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Personalisation

“INMA Knows” is a content surfacing project designed to personally curate all association resources on a single subject of high interest to INMA members

Introduction

Personalisation creates a high-bar expectation for automated one-on-one consumer and advertiser experiences via Web sites. Yet among media companies that have invested heavily, personalisation has fallen short of expectations in lieu of smarter and smarter segmentation. Here are news brands pushing the edge of personalisation to grow subscriptions, reader engagement, and advertising sales.

Dawn McMullan

— Dawn McMullan, INMA

Exclusive INMA material on “Personalisation”

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JAMES - Your Digital Butler Driving Subscription Growth Using AI

“JAMES, your digital butler” is an AI technology developed collaboratively by The Times and Twipe. During a 1-year project, a team of 20 people over 3 countries worked on building JAMES.  JAMES served over 100,000 subscribers of The Times with individualised newsletters compiled from the content of ...

01 March 2020

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Ringier Axel Springer increases user engagement with focus on automation

A Webinar for INMA members looked at the automation and personalisation journey at Onet, one of Ringier Axel Springer’s news publishers, diving into six key learnings.

02 September 2020

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Aller Media achieves personalisation and monetisation with its own system, Xavier

Aller Media developed its own personalisation system, Xavier, which drives subscriptions and allows Aller to personalise its Web site pages in real time.

19 July 2020

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Using machine learning-enabled personalisation and dynamic paywall to engage readers and win subscribers

Objectives: Grow subscriptions with dynamic paywall and targeted activations Increase engagement through serving personalised content and targeted activations Make best use of newsrooms’ work and ensure that our readers get content that matters most to them We achieve these through three components ...

01 March 2020

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How BBC is creating voice-first news to meet audience needs

The BBC led INMA members through a Webinar discussing the company's journey into experimenting with voice technology to reach more audiences.

30 September 2020

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Five subtle, not creepy ways to recommend content

Media companies can use push notifications, recommendation widgets, and personalised messages to drive audience engagement without worrying readers about privacy concerns.

11 February 2020

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How in 18 months OneRoof became the #2 property platform in NZ through smart personalisation

New Zealander’s were having to use multiple websites to complete their property purchase and turn their dreams of owning a home, into a reality. This was the key insight to help us identify the market opportunity for OneRoof - a property platform with information, tools, analytics, market commentary ...

01 March 2020

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A deep dive into Athletic’s seemingly solid growth strategy

This 2016 start-up has 600,000 online subscribers, expects to turn a profit this year, and has hired away some of the best sports reporters from the United States and United Kingdom because it pays better. Here is at a look at how the audience, content, and revenue strategies work together.

29 January 2020

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CNN 411 provides coronavirus information and local resources

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, CNN created a platform to provide personalised information for readers and give them access to local resources.

29 June 2020

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Are Customer Data Platforms worth the investment?

An INMA Webinar takes a deep dive into Consumer Data Platforms, sharing what works and what doesn't at The Economist, Dow Jones, and MittMedia.

18 September 2019

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Research: Readers are concerned personalised news keeps them in content silos

Despite all the excitement over curating personalised content, research indicates readers may not want or like it. What place does personalised news have in this environment?

04 August 2019

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Mediahuis, Tamedia share data-driven strategies that grow subscriptions

Nicolas Baumgartner, product and pricing manager at Tamedia in Switzerland, and Trui Lanckriet, group data and insights director at Mediahuis in Belgium, explain how user analytics are helping them grow digital subscriptions.

21 March 2023

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Traditional media’s social mission, inability to personalise pit us against tech giants

Traditional media’s inability to keep up with the benefits of automation and technology is one of the main reasons they are losing so much to the tech giants.

20 March 2023

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VK Media’s personalisation platform increases click-through-rates for super-local users

With Powerpuff, VK Media wanted to develop a personalisation platform to highlight certain content for interested users, ensuring no user misses out on any article relevant to them.

28 February 2023

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BBC product manager shares how automation, AI can help media reach fragmented audiences

As the forms of news media distribution continue to be disrupted, emerging tools from generative AI and automation can provide solutions to help news publishers like the BBC serve fragmented audiences.

