War in Ukraine, energy crisis, inflation, recession – just a year ago, we could not have imagined anything like this. Coping with the speed at which everything is changing, makes for the most significant economic challenge of our time. At the same time, speed is a crucial success factor now and in the near future. The central theme of the ninth edition of TWELVE, the Serviceplan Group’s magazine for brands, media, and communication, is therefore: “Speed! The winning factor in the digital age”. Guest authors such as Joachim Gauck, Sascha Lobo, Dr Jens Thiemer, Marianne Bullwinkel, Ana Ivanović and Bastian Schweinsteiger, as well as the artistic design by the internationally renowned photo artist Thomas Ruff, once again make TWELVE an inspiring review of the year for the brand, media, and communications industry.

Munich, 1 February 2023 — TWELVE, Serviceplan Group’s multi-award-winning, annual corporate publishing magazine, is designed to serve as a review of the year for the brand, media, and communication industry. The current, ninth edition, deals with the subject of speed as a success factor. Because not being left behind has become the most urgent and predominating task for companies and brands. The ability to adapt to new circumstances in a fast-forward mode will be paramount to success in the years to come.

What does the high tempo of our time mean for corporate and brand management? How can companies succeed in picking up the necessary speed in all areas, reducing reaction times, and accelerating processes? And, do you really always have to be among the fastest? In twelve chapters, correspondent to the twelve months of a year, personalities who have accompanied the Serviceplan Group over the past year, present helpful insights, surprising perspectives, and specific recommendations on relevant topics and megatrends such as speed management, Metaverse, hybrid work, new business rules, as well as social speed.

The guest authors include personalities, experts, and creative people such as ifo President Prof. Clemens Fuest, Germany’s former Federal President Joachim Gauck, the former ZDF anchorman Prof. Claus Kleber, “RTL Aktuell” host Charlotte Maihoff, internet visionary Sascha Lobo, Sixt Co-CEO Alexander Sixt, the Sales Director, Media & Professional Services at Microsoft Germany Annette Green, Ravensburger CEO Clemens Maier, RMS CEO Marianne Bullwinkel, the Senior Vice President Customer and BMW Brand at BMW Group Dr Jens Thiemer, Douglas DACH CEO Nicole Nitschke, Bosch’s Head of Marketing Boris Dolkhani, or the power couple of professional sports Ana Ivanović and Bastian Schweinsteiger. Experts from the Serviceplan Group’s Houses of Communication are also represented in TWELVE.

TWELVE as Total Art

Digitalization is the motor of rapid change – also in the art world. In order to make the main theme of the issue visible in the artistic design of TWELVE as well, the Serviceplan Group decided this year to work with the internationally renowned photography artist Thomas Ruff. His works fascinate with their unique blend of artistic world-views and the latest digital technology. The result is a catalogue magazine that innovatively combines editorial content and the work of an artist. Visually, the two categories are clearly separated. The magazine section, which consists of twelve chapters, is kept in black and white, while the art catalogue passages distributed across the entire TWELVE are designed in colour.

Florian Haller, CEO, Serviceplan Group: “We live in a high-speed age. Brands have to convey security, reliability, and soundness on one hand, and be agile enough to adapt to new situations on the other. I also see it as a task for our agency group to have our finger on the pulse of the times – be it on the subject of work culture, new technological developments, or digital transformation. The realisation that digitalization is not only the strongest driver of rapid change, but also the most important tool for being able to keep up with it, runs like a common thread through this highly inspiring TWELVE issue”.

You can find the current TWELVE e-paper here.

About TWELVE

The name TWELVE refers to the twelve months of a year, as well as to the twelve chapters of the magazine, each of which is associated with a currently relevant megatrend in the communications industry. In articles and interviews, well-known personalities provide insights into their thoughts on these topics. Experts from the Serviceplan Group explain the most significant current developments in brand communications within each subject area and introduce innovative projects. In addition to the individuality of the content, the design of TWELVE should also serve as an inspiration. This is why each issue is created together with an artist who designs the chapter’s beginning pages and the cover.

Since the first edition in 2015, every year has TWELVE been honoured with the “Red Dot Award: Communication Design”, and since 2018, with Fox Awards too. The seventh edition, featuring the artwork by Jonathan Meese, also received two gold awards at BCM Best of Content Marketing, silver at the LIA Awards, bronze at ADC Germany, and ADC 100th, and another bronze at the CommAwards. Last year’s edition with artwork by Stephan Balkenhol received two silver awards at BCM Best of Content Marketing.

The edition of the annual magazine is limited, and is sent to important national and international contacts of the Serviceplan Group. The 2023 edition (German and English) amounts to 7,000 copies.