How publishers can use bundles to strengthen customer loyalty and increase subscriptions

Access to bundled product offerings can increase readers' willingness to pay — especially for younger target groups. Prove this current research results from Dortmund University of Technology for the German market. Bundles appeal to different subscriber groups with different preferences. According to the study, bundles can increase sales across the entire German digital market and increase sales of Print and digital-Increase subscriptions.

The way publishers combine news with other content in bundles varies. However, bundle offers have one thing in common: They make publishing content more attractive and can increase the number of digital subscribers. Read this article to find out how publishers successfully use different bundle offers.

Readers are reluctant to pay for news

The benefits of bundles are particularly significant given that the proportion of people who pay for messages has not increased in the last three years. In 20 markets monitored by the Reuters Institute, only 17 percent of people currently pay for online news. Although the figures differ from country to country, the This year's Reuters Digital News Report stagnation.

Publishers must consider a wide range of strategies to attract potential readers as subscribers, according to Craig T. Robertson, researcher at the Reuters Institute. According to him, trial versions or discounts are not enough. Publishers should take various approaches, including offering their content in bundles.  

New York Times as a bundle: games, recipes and more

The New York Times is particularly successful with its bundling offer: With 4.8 million, almost half of the total 10.2 million digital subscribers are currently paying for a Times bundle. This bundle consists of the New York Times news product and at least one offer from The Athletic, Cooking, Games or the Wirecutter recommendation platform. In this way, the publisher offers its readers not only news but also sports, recipes and games.  

In the second quarter of 2024, the New York Times added 300,000 digital subscribers, according to Publisher's report come out. The New York Times bundle subscribers are responsible for growth in this area, in addition to multi-product subscribers and other individual products. This resulted in a 13.6 percent increase in profit compared to the previous year. This shows how combining content into bundles can help attract and retain subscribers and increase revenue at the same time.

Bonnier News Bundle: local and national news — personalized

The news publisher Bonnier News from Sweden is also using a bundle strategy to increase the number of subscribers. Since last year, the publisher's offer has been +Allt All of Sweden's digital consumer content in one bundle. In bundle offer The two national newspapers are included Dagens Nyheter and Expressen as well as more than 50 local publications. Subscribers also have access to more than 100 digital magazines. In future, the publisher would like to offer the offer with the use of generative AI personalize and provide readers with further added value by directly suggesting suitable content.  

Anders Eriksson, CEO of Bonnier News, relies on Benefits of combining news titles in a bundle. More than 20 percent of Swedes reportedly own a summer house where they stay on a recurring basis, which is why news from the region is interesting to them even though they do not stay there permanently. There is interest in accessing news content, but not enough to subscribe to the local newspaper. The publisher's local and national bundle offering therefore creates strong added value for readers here.

Grupo RBS bundle: loyalty program with promotions

Another example of a successful bundle offer is Grupo RBS, one of the largest media companies from Brazil. Subscribers can choose between the Basic and Plus bundles, the decisive key element of the Plus bundle is the loyalty program Clube do Assinante.

The loyalty program included in the bundle plays an important role in achieving the company's goals, according to Alan Streck, Digital Growth Executive Manager at Grupo RBS. 65 percent of subscribers have access to the Plus subscription loyalty program and receive promotions and offers as a result. These include free tickets, exclusive discounts and access to events. The media company's more than 300 partners include cinemas, theaters, restaurants, shows, pharmacies, gas stations and online stores.

The positive effect of the loyalty program becomes clear when looking at the cancellation rate among readers with the Plus Bundle, which has fallen by almost 40 percent since the bundle was introduced. This bundle offer shows that loyalty programs that include partnerships with other companies can make taking out a subscription significantly more attractive for readers. Bundles can thus be diversified by publishers and appeal to a wider audience with various options. This is also accompanied by an increase in the value of the offer.

Thuringian local newspapers: Collaborations and promotions

Medium-sized publishers and local newspapers should also use cooperation with local companies to make bundle offerings more attractive. Options include discounts for cinema or theatre visits, supermarkets and other companies. On the German market, the regional newspapers Thüringer Allgemeine, Ostthüringer Zeitung and Thüringer Landeszeitung each offer their readers club-Memberships to. As members of the club, readers of newspapers receive discounts on shopping, trips, concerts and are invited to exclusive readers' events. In addition, the offer offers readers opportunities for direct exchange with editors — measures that Community Building Strengthen newspapers.  

Wide range of options for designing offers with bundles

Bundles offer publishers numerous opportunities to make their products more attractive, increase revenue and at the same time appeal to new or younger target groups. The choice of bundle type often depends on the target group and strategic goals, but also on the size of a publishing house. Many regional newspapers offer bundles that consist of a newspaper subscription and a bonus — usually a tablet to read the Digital offering. Here, too, there are different variants, depending on the publisher. As part of digitization, bundling print and digital offerings is useful for some publishers with a predominant number of print subscribers in order to minimize churn during delivery changes.

Bundles offered can include a compilation of news or their curated summary. This also includes content that provides entertainment, enriches readers' everyday lives, or helps them, such as recipes, games, or product reviews. Bundle types that include products or promotions also strengthen customer loyalty.  

Despite the advantages mentioned above, publishers should ensure that bundles remain financially viable for them. Potential risks, such as cannibalization of print subscriptions, must be considered. A certain degree of market cannibalization is also to be expected through bundle offers, for example when print subscribers become digital subscribers. Market expansion through bundle offerings can compensate for the loss of individual subscriptions. For local newspapers, cooperation with local companies is also particularly useful in order to offer readers added value and strengthen customer loyalty.

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