Most publishers are concentrating on
milking more revenue out of existing customers. Hearst is focused on building a
new native-to-digital audience.
Take this quiz. The era of paying for digital access (a.k.a. digital
circulation or paywalls) is about:
Getting more
money out of core subscribers;Getting new money out of new subscribers; or
Getting money any way you can.
Okay, 3 is a gimme. But 1 and 2 are very different strategies. While most newspaper publishers are leaning heavily on their long-time core bases by promising and delivering all-access, Hearst Magazines is taking a contrarian turn in the market. It’s a strategy that is largely at odds with peers Condé Nast, Time Inc., and Meredith, as well as most newspaper publishers. It’s betting almost wholly on new customers.
