This document discusses reimagining magazine subscriptions. It analyzes current magazine purchasing trends and personas. It then explores ways to enhance the magazine subscription through improved loyalty programs, payment options, content delivery, and added membership benefits. Finally, it considers opportunities to better integrate print and digital content and optimize the magazine experience across multiple platforms and channels. The goal is to join together all aspects of the magazine medium to improve engagement as consumer behaviors continue evolving in the digital era.
6. Project methodology & background
The mag
sub in
context
YouGov
Survey
(2,000)
7 focus
groups
Dovetail
SSS
(145,000)
Publisher
research
7. Reimagining
the mag sub
The mag
sub in
context
Mapping
the RRM
world
Mapping
current mag
purchasing Enhancing
the mag
subscription
The B2B
dimension
Report structure
8. Reimagining
the mag sub
The mag
sub in
context
Mapping
the RRM
world
Mapping
current mag
purchasing Enhancing
the mag
subscription
The B2B
dimension
11. Reimagining
the mag sub
The mag
sub in
context
Mapping
the RRM
world
Mapping
current mag
purchasing Enhancing
the mag
subscription
The B2B
dimension
12. The magazine purchasing model
Magazine
Consumption
Content
Platform
Purchase
Channel
Repertoire
Flex
Magazine
Addiction
Subscription
Mentality
18. Magazine purchasing personas
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Mag Sub %
Age (% under 35)
Persona Magazine Spend
Print Zealots
Print Conservatives
121
Print Flexers
Print Dabblers
Digital Radicals
Digital Enhancers
Digital Experimenters
102
116
44 63
128
35
Older Younger
19. Magazine purchasing personas
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Mag Sub %
Age (% under 35)
Persona Magazine Spend
Print Zealots
Print Conservatives
121
Print Flexers
Print Dabblers
Digital Radicals
Digital Enhancers
Digital Experimenters
102
116
44 63
128
35
Older Younger
20. Magazine purchasing personas
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Mag Sub %
Age (% under 35)
Persona Magazine Spend
Print Zealots
Print Conservatives
121
Print Flexers
Print Dabblers
Digital Radicals
Digital Enhancers
Digital Experimenters
102
116
44 63
128
35
Older Younger
21. Magazine purchasing personas
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Mag Sub %
Age (% under 35)
Persona Magazine Spend
Print Zealots
Print Conservatives
121
Print Flexers
Print Dabblers
Digital Radicals
Digital Enhancers
Digital Experimenters
102
116
44 63
128
35
Older Younger
22. Reimagining
the mag sub
The mag
sub in
context
Mapping
the RRM
world
Mapping
current mag
purchasing Enhancing
the mag
subscription
The B2B
dimension
23. Unpacking the magazine subscription
Givens Enhancements Variables
Content quality Rewarding loyalty Title flexibility
Competitive pricing Payment options Membership
Easy cancellation Frictionless processes Gifting
Fast & faultless delivery Trial Content Atomisation
Fast problem resolution Added value
Control & personalisation
Subscription theatre
Content architecture
Ecommerce
25. Membership: who wants it?
Buyers Supporters Investors
Contract Club Community
• Core versus generic benefits.
• Understanding the real role of the brand.
• Magazines as benefits in a bigger club.
• Getting embedded in the “life-flow”
27. The overload cycle
• Shifting focus from front-end to in-service.
• Reacting in real time to overloads.
• Getting the benefits right.
• Fast & frictionless cancellation.
28. Reimagining
the mag sub
The mag
sub in
context
Mapping
the RRM
world
Mapping
current mag
purchasing Enhancing
the mag
subscription
The B2B
dimension
29. The B2B / Consumer interface
• The B2B magazine landscape
• Attitudes to work
• How B2B magazines have changed
• How B2B magazines are read
• What Consumer can learn from B2B
• What B2B can learn from Consumer
• Subscribing to B2B magazines
30. Reimagining
the mag sub
The mag
sub in
context
Mapping
the RRM
world
Mapping
current mag
purchasing Enhancing
the mag
subscription
The B2B
dimension
33. The magazine consumer’s purchase options
Content
Platform
Delivery
Channel
Commitment
Information
Unit
Payment
Print Retail Single Copy Issue Method
Digital
Home Delivery
Post
Retail home delivery
Ongoing
Open-ended
Fixed term
Article Frequency
Click & Co
(shop save)
Minimum
Information
Unit
Digital
Stream
Download
Flow of free (access-level) content
34. Reimagining
the mag sub
The mag
sub in
context
Mapping
the RRM
world
Mapping
current mag
purchasing Enhancing
the mag
subscription
The B2B
dimension
35. Understanding the magazine now
• Understanding buying as deeply as reading
• Tracking readers’ changing digital activity
• Understanding the role of the magazine brand
• Mapping the multiples
• Preparing for the Digital Jump
36. Following the global RRM trends
• From front-end choice to in-service control
• From lock-in to satisfaction
• From subscription to membership
• Free as a pathway to paid
• Maximising the multiples
37. Optimising the existing assets
• Joining up the dots
Print + digital
Retail + direct
Reading + buying
• Moving from bolt-on to rebuild
• Maintaining quality in every dimension
• Owning the complete magazine experience
• Tailoring offers & models
41. 4 key challenges
Balancing Retro & Relic
The loyalty timebomb
The smartphone opportunity
Breaking through the noise
42. Some practical suggestions
• Break down the internal silos
• Take everything apart & then reassemble it
• Develop a deeper understanding of the end user
• Segment and automate everything possible
• Rethink what “customer service” really means
• Build partnerships
• Watch Amazon and grocery retail