Press Release | Gütersloh, 04/01/2022

New Bertelsmann Annual Report Tells Story of Dynamic Growth

• Interactive Annual Report 2021 now available online
• Leitmotif: “Boost” – A growth booster for Bertelsmann
• Highlights from the divisions and digital bonus content illustrate strategic priorities

Gütersloh, April 1, 2022 – The new 2021 Annual Report of Bertelsmann, the international media, services, and education company, is now available online. It centers on the Group’s strategy and the growth momentum it has triggered. Under the leitmotif “Bertelsmann Boost,” the Annual Report provides an overview of the progress made on the company’s growth priorities, in particular the establishment and expansion of national media champions and the expansion of Bertelsmann’s global content businesses and global services.

“The contents and design of the latest Annual Report are focused entirely on the theme of growth,” says Karin Schlautmann, Head of Bertelsmann’s Corporate Communications. “Both the term ‘Boost’ and the creative implementation of our leitmotif in the image section make the progress of our growth strategy visible. The online report once again offers numerous extras such as videos, links and reading samples.”

A key graphic element of the 2021 Annual Report are colorful animations in an amplitude-like design that reflects the company’s growth and diversity. The amplitude look is particularly evident in the specially designed “Boost” logo, but also arises from a wide variety of photo motifs, creating movement throughout the report.

The Annual Report consists of two sections: the image section and the financial section. While the financial section provides transparent and detailed information about the figures for the past fiscal year, the image section presents highlights from Bertelsmann’s seven divisions, along the Group’s strategic priorities. The stories take a look at, e.g., the merger of RTL and Gruner + Jahr into the national cross-media champion RTL Deutschland, Fremantle’s growth with international film productions, and new artist signings, catalog purchases and growth initiatives at BMG. Other topics include the high global demand for Arvato’s services, innovations at Bertelsmann Printing Group, the significantly heightened demand for online education at Bertelsmann Education Group and the vibrant activities of Bertelsmann Investments’ various funds.

The interactive annual report can be found at https://ar2021.bertelsmann.com  . It also includes a video trailer on the “Boost” story, which is additionally being shown on the Group’s website and social media channels.

About Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann is a media, services and education company that operates in about 50 countries around the world. It includes the entertainment group RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the music company BMG, the service provider Arvato, the Bertelsmann Printing Group, the Bertelsmann Education Group and Bertelsmann Investments, an international network of funds. The company has 145,000 employees and generated revenues of €18.7 billion in the 2021 financial year. Bertelsmann stands for creativity and entrepreneurship. This combination promotes first-class media content and innovative service solutions that inspire customers around the world. Bertelsmann aspires to achieve climate neutrality by 2030.