A New Digital Voice for Berlin’s Economy

How IHK Berlin and THE BRETTINGHAMS built a modern digital publishing experience for Berliner Wirtschaft

Headquarter

Germany

Industries

Print Media

Project Type

Relaunch

Project Focus

User Centric Design, Accessibility, Editor centric

In this story

Introduction
Challenge
Key Outcomes
Work Performed
Outcome
Gallery & Features
Behind the project

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Introduction

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Berlin (IHK Berlin) expanded its long- running print magazine Berliner Wirtschaft with a dedicated digital publishing platform based on TYPO3. Berliner Wirtschaft Online complements the print edition with its own editorial focus, modern workflows, and a magazine-style digital experience tailored to Berlin’s diverse economic landscape.

The Berliner Wirtschaft project took first place in the News, Media and Publishing category at the 2025 TYPO3 awards.

Challenge

Before the relaunch, the magazine was distributed via print and eBook formats, relying on manual production processes. The editorial team needed a real digital publishing workflow that would increase reach and online visibility, deliver fast performance for a broad readership, and integrate seamlessly into other IHK services. At the same time, the platform needed a layout that feels like a magazine but behaves like the web. Strategically, the relaunch aimed to strengthen Berliner Wirtschaft as a leading digital voice of Berlin’s economy.

Key Outcomes

Award-Winning Relaunch

This project won a 2025 TYPO3 award in the category of News, Media and Publishing.

Modernized Editorial Workflows

Automated processes and structured TYPO3 workflows streamlined production and empowered a newsroom of more than 20 editors.

Expanded Digital Reach

The new platform significantly increased online visibility and reach, extending Berliner Wirtschaft beyond print to a broader digital readership.

Performance & Visibility from Day One

Sub-1-second load times and strong SEO foundations delivered measurable visibility gains immediately after launch.

Work Performed

THE BRETTINGHAMS designed and implemented a TYPO3-based publishing platform that supports modern editorial workflows and scalable content distribution.

Technology & Architecture
The platform is built around a TYPO3-based editorial workflow with refined user roles and flexible content types for articles, columns, data stories, and multimedia. Articles are distributed via JSON/OpenAPI to additional IHK channels, supported by SEO optimization and strong Lighthouse scores. The website is fully accessibility-compliant and has been reviewed and verified by an external consultant.

UX & Design
A mobile-first design system provides a clear structure, bold typography, and interactive data modules. Editorial browse paths improve readership orientation and support a magazine-style reading experience optimized for the web.

Editorial Empowerment
The backend is optimized for a newsroom of more than 20 editors and includes automated metadata, reading-time indicators, and structured article templates that streamline daily editorial work.

Outcome

The digital relaunch significantly increased reach, modernized the editorial process, and positioned IHK Berlin as a progressive communicator within Germany’s economic landscape.