Hamburg/Berlin/Munich/Cologne, 08/11/2020

Bertelsmann Content Alliance Sustainability Weeks

As part of the European Sustainability Week scheduled for September, Bertelsmann Content Alliance companies in Germany will spotlight the topic of nutrition under the heading “Packen wir’s an – für verantwortungsvolles Essen” (“Let’s Do It – Responsible Eating). Mediengruppe RTL, UFA, RTL Radio, Verlagsgruppe Random House, and G+J will focus on food and sustainable nutrition.

The companies that comprise the Bertelsmann Content Alliance reach just about everyone in Germany with their media. They are now pooling this media power once again under the slogan “Packen wir’s an” (Let’s do it) to encourage people to embrace a sustainable and conscious lifestyle in the future. As part of next month’s Sustainability Weeks, the broadcasters and brands of Mediengruppe RTL, UFA, RTL Radio, Verlagsgruppe Random House, and Gruner + Jahr will spotlight the topic of nutrition under the slogan “Packen wir’s an – für verantwortungsvolles Essen” (“Let’s Do It – Responsible Eating).

Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland channels and platforms will focus on food and sustainable nutrition during the week of September 7 to 13. Among other things, as part of its news and magazine programs, RTL will broadcast a daily installment of a series with Maik Meuser created for the week, in which the “RTL Aktuell” presenter, together with TV chef Roland Trettl, highlight the problems of food waste. Vox will also be supporting the themed week, e.g. in two themed documentaries featuring photographer and animal welfare activist Robert Marc Lehmann on Saturday, September 12. G+J will use its brands’ broad range of topics to provide multifaceted coverage of sustainability in print and online. The publisher will also highlight sustainable, responsible nutrition in cover stories, specials, themed digital weeks, and podcast content.

UFA will incorporate the topics of sustainability, nutrition, and food waste into the storylines of the RTL daily soaps “Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten,” “Unter uns,” and “Alles was zählt.” Verlagsgruppe Random House is giving its “Essen wie Stromberg” podcast the slogan “Waste less!” in September. In the month’s four weekly episodes, author and top chef Holger Stromberg will give tips on sustainable shopping, preserving food, and climate-friendly cooking. “Essen wie Stromberg” is produced by the Audio Alliance and is available for streaming and download on Audio Now. The RTL Radio Deutschland stations 105’5 Spreeradio, 104.6 RTL, JAM FM, Radio Brocken, 89.0 RTL, and Antenne Niedersachen will provide detailed information on the topic of food waste and support the coverage on the stations’ homepages and social media sites.

“The Bertelsmann Content Alliance has a voice in this country,” says Julia Jäkel, CEO Gruner + Jahr and Chair of the Bertelsmann Content Alliance Board. “We regularly use it to fulfil our responsibility to society. This time, we are using our media power and reach to report in detail on the important topic of nutrition and food waste.”

Stephan Schäfer, Chief Content Officer Mediengruppe RTL, Chief Product Officer Gruner + Jahr, adds: “We would like to build on the great success of the last Sustainability Weeks and establish ‘Packen wir’s an!’ as an enduring label under which the Bertelsmann Content Alliance companies will highlight various key topics relating to a sustainable management of the future. We are already planning future themed weeks with various focus topics that are socially relevant and concern people in their everyday lives.”