Subscriber Data ‘Opens Up New Opportunities for Firms’

The digitization of society has given newspapers a unique opportunity to connect with their readers.

More publications are changing their subscription models to cater for the growing demand for digital content.

Much has been made of the growing importance of big data, but how does this affect newspapers?

According to the Online Publishers Association (OPA), the vast amount of information being generated through online subscriptions will make life much easier for businesses.

OPA president Pam Horan said 95 per cent of the organization’s members now have a paid subscription strategy and this is helping to generate revenue, attract a younger audience and enhance advertisement sales.

She suggested the success of paywalls “illustrates the deep engagement consumers have with content” and also highlights their willingness to pay for quality material.

Referring to the customer information that newspapers have at their disposal, Ms Horan added: “First-party subscriber data has opened up a wealth of opportunities for our members to better serve their consumers and advertisers.

“This includes delivering relevant content to subscribers while offering advertisers compelling ways to create deeper connections with the right readers.”

As part of its latest report, the OPA spoke to senior figures at a number of renowned publications, including The Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Conde Nast and Harvard Business Review, among others.

Jocelyn Cripps – Executive Vice President of The Financial Times – said data is now at the heart of the organization, while Michael Rolnick, Chief Digital Officer at The Wall Street Journal, suggested the firm has been inspired by Amazon, which spends a lot of time acquiring new customers and then puts a similar amount of effort into keeping them engaged.

Of course, digital subscriptions are a relatively new phenomenon for a lot of publications, which is why many newspapers choose to adopt MPP Global’s eSuite platform.

MPP Global has a history of helping large corporations make the transition from print to online, with our advanced customer management system enabling firms to keep all of their subscription data in one centralized hub.