In our interview, product manager Dennis Spitzhorn from Spotlight Verlag talks about language learning via app, the new requirements of learners and the steady expansion of the digital portfolio.
PMX: We look forward to welcoming you as a customer! Just introduce us to the spotlight publishing house and your publications.
DS: For over 35 years, our publishing house publishes magazines for readers who love the culture of the respective linguistic area and want to improve their language skills. “Besser mit Sprachen ” – is what our publishing house stands for with its six magazines in five languages (English, French, Spanish, Italian and German). As much as they differ in terms of identity, image language or tonality, it combines a unique mixture of quality journalism and didactics: travel reports, features or columns are combined in all the magazine with exercises on grammar, vocabulary and learning comprehension.
PMX: There are now many different platforms, software and apps with which one can easily learn languages. Some of those are even free of charge. What distinguishes your offer from other portals and what do your readers appreciate about your publications?
DS: Our products require the reader to have a certain knowledge of the respective language, not just about teaching a basic vocabulary or learning simple grammar rules. With the language magazines and the associated audio products, our readers can immerse themselves deeply in the way of life, the culture and everyday life of the respective language area – and continuously improve their language skills.
PMX: To what extent have users’ needs changed to language learning? What new challenges do these expectations entail?
DS: An important point is surely the self-determined learning: when, where and to what extent someone wants to deal with a new language are questions that many language learners would like to answer individually for themselves. Given this fact, it was important to us to enable our customers to also use our content online.
PMX:What has caused you to now offer your publications digitally and in your own apps? What requirements should they meet?
DS: The apps are an ideal addition to our existing digital product range. The focus for us lies on creating value for our existing customers, for instance through the integrated lecture notes which are spoken by native speakers. We also want to give our readers the opportunity to use our products anytime and anywhere. Whether physically as a printed booklet, online in the browser or in the app on the smartphone.
PMX: Why did you choose PressMatrix?
DS: It was important for us, for instance, to offer our existing subscribers the opportunity to use their already acquired digital content in the app. Due to the direct connection to our customer database, this is now possible without any problems. The time factor was also important: thanks to the excellent collaboration with PressMatrix, we could bring our six kiosk apps from conception to launch in just three months.
Kiosk apps are an interesting channel for digital retailing.
PMX: What challenges could you master with our digital publishing solution?
DS: Through the convenient backend of the PressMatrix solution, we could integrate the complete digital creation process for the content of the apps well into our current production process.
PMX: Could you already increase your digital turnover?
DS: Kiosk apps are an interesting channel for digital retailing: we could see an increase in sales in the first three months after the app launch. Our app “Deutsch perfekt”, which addresses German learners worldwide now has, for instance, even more readers in Italy, Spain and North America.
PMX: In addition to the magazine apps, you are still running the e-commerce site sprachenshop.de and the free rating test sprachtest.de. Are you planning more digital projects in the future?
DS: The consistent expansion of our digital portfolio is very important to us: we are currently revising the six magazine websites which offer our readers additional reading, listening and practicing opportunities. From September to December of this year, we will present them in five languages step by step. We also recently launched our free “Wort des Tages” apps – with interesting vocabulary and words in English, French, Spanish, Italian and German. And for next year we have already planned another exciting digital product.
PMX: Finally another personal question: How many languages do you speak? And would you like to learn another one in the future?
DS: I speak fluent English and have basic knowledge in French and Italian.
It is important for me to stay up to date and to use my language skills on a regular basis. Fortunately, there are many opportunities in both, the professional and the private context. Spotlight, Adesso and Écoute help me very much.
PMX: Thank you for the interview!
For more information about PressMatrix’s Spotlight apps, please visit our Blog.
