Industry News
SELECTED ITEMS OF INTEREST TO THE MEDIA COMMUNITY
Potential Subscribers to Digital Publications Want an Easier Way Out
A study of 1,000 U.S. consumers found that almost two-thirds of respondents would be more likely to subscribe to digital publications if cancelling was an easier process. An even higher number -- 77 percent -- of participants would support a mandatory one-click cancellation law like the one currently proposed by the Federal Trade Commission. Other findings in the analysis by Toolkits and National Research Group include:
- Slightly more than half of those surveyed reported having some level of difficulty the last time they wanted to cancel a digital subscription.
- Easier cancellation procedures might help publishers increase conversions and revenue.
- Consumers increasingly value transparency, and complicated subscription cancellation policies may erode publishers' editorial credibility.
- Easier cancellation might give publishers more insight into who values their products and why, allowing better targeting of content to subscriber interests.
Read more about the Toolkits and National Research Group study here.
#media #strategy #consulting
How Competition with Google in Search Might Change the News Publishing Business
Search is the main pipeline for delivering audiences to news publishers, and Google is the major supplier. For decades, the rules governing search have been based on Google's market dominance, which has been established to a large degree by the company paying billions of dollars to companies including Apple to make Google the default search engine on their products. But if the trial currently underway in U.S. District Court results in a ruling that Google has operated in violation of antitrust laws, the search landscape may be significantly altered. According to an analysis by Nieman Lab, possible results include:
- Development of new models for platform monetization.
- Apple appears to be in the strongest position to become the biggest search company other than Google.
- Publisher relationships with AI are likely to get more complicated and will potentially become more profitable.
Read more of the NiemanLab story here.
#media #strategy #consulting
News is the Newest Tiktok Sensation
The U.K.'s Daily Mail has become the largest news publisher in the world on Tiktok, making it a hit among millions of young (under 25) users. Its person-in-the-street ("Vox Pop") videos have been particularly popular. The Daily Mail's head of social video says it's become clear to legacy publishers that Tiktok provides a huge opportunity to reach a new audience. An analysis by Press Gazette also found:
- While Facebook is moving away from working with news publishers, and has a diminishing audience for news, Tiktok is a fast-growing news source across all age groups.
- Tiktok is increasingly working with news clients to boost revenue and has completed several successful commercial deals.
- Tiktok has been beta testing a "Premiere Pulse" product which places ads alongside content. So far the test has been limited to lifestyle publishers and has not yet been rolled out for news.
- Among the top 50 largest news Tiktok accounts are SkyNews, ABC News, and NBC News.
Read more of the Press Gazette story here.
#media #strategy #consulting
