Doors open to the Westin workshop room at this time. Pick up your badge and registration credentials for World Congress in advance of the workshop – and network with peers with a welcome coffee.

Where subscriptions are going next for news media is the focus of this half-day workshop curated by Readers First Initiative Lead Greg Piechota.

With national, local, business, and audio news brands across Norway and Sweden, Schibsted has been a digital transformation front-runner, doubling its subscriber base every three years. It plans to scale further with new product launches and super bundles. In this keynote, hear about Schibsted’s first wins and about the latest innovations in the news subscription space in Scandinavia.

Amid the market headwinds, some publishers shift focus from growing market share to profits, and prioritise retention over acquisition. What strategy should you choose? In this panel, we will discuss different approaches to long-term business growth of national, local, and niche publishers. What are the opportunities and risks?

Recent studies show that 76% of annual recurring revenue is generated from existing subscribers. Failing to retain them means missing out on most of the revenue. In this presentation, hear from Zuora on how to implement a super retainer strategy that can help you navigate even the toughest economic climates.

One of America’s most trusted news brands acquired millions of subscribers when the news cycle was dominated by political turmoil and the pandemic. But how is it navigating the challenges of audience fatigue and increased competition? In this presentation, discover the table stakes and latest innovations in maintaining and growing loyal readership.

From a traditional newspaper of record, this historic Danish news brand transitioned to being a digital leader. It prioritised online journalism and mobile distribution over print, and subscriptions over advertising. In this firsthand account, delve into the challenges of balancing newsroom dynamics, managing metrics, and maintaining editorial integrity during the shift.

Respected for its investigative and explanatory journalism, this Indian newspaper broadened its online reach to more than 90 million users, but saw only a few engaged regularly. It addressed the challenge with a systematic process of slicing the market in search of segments, or pockets of loyalty, and targeting them with content and marketing.

As advertising and reader revenue strategies converge, publishers increasingly focus on registering and logging in users. This helps to know readers better, engage them, and nurture the value of subscriptions. As a bonus – the first-party data helps to boost digital ad revenues, preparing the company for a cookieless world.

After takeaways from today’s workshop, learn what the Readers First Initiative is doing next – and how you and your teams can participate.