When Newspaper.com’s Chief Content Officer approached me to conduct a comprehensive nationwide survey, we identified a critical need to understand reader perceptions, subscription barriers, and content preferences across 17 Canadian markets. The project delivered over 2,500 responses, providing actionable insights through customized Looker Studio dashboards. Key findings revealed price sensitivity, demand for high-quality local journalism, and specific content preferences among different reader segments. This case study highlights how the iterative research approach ultimately provided stakeholders with valuable data to inform subscription strategy and content decisions.
Challenge
Newspaper.com needed to better understand:
- What would encourage non-subscribers to subscribe
- Why haven’t readers subscribed
- Reader dislikes and content preferences
- Optimal pricing structures to drive subscriptions
The organization faced declining subscription rates and needed evidence-based insights to inform strategy across editorial, marketing, product, and executive leadership teams.
Approach
Discovery & Planning
After initial stakeholder consultations with C-suite executives, marketing, editorial, buying/onboarding, product, and design teams, I developed a research framework addressing their specific information needs while ensuring cohesive data collection.
Methodology
- Segmentation Strategy: Collaborated with the data team to identify representative users across all 17 Canadian markets
- Multi-channel Distribution: Deployed the survey through:
- Sailthrough email campaigns for registered readers
- Website overlays for anonymous readers (Aug 18-28)
- Iterative Refinement: Initial test in the Vancouver market didn’t deliver the required stakeholder insights, prompting a pivot for remaining markets
Data Collection
The survey gathered 2,564 total responses:
- 1,315 from non-subscribers (anonymous and registered readers)
- 1,249 from subscribers (digital and print)
Analysis & Visualization
Working closely with the data visualization team, I developed customizable Looker Studio dashboards, allowing stakeholders to segment responses based on:
- Subscription status
- Geographic location
- Age demographics
- Interview follow-up interest
Key Findings
Demographic Insights
- 68% of non-subscribers were 55+, compared to 83% of subscribers
- Only 18% of non-subscribers were under 44, versus 8% of subscribers
- The 18-34 segment showed distinct preferences and price sensitivity
Subscription Barriers
- Price Sensitivity: Across segments, cost was the primary barrier
- 22% of non-subscribers preferred free access
- 21% would pay $5 maximum
- 18-34 demographic showed greater price sensitivity (26% wanted free access)
- Content Competition: Many non-subscribers noted they “like to refer to several different news sources.”
Content Preferences
- Local News: Strong desire for improved local coverage across all segments
- Journalism Quality: Demand for unbiased, investigative reporting with diverse perspectives
- Delivery Reliability: Print subscribers emphasized consistent delivery as a subscription factor
Pricing Insights
- Most likely to subscribe segment preferred $10 price point (29%)
- 18-34 demographic favored $5 price point (30%)
- Special promotions and introductory pricing were frequently mentioned
Engagement Patterns
- 27% of non-subscribers visited once daily vs. 32% of subscribers
- Only 32% of non-subscribers were newsletter subscribers
- 70% of non-subscribers knew what the ePaper was vs. 89% of subscribers
Implementation & Impact
Stakeholder Activation
I conducted dashboard training sessions with different stakeholder teams across the organization. This ensured adoption and capability to extract relevant insights for their specific needs.
Recruitment for Deep Dive Research
The survey created a valuable pool of respondents. They were willing to participate in follow-up interviews. I leveraged this pool for subsequent targeted research based on stakeholder questions.
Strategic Recommendations
Based on survey findings, I recommended:
- Subscription Strategy:
- Develop age-targeted subscription tiers
- Create promotional entry points at $5 price point
- Bundle digital access with additional exclusive content
- Content Development:
- Increase investment in local news coverage
- Enhance investigative journalism offerings
- Balance political perspectives in reporting
- User Experience:
- Improve digital platform accessibility
- Enhance self-service subscription management
- Develop more intuitive navigation for mobile users
- Marketing Messaging:
- Emphasize exclusive local content in subscription appeals
- Highlight investigative journalism value proposition
- Communicate reliability of delivery (print) and access (digital)
Results
The project delivered:
- Comprehensive understanding of reader preferences across 17 markets
- Custom dashboard tools for ongoing decision support
- Qualified participant pool for deeper audience research
- Evidence-based recommendations for subscription and content strategy
Most importantly, the research revealed distinct differences between subscriber and non-subscriber preferences. This provides a clear direction for conversion strategies. These strategies are tailored to specific age segments and regional markets.
Learning & Iteration
The initial test in Vancouver highlighted the importance of aligning research questions more precisely with stakeholder needs. By pivoting our approach for the remaining markets, we demonstrated the value of iterative research design and stakeholder feedback integration. This flexibility ultimately produced more actionable insights while maintaining project timeline and budget parameters.