New-look MC aktiv premieres

Modern, reader-friendly, aesthetically appealing and informative – the September issue of MC-Bauchemie's magazine has now been published with a new design, a new structure, more pages and a broader mix of topics. Entitled ‘Climate-kind concrete’, the lead feature of this first new issue focuses on building a sustainable future. The magazine also contains a number of engaging reports on current projects, plus news on events, products and the people who make MC tick.
Time for a redesign

The last facelift undergone by MC aktiv magazine occurred seven years ago. And its basic layout has actually been around now for almost 15 years. “So it was time for us to develop a new conceptual approach to our magazine,” states Nicolaus Müller, Managing Director of MC-Bauchemie, who is also responsible for Marketing & Communication. “Our aim was to make MC aktiv not just more modern, magazine-like, reader-friendly and informative, but also more entertaining and varied,” adds Saki M. Moysidis, Head of PR & Communication at MC-Bauchemie and managing editor of MC aktiv. A new content structure, a stronger connection with the current corporate design of MC-Bauchemie in print and on the website, as well as enhanced linkage between print and online were all part of the project.
Concept by Bochum-based agency wins through

We invited pitches from four agencies in the spring of this year and ultimately chose the design and concept proposed by Bochum-based Iventos as the most impressive,” Nicolaus Müller and Saki M. Moysidis agree. As part of the novel concept, the page count was increased to 20 and new sections such as ‘Big Picture’, ‘Inspiration’ and ‘Sustainability’ were created, complemented by a modern, more reader-friendly and aesthetically appealing layout. The ‘In-Company’ section with co-worker portraits, new and promoted employees and reports on internal activities has also been expanded to two pages.
Modern, magazine-like and reader-friendly make-up

Thanks to the balanced use of image and text elements within a clear structural framework, the design radiates calm while effectively guiding the reader through the publication. The new typography and left-justified composition are more user-friendly and thus offer a better reading experience. The accentuated use of MC-Bauchemie’s corporate blue highlights important elements such as headlines, quotes and info boxes, thus also ensuring improved reader guidance.

“The front cover now has just one image, generating greater eye-catching quality so as to attract more attention to the lead feature. The aim is to provide a visual ‘hook’ that immediately generates a desire in the reader to find out more,” explains Nicolaus Müller. A dominant design element, and one which also features on the front cover, is the surrounding white border. Repeated on almost every page, it forms an elegant frame around the content area, helping to ensure high recognition value. This concept is deliberately breached in the case of the new regular features ‘Inspiration’ and ‘Sustainability’ in order to highlight these topics and distinguish them more clearly from the others. Here the white border is replaced by one in MC blue and one in ‘environmental’ green respectively.
Informative, personal and accessible

Further innovations include photos of key contacts under the respective articles, plus extensive references to further information and videos on the webpages and the YouTube channel of MC-Bauchemie. “Our aim here is both to offer our readers even more useful information and inspiration, and to underline the commitment to personal interaction for which we at MC are known,” explains editor-in-chief Saki M. Moysidis.

Despite the many new aspects introduced, however, it was clear from the outset that the ‘MC aktiv’ banner needed to be retained. “The brand is firmly established in the minds of our readers and underlines the fact that the magazine reports on MC-related activities,” says Nicolaus Müller, “so there was no reason for any revamp there.” Summarising the benefits, Saki M. Moysidis explains: “With the new MC aktiv, we continue to provide our readers with informative project reports and news, but with a more colourful mix of topics, even more added value and perhaps a little entertainment along the way. The new format also shows our readers the people behind each story and makes our magazine even more personal and accessible.”
Natural and climate-neutral

The new approach is underscored by the choice of paper for the print – Magno Volume from Sappi. It combines high volume with a natural and pleasant feel and a delightful printed image. The paper bears the FSC seal, which means that only timber from forests that are responsibly and sustainably managed is used in its production.

Moreover, the new MC aktiv is produced with climate-neutrality as a prerequisite. MC-Bauchemie offsets the CO₂ emissions that inevitably arise during production through support of a Climate Partner climate protection project in Germany. For further information, go to: https://www.climatepartner.com

About MC aktiv

MC aktiv, the company magazine published by MC-Bauchemie, comes out three times a year in German and English with a print run of 10,000 copies. It regularly goes to some 5,000 customers and partners in the D-A-CH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) region, as well as to the employees of MC-Bauchemie. The remaining copies are distributed to MC-Bauchemie's sites around the world and laid out at the various MC events that take place. MC aktiv is also translated into Brazilian Portuguese, Polish and Czech and distributed in the respective countries by the relevant local organisations.
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Saki M. Moysidis, Head of PR & Communication