22 February 2023

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News media’s future involves the intersection of personalisation, relevancy, the rise of AI

AI models are becoming more popular, but the complicated programmes are not necessary for publishers just getting started on personalisation.

20 February 2023

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African media companies are harnessing change with personalisation, local content

During this week's Webinar, Dr. Anderson Uvie-Emegbo, chair of the INMA Africa Advisory Committee, addressed some specific challenges and opportunities facing African news media companies.

16 February 2023

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There is still a lot media product teams can learn from tech

What can news media companies learn from Artifact, a new product from the founders of Instagram? And what genius marketing e-mail did Netflix send its members this week?

07 February 2023

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Badische Zeitung uses local newsletters to build reader habits

German newspaper Badische Zeitung publishes a highly automated personalised newsletter to maximise media time and loyalty. This newsletter, which goes to 175,000 readers, has become a vital tool to grow the subscriber base.

05 February 2023

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News Corp Australia personalises news with state-based mastheads

When News Corp Australia prepared to transition from standalone local and community Web sites to state-based digital masthead, it crafted a thoughtful strategy to minimise the risk of churn.

23 January 2023

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What are the media industry’s product priorities for 2023?

This year, the INMA Product Initiative will focus on innovative content formats, personalisation, and managing product and tech. Also, four product-related areas to watch in 2023.

10 January 2023

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The Courier increases engagement with 3 experimental, personalised subscriber e-mail updates

The Courier tested a personalised e-mail update for subscribers to increase overall engagement, which led to fully integrating the e-mail into onboarding campaigns as a subscriber benefit.

02 January 2023

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How to create a great content experience with fragmented news sources

During Wednesday's Webinar, INMA Product Initiative Lead Jodie Hopperton led a discussion about how product and newsrooms can work together to reach users in an increasingly digital environment.

14 December 2022

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Reader acceptance of ad-supported video opens door for personalised content

Creating dynamic video ad content for local markets is becoming easier and faster every day.

13 December 2022

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Personalise content, choose relevant channels to reach Gen Z

Gen Z’s unique characteristics require news publishers to tailor their content and outreach strategies to attract this particular audience.

28 November 2022

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Schibsted’s live content strategy creates a better journey for subscribers

Schibsted found a way to provide relevant, up-to-date content for subscribers through API-powered content feeds and created a better overall journey for users.

27 November 2022

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78% of consumers are loyal to brands that treat them as individuals

A data-driven content strategy focused on personalisation can encourage more readers to become loyal subscribers.

21 November 2022

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Personalisation has a strong influence on product, newsroom decisions at media companies

During the final of five modules of the INMA Product and Data for Media Summit, executives from News Corp Australia, Schibsted, and Bayerischer Rundfunk talk about new products developed to meet the audience need for personalisation.

17 November 2022

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Approaching personalisation as digital transformation project

INMA Presentation File

17 November 2022

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Personalisation: Wins, road bumps, and learnings

INMA Presentation File

17 November 2022

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Using data in product development

INMA Presentation File

10 November 2022

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Editorial teams can relax about personalisation and here’s why

Personalisation involves three things: selection, judgment, and ranking. Human editors and automated algorithms each bring to something to these elements, which means both are necessary.

07 November 2022

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Top product trends 2022

INMA Presentation File

03 November 2022

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Público boosts conversion, retention with space for reader interaction with company

Público’s Área de Leitor is a private area allowing a subscriber or a registrant to autonomously manage their relationship with Público’s newspaper.

23 October 2022

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Graham Media Group engages audience through comments and community

Graham Media Group changed the traditional approach of broadcast television and began listening to its audience to nurture a one-on-one relationship. Now, it is engaging users and enjoying more growth and participation.

19 October 2022

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Driving acquisitions with behavioral modelling for audience segmentation, personalisation of offers

INMA Presentation File

11 October 2022

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Weather-related ads show power of contextual advertising

With cookies disappearing, contextual advertising can be a great differentiator for local news publishers as part of a next-generation advertising strategy.

