Time
Inc. cash cow People is preparing to unveil a new pricing model designed to
transform the way people think about subscriptions, according to people
familiar with the publisher’s plans. Other titles in the company are expected
to follow suit.
With
advertising sagging—PricewaterhouseCoopers estimated that consumer magazine ad revenue will decline 7.3 percent
from 2012 to 2017, to $15.2 billion—Time Inc. isn’t alone in turning to consumers
for new revenue. Hearst Magazines priced its tablet editions higher than its
print editions, betting that people will pay more for an enhanced version.
Casting its net for more print subscribers, Condé Nast recently announced a deal with Amazon
to let people manage their orders on the e-commerce site.
