play digital puzzles in waiting rooms
While our paper puzzles continue to entertain millions of puzzle players each year, Keesing is always looking for new, innovative ways to add digital games, apps and more to our product line. And our Germany team’s success story features their exciting new digital partnership with sharemagazines.
When you visit the hair salon, a hotel, or waiting room at the doctor or hospital, it’s common to see a stack of paper magazines that many others have already read or flipped through. And many of them are often out of date.
By integrating our most up-to-date puzzles into sharemagazines’ digital entertainment platform, customers, guests or patients can complete crossword puzzles, Swedish puzzles and a large selection of Sudoku puzzles using their own smartphone or tablet.
What is sharemagazines?
sharemagazines is a digital, hygienic and timely platform that offers a wide selection of magazines and newspapers that you can read on any smartphone or tablet. Hairdressers, doctors or hotel owner subscribe to sharemagazines so their customers, guests or patients can read their favorite magazines or newspapers for free. And since December, Keesing puzzles with the widely-recognised Megastar brand have been added to the menu for German puzzle enthusiasts to play at various locations.
“Along with my two co-founders, we launched sharemagazines in 2014,” explains Jan van Ahrens, CEO. “We were in university together, studying business economics and sustainability, when we realized that digital magazines had great potential in hair salons, dental and doctor offices, and leisure centers like hotel chains. We currently have more than 900 newspapers and magazines from 150 publishers in our portfolio.”
“It’s an ideal partnership for Keesing to incorporate our digital puzzles into the platform,” says Fabian Beich, Head of Operations for Keesing Germany. “It was easy to set up and users just need to scan a QR code or download the app, and within a few minutes they can start to play a puzzle.”
A great response
In a short time, the new digital puzzle service has met with very positive results. “We’ve had a great response from hospitals, who are asking for Sudokus and other popular games,” says Jan.
“Looking ahead, we’re working with Jan to keep expanding into growing markets, such as the hospitality industry, as well as adding additional languages to the games besides our core language of German,” says Fabian.
“With sharenmagazines, we offer a contemporary and user-friendly way to enjoy puzzles in various formats. Thanks to our combination of many years of puzzle expertise with the digital expertise of sharemagazines, we create a unique experience for all puzzle fans.”
For more information: www.sharemagazines.de
From left to right: Jan van Ahrens, CEO (sharemagazines GmbH); Fabian Beich, Head of Operations, Keesing Germany; and Götz Spielhagen, Director of Content (sharemagazines GmbH)