06 October 2022

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News publishers need to look at audiences from multiple angles

Publishers can utilise audience segmentation methods to better understand users and provide dynamic and personalised experiences that maximise subscriber conversion, retention, and revenue per user.

02 October 2022

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New INMA report offers personalisation primer for news media companies

INMA Product Initiative Lead Jodie Hopperton has written INMA’s latest strategic report, “Best Personalisation Practices for News Media.” It is a must-read for leadership and product teams finding their way through the processes and strategies of personalisation, and features international case studies worth following.

29 September 2022

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Gannett onboarding + active personalisation increase engagement

Nicole Dingess, vice president/product, design, and UX at Gannett, shares an update on what the U.S. media company is doing around user experience and personalisation.

26 September 2022

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AI-based personalised experiences for Mediahuis digital channels

INMA Presentation File

14 September 2022

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How smart predictions, personalised notifications make analytics into ideal assistant in every newsroom

INMA Presentation File

14 September 2022

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How we personalised experience for super local users

INMA Presentation File

14 September 2022

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Digital subscription trends, successes at Washington Post

INMA Presentation File

13 September 2022

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Product teams need these 5 priorities to succeed

Personalisation and going big are key to news media company growth.

07 September 2022

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Is Apple News an option for local news publishers?

Offering content in Apple and monetising through directly sold, personalised ads is a good method for distribution and market building for local publishers.

31 August 2022

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Content recommendation supports subscriber growth for 3 conversion segments

News publishers tend to focus on converting logged-in users to subscribers with expensive paywalls, aggressive marketing campaigns, and discounted prices. But this leaves other key conversion groups on the table.

21 August 2022

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4-step process keeps readers engaged, increasing ad revenue

News media companies can keep readers on their platform longer, and thus help advertisers, by providing a customised user experience and adding a layer of smart segmentation.

14 August 2022

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Media companies should ask these 4 questions about personalisation

From how personalisation is measured to balancing user needs with the buttom line, news media companies may have more questions than answers right now.

10 August 2022

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Personalisation is not just about Web sites and apps

Personalisation features like those offered from Spotify, Instagram, The New York Times, and Crux exemplify opportunities beyond Web sites and apps for news media companies.

09 August 2022

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Zeit Online changes onboarding to leverage subscriptions from day one

Zeit Online found a way to solve one of its biggest challenges: that engagement dropped after the first day of subscribing. Their four-step approach increased conversions in early subscription trials by 10%.

03 August 2022

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HT Media uses WhatsApp, personalisation to increase subscriptions for financial product

HT Digital has used innovative approaches, including utilising WhatsApp, to drive subscriptions and boost engagement in its Mint brand. In this week’s INMA members-only Webinar, executives explained its digital engagement strategies, including how it moves readers down the subscription funnel.

01 August 2022

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Wall Street Journal drives subscription growth with student programme

Subscribers acquired at a younger age represent a greater lifetime value for news media companies than older subscribers. Here’s how the WSJ has leveraged the student market to drive subscriptions.

27 July 2022

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4 ways news media companies are using personalisation

Examples from USA Today, Daily Telegraph, Le Figaro, BBC, and others illustrate how news media companies around the world are using personalisation.

27 July 2022

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Personalisation can start in 2 places for media companies

The cautious approach to personalisation for news media companies involves next read pages. The “headstrong approach,” as INMA Product Initiative Lead Jodie Hopperton calls it, involves homepage personalisation.

26 July 2022

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This is where media companies can start with personalisation

The cautious approach to personalisation for news media companies involves next read pages. The “headstrong approach,” as INMA Product Initiative Lead Jodie Hopperton calls it, involves homepage personalisation.

26 July 2022

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Encourage users to give up their data by improving trust, value exchange

Giving users opportunities to interact on your Web site site in return for their data encourages them to become registered, known users. It starts with trust.

24 July 2022

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Passive personalisation is the TikTok way to mirror user behaviour

Passive/inferred personalisation uses an algorithm to guess what readers would like. Here are some examples from Yahoo, South China Morning Post, and Schibsted.

