media concentration, economic pressures, and disinformation remain present. But Austria’s media sector proves to be adaptable, creative, and indispensable — especially when it comes to upholding informed public discourse and democratic values.

In Austria, media diversity is not just an ideal — in 2025, it’s a lived reality.

Figures at a Glance: Media in Austria 2025

Media Type Total (DACH) In Austria
Blogs643154
Forum s/ Communities18621
Scientific Journals4,948302
Music Labels / Record Labels39724
Magazines / Journals6,738806
Newspapers / Online Newspapers1,663134
Podcast1869
Press Agencies / Press Portals1088
Publishing Houses4,155367
Radio Stations66467
TV Broadcasters31444
Online Portals43024
Total20,4321,960
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Content Marketing – Mass Job Losses Among Copywriters and Content Creators Due to AI

10/09/2025 | by Patrick Fischer, M.Sc., Founder & Data Scientist: FDS

Digitalization has transformed many professions over the past decades, but rarely has a shift been as rapid and disruptive as the one currently unfolding in content marketing. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) — particularly generative language models like GPT-4 and Google's Gemini — an entire profession is under threat: content writers, copywriters, and freelance authors are facing a wave of displacement. What was once considered essential creative work is now increasingly automated. A structural shake-up is underway — with far-reaching consequences for companies, agencies, and workers alike.

AI writes — faster, cheaper, and more scalable

The business case for AI in content marketing is hard to ignore: Artificial intelligence can generate SEO-optimized blog posts, product descriptions, newsletters, or social media captions within seconds — 24/7, without vacation, sick days, or minimum wage.

Take this example: where a human copywriter used to spend several hours on a well-researched blog article, an AI model like GPT-4o can generate multiple versions of the same topic in minutes. Tools like Jasper, Neuroflash, and Writesonic already offer “Content-as-a-Service” — often at a fraction of traditional costs.

According to a recent study by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), up to 40% of freelance content writers in Germany feel their livelihoods are threatened by AI. In the US and UK, the trend is even more pronounced, with major media companies having already laid off or significantly downsized their writing teams.

Layoffs, pay cuts, outsourcing

“I’ve worked as a freelance copywriter for over ten years for agencies and startups, but since early 2024, I’ve barely received any new assignments,” says Sandra K., a freelance writer from Hamburg. “Many clients now generate their texts with AI and only book an editor — if at all.”

Similar stories are emerging across the industry: permanent positions are being cut, freelancer rates slashed, or contracts canceled altogether. Entry-level and junior writers are particularly affected, as their typical tasks — simple product texts or social media captions — can now be almost entirely automated.

Major agencies like Jung von Matt and Serviceplan are already experimenting with AI systems for automated content creation. Meanwhile, companies are bringing content production in-house, as AI-driven tools have become easy enough for non-experts to use.

"Human creativity is irreplaceable" — or is it?

Supporters of human-written content argue that real creativity, empathy, and cultural nuance remain unique to humans. But technological advances in recent years are challenging that assumption.

AI-generated texts can now mimic tone, style, humor, emotion, and target group appeal with surprising accuracy. The line between human and machine-generated writing is becoming increasingly blurred — not just for readers, but also for editors and marketing professionals.

“We now let AI write about 70% of our blog content,” says Lisa Meier, head of content at an e-commerce company. “The quality is more than sufficient — and with a bit of editing, nobody can tell the difference.”

New roles, new opportunities — or just hot air?

While traditional writing jobs are declining, new roles are emerging around the use of AI in marketing: prompt designers, AI editors, content curators. But these new jobs require different skillsets — technical knowledge, data literacy, and strategic thinking. For many copywriters, the transition is difficult.

“The shift toward AI-supported work isn't inherently bad,” says labor market expert Dr. Jens Langenbach. “But we’re witnessing a massive restructuring: those who don’t retrain or specialize will be left behind.”

Educational institutions and industry associations are also under pressure: training programs for copywriters or online editors often feel outdated. AI proficiency, data analysis, and tool literacy should already be core curriculum — but the pace of institutional adaptation lags behind the technology itself.

Ethics, quality, and trust — where is content heading?

Beyond economic concerns, ethical and qualitative issues are also surfacing: Can we still trust AI-generated content? Who is responsible for misinformation, plagiarism, or biased language produced by machines?

Experts also warn of a looming “content inflation”: as every company begins using AI to produce vast amounts of content, attention for individual posts drops — and public trust in the credibility of online sources erodes.

“Content marketing risks becoming a soulless blend of sameness,” warns media ethicist Prof. Dr. Katharina Scholz. “That’s why we still need human curators who work with integrity, originality, and responsibility.”

Conclusion: An industry in transition — the end or a new beginning?

The mass job losses in content marketing are real — and accelerating. Artificial intelligence is transforming how we create, consume, and evaluate content. For many writers, this means reskilling, specializing, or saying goodbye to a once-creative and independent profession.

Yet the upheaval also creates opportunity. Those who understand AI tools, think strategically, and are willing to redefine their roles can still thrive in the new content ecosystem — perhaps even with more influence than before.

The question remains: In the future, will we still know — or even want to know — whether a piece of content was written by a human?

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The Media & PR-Database 2026

Media & PR Database 2026

The new media and PR database with 2026 with information on more than 20,000 newspaper, magazine and radio editorial offices and much more.

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