13 July 2022

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Understanding the 2 types of personalisation is key to media’s future

There are two types of personalisation news media companies use as part of their audience strategy: active/declared, meaning users say what they want to see, and passive/inferred, which uses an algorithm to guess what they would like.

12 July 2022

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Consider these 3 dependencies as your media company pivots toward personalisation

Personalisation is a process that has variables and dependencies. If your media company is dipping into personalisation, here are several things to consider.

29 June 2022

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Is your media company ready to start personalising?

There are many reasons to personalise: Without it, new users may not see content that would lead them to subscribe, apps sometimes cause friction for readers, and subscription services like Netflix feel more relevant to customer preferences.

28 June 2022

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Are you ready to start personalising?

Personalisation is a process that has variables and dependencies. If your media company is dipping into personalisation, here are several things to consider, including technical capabilities, your CMS system, and your ability to test.

28 June 2022

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New Reuters Institute report dives into “selective news avoidance,” personalisation

The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism released its annual Digital News Report last week. INMA digs into research showing how personalisation relates to selective news avoidance.

20 June 2022

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New Reuters Institute report sheds light on logged-in users, e-mail, selective news avoidance

The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism released its annual Digital News Report this week. INMA digs into data-focused insights regarding trust and privacy, getting readers to log in, e-mails to readers, and how personalisation relates to selective news avoidance.

16 June 2022

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Gannett, NZZ, Mediahuis share their personalisation journeys

During an INMA members-only Webinar, executives from Gannett in the United States, Mediahuis in the Netherlands, and NZZ in Switzerland detail their personalisation strategies and results.

15 June 2022

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Personalisation: Connecting the digital dots

INMA Presentation File

15 June 2022

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SCMP converts readers with prediction models that enhance personalisation

Developing prediction models is increasingly important in the news business as media companies seek to engage readers over the long term. SCMP shares its step-by-step process.

13 June 2022

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Data can grow readership in a post-crisis environment

Crises such as the global pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine create an uptick in subscriptions and readership. But what can media companies do to continue that reader engagement when the crisis ends?

01 June 2022

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Personalisation seems an obvious strategy, but it comes with challenges

On the final day of the INMA World Congress of News Media, leads from three of INMA’s initiatives — Smart Data, Product, and Readers First — shared their thoughts on all things personalisation.

26 May 2022

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What media companies need to (practically) know now about personalisation

INMA Presentation File

26 May 2022

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Personalisation and filter bubbles: Should the news industry worry?

Implemented well, personalisation can take readers on a journey from one topic to the next, breaking them out of their filter bubbles rather than keeping readers in them. Here are four positives of personalisation.

15 May 2022

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Is your product team listening to user signals?

INMA Product Initiative Lead Jodie Hopperton dives into the importance of listening to readers plus seven considerations before you start thinking about home page automation and personalisation.

03 May 2022

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Content, ad relevance take on a growing role in digital media

Consumers were exposed to a lot of personalisation during the peak of the pandemic, and 71% now believe companies should provide them with personalised experiences, U.S research shows.

26 April 2022

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Data can improve customer experience while preserving privacy

Media leaders from Dow Jones, Datadog, The New York Times, and The Washington Post share how they are using data to build better experiences and protect privacy.

13 April 2022

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Gamification, recommendation engines aid in reader engagement

Investing in reader engagement helps publishers increase revenue, boost readership, and solidify an online presence.

10 April 2022

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Regional news benefits from personalisation

Automation, flexibility, and personalisation benefit regional publications with increased click-through rates.

05 April 2022

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TIME builds a subscription machine to move into the future

Despite being nearly a century old, TIME is approaching the future with a start-up mindset, using newsletters to build relationships and content marketing to convert subscribers.

28 March 2022

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How supervised learning of recommendation algorithms adds a human touch

INMA Smart Data Initiative Lead Ariane Bernard explains “supervised learning” and how it creates the impression that humans curate the personal feed for each individual user.

14 March 2022

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Unsupervised learning and personalisation are useful but not ideal for journalism

INMA Smart Data Initiative Lead Ariane Bernard explains “unsupervised” personalisation — in which the algorithm recommends articles that are highly shared and show good scroll depth. In short, it treats all articles as equals.

13 March 2022

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Building toolbox for content recommendations at New York Times

INMA Presentation File

10 March 2022

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Personalisation must have goals and rules to be effective

INMA Smart Data Initiative Lead Ariane Bernard details the two goals of personalisation and why a measurable outcome is key.

28 February 2022

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Should passive personalisation be the standard for media?

INMA Smart Data Initiative Lead Ariane Bernard explains passive personalisation and its role as news media companies customise content for readers while keeping their editorial voice.

27 February 2022

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NTM optimises hyper-personalisation to boost audience engagement

NTM’s data-driven strategy includes the creation of an online widget that recommends articles based on previous reading history.

21 February 2022

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Personalised push notifications achieve 10x higher click-through rate

Push notifications are one of the most powerful ways to suggest articles to people. Using personalisation based on reader behaviour helps media companies avoid the churn rate for notifications that occurs when they annoy readers with too many notifications.

17 February 2022

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Personalisation will help media build habits, drive revenue

Smart Data Initiative Lead Ariane Bernard shares why she believes personalisation is one of three key priorities for 2022.

09 February 2022

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Personalisation, UX are key to expanding news subscribers in Africa

African news media companies must increase their number of paying readers. Such readers can be divided into three tiers: “soon to be,” “refusing,” and “unexplored.” Here’s how to reach them.

27 January 2022

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Gamified experiences increase zero-party data collection

Gamified experiences offer an opportunity to collect zero-party data at scale.

13 January 2022

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Sifted starts with content, uses tracking technology to encourage “one more click”

Sifted, a media platform founded by Caspar Woolley, uses tracking technology to provide readers with a dynamic and engaging knowledge-focused experience.

08 December 2021

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Dagens Næringsliv establishes its 5 data foundation principles

NHST has developed focus areas to use data to improve its business results across its publications.

09 November 2021

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Badische Zeitung automates, curates with Data Machine

Data Machine is a multifunctional tool that relies on data from external services, then creates a personalised experience for each reader.

01 November 2021

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Ekstra Bladet uses AI to drive audience growth

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly important for a competitive news experience for readers, which has led Ekstra Bladet to pursue it more aggressively.

28 October 2021

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Survey shares media companies’ thoughts on first-party data model

When Viafoura asked its clients what their No. 1 priority is for 2021 and 2022, the almost universal response is to turn their unknown audiences into known audiences. Viafoura COO Mark Zohar shared this and more in an INMA members-only Webinar about building first-party data.

13 October 2021

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News publishers must meet 2 imperatives to rebundle the news

When publishers help readers better understand the news, they’ll experience higher engagement.

22 September 2021

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Die Presse shares 3 key learnings after changing its data strategy

When Die Presse realised it was gathering CRAP analytics, it changed its process to gather CARE analytics.

08 September 2021

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Torstar builds its data foundation from the ground up

Torstar compares its data journey to building a house: You have to start from the ground floor and build it up.

01 August 2021

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New York Times’ digital strategy laid the foundation for its product strategy

For The New York Times, cultivating digital led to new journalistic efforts, new product features, and new revenue capabilities.

26 July 2021

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Globe and Mail’s dynamic paywall increases digital subscriptions 51%

The Globe and Mail implemented a fully dynamic paywall that offers one-to-one personalisation in real time to ensure they were not leaving any money on the table. It has brought in US$10 million annually, US$8 million more than the old paywall.

06 July 2021

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Editorial and product teams must work together to acquire, retain subscribers

News teams that drive content have the closest relationship with subscribers and the biggest impact on their day-to-day experience. Their partnership with product teams is crucial to reader revenue models.

07 June 2021

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PA Media’s Explore platform streamlines access to content, sets reader engagement record

Reinventing its platform allowed PA Media to provide a more robust, personlised wire service in response to concern audiences were not seeing all its available content.

07 June 2021

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NZME’s OneRoof grows with personalisation, automation, and AI tools

OneRoof developed a data strategy to improve customer segmentation through declared and inferred customer data collection, which allows the team to localise and personalise listing recommendations.

10 May 2021

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Personalised Your Globe feature informed by data, increases engagement

Globe and Mail subscribers with access to the new personalisation feature have an 80% higher engagement score compared to other subscribers.

20 April 2021

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FAZ Appetizer uses AI to serve up personalised news feeds, increasing engagement

The FAZ Appetizer uses machine learning to identify readers’ preferences in just two sessions. The app is increasing digital engagement overall while also driving more users to the premium subscription model.

10 January 2021

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SPH responds to 2 trends: COVID bump and irrelevance of third-party cookies

Singapore Press Holdings’ focus on data allows it to personalise its products and services during this particularly user experience-focused time.

01 November 2020

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Times Internet grows revenue, engagement with seamless ad and content rendering

Times Internet in India developed its own proprietary, in-house content and ad engine. This has resulted in drastically increased ad revenue, user engagement, and personalised content serving.

29 October 2020

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Mediahuis shares 3 newsletter lessons learned

Mediahuis finds personalised e-mail newsletters outperform non-personalised e-mails, and the first article shown is critical to their success.

11 August 2020

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Jagran New Media’s editorial team evolves into data-driven content generation

Jagran New Media CEO says the editorial team is better able to deliver content because it better understands its audience through data.

09 July 2020

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Jagran New Media uses personalised content recommendation to increase user engagement

Jagran New Media shares how it developed a content personalisation engine that serves the content a reader wants at a particular time of day, driving user engagement up five times.

01 July 2020

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How BBC is reinventing news for voice platforms

With the dramatic rise in the use of voice assistants, news companies need to consider their possibility for the future. Here is a look at how the BBC is already developing its voice-driven news platform.

22 June 2020

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Amedia bundles content of its 70+ titles into one digital subscription package

Amedia’s decision during the pandemic lockdown to debut its +Alt package was enormously successful, paving the way for a paid version. The optimised product landing page, which launched mid-May, has had a 64% conversion rate.

15 June 2020

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Dagbladet TV triples daily streams

As the popularity of Web TV has increased, Dagbladet TV changed its content strategy to increase its number of daily streams by focusing on breaking news, personalisation, and thinking in new ways.

14 June 2020

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Times, Sunday Times decrease churn by 49% with digital butler

The Times and The Sunday Times used JAMES, a digital butler driven by Artificial Intelligence, to determine what stories readers were looking for.

11 June 2020

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Legacy media can build on brand reputation while addressing consumer needs

Andy Brown of Kantar says legacy media brands can build on their long-standing reputations while moving into new platforms and personalising for new audiences.

11 June 2020

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Mediahuis shares 7 effective strategies to personalise news

Staying relevant to readers is critical but challenging in today’s digital world. Here’s what Mediahuis learned about improving readers' experiences through personalisation.

12 April 2020

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The Hindu+

Value proposition The single-point-agenda while building our unique version of the model was to give our most loyal readers a premium digital experience that matched our valuable content. To this end, we Made The Hindu website behind the pay-wall advertisement-free. The site was made cleaner and ...

01 March 2020

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The Power of Personalisation: A Data-Driven Customer Experience with OneRoof’s Property Report

OneRoof's Property Report, the ‘must read’ quarterly report on the state of the property market within NZ, is a print lift-out in the NZ Herald, as well as within five of NZME’s regional titles. Alongside industry commentary and market insights, it contains tables of data, listing out all suburbs in ...

01 March 2020

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Future of journalism study finds personalised content is critical

A recent Cxense survey suggests a bleak future for journalism if newsrooms fail to personalise content. Journalists appear open to data-driven and tailored content that builds stronger reader connection and engagement.

17 December 2019

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Personalised, flexible paywall model is best for audience, advertisers

A strict and structured paywall model doesn’t allow for nuances related to diverse readers and access, which is not ideal for readers or advertisers.

09 September 2019

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NZZ pushes personalisation through data and algorithms

NZZ has used business applications and data learning to drive personalisation, subscriptions, and reader engagement. The result? A 60% year-over-year increase in digital subscribers in 2018.

21 August 2019

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Top Web resources on “Personalisation”