The subscriber model is diverse, and so are the companies that use it.

Mediahuis, Indian Express, and Alma Media each use different approaches — and all have achieved excellent results. During the INMA Media Subscriptions Summit in Amsterdam on Wednesday, members learned more about the different approaches these three companies use and looked at how each is tailoring its strategies to reach a defined market.

Mediahuis: focus on loyalty

Mediahuis has spent the last two years refining its strategy for subscriber acquisition and retention. Its goal is to improve loyalty by targeting the right prospects and providing a seamless transition from acquisition to long-term engagement. 

“Focusing acquisition on the good [subscribers] helps us maximise retention and build sustainable relationships,” explained Koen Meeusen, sales and care director.

Mediahuis has found that focusing on subscribers who are likely to stick around improves retention and builds stronger, more durable customer relationships. It has tested two primary acquisition models:

• Promotional contracts: offering a discounted price with a one-year commitment.
• Base flex: a standard base price with a flexible contract.

After 24 months, both models show similar retention rates (43% and 46%, respectively), suggesting that while promo contracts boost initial sign-ups, they don’t necessarily outperform base pricing over the long term.

Not every potential subscriber is ready to commit right away. Short-term models like pay-per-article or day passes aren’t sustainable solutions, so Mediahuis uses targeted campaigns to gradually transition casual readers into loyal subscribers.

An eight-week trial at €8 has proven effective, with renewal communication beginning after six weeks; 15% of trial users convert into long-term subscribers.

This structured transition helps minimise drop-offs and builds a stronger customer base over time, Meeusen said. Through continuous testing, Mediahuis has optimised the transition. Price increases are inevitable, he noted, but they must be managed carefully. And, when faced with the risk of cancellation, offering a lower-cost alternative can help retain subscribers without eroding margins.

Communicating about these options helps retain customers, especially when transitioning from print to digital. Mediahuis tracks retention patterns closely, noting that churn rates are higher within the first year but stabilise significantly among long-term subscribers.

Indian Express: blazing a trail

Founded in 1932 as a platform for independent reporting, The Indian Express was one of the first Indian media companies to launch an online platform. IndianExpress.com launched in 1996, laying the foundation for its future subscription model, explained CEO Sanjay Sindhwani.

Today, the company reaches more than 140 million monthly users and generates more than 375 million monthly engagements. Its social media audience exceeds 40 million across major platforms.

Indian Express introduced its subscription model in 2019 with an e-paper paywall and, in August 2021, the company launched a metred paywall and premium content with three products: e-paper, digital, and combo (E-paper + digital). In March 2023, archived content was placed behind a paywall, initially after 120 days, later reduced to 15 days.

In 2024, the company began paywalling stories on its platform for its Loksatta brand, which has the second-highest engagement among Marathi news sites. It then launched Sublime, an in-house subscription platform, and by December 2024, metering and archive restrictions were also applied to Loksatta.

Digital subscriptions remain less common in India compared to the U.S. and Europe, making it harder for Indian publishers to rely on reader revenue. However, greater consumer awareness and the growing acceptance of subscriptions are driving growth. More media companies are introducing paywalls, reinforcing the idea that news has value. AI-based search has also increased demand for core news content.

Internally, Indian Express is expanding its subscriber base by targeting new segments and adding more brands behind paywalls. Bundling with other brands in the portfolio has created new cross-selling opportunities.

Improved user experience, better personalisation, and measures to reduce content leakage — such as tackling password sharing, server-side rendering, and e-paper watermarking — have strengthened subscriber retention and engagement.

Retention has become a key focus for Indian Express as the subscription base grows. The company’s strategy is structured around three key stages of the customer lifecycle:

• Renewal: After 30 days, the company targets subscribers with renewal offers, encouraging them to stay on the same or upgrade to a higher product tier.
• Retention: Between 30 and 90 days, the company works on increasing engagement by reinforcing the value of the subscription.
• Resuscitation: After 90 days, the company targets lapsed subscribers with discounts and special offers to win them back.

The company’s recurring revenue model is based on one-month and three-month subscription plans. This shorter cycle helps maximise customer lifetime value by encouraging frequent renewals and reducing churn.

Alma Media: focus on partnerships 

Johanna Suhonen, vice president of Alma Media, introduced the company’s corporate and partnership subscription programme, which functions through partnerships with trade unions and corporate sales to banks.

Alma Media has grown from a local Finnish newspaper into a more extensive service business company spread across the continent, with operations in 11 different European countries. It owns diverse newspapers and magazines, which is why Suhonen said it was important to have different strategies for different brands. 

Using partnerships with trade unions, Alma Media offers subscriptions to its magazines as a membership benefit — something it has done for the past 30 years. This brings financial stability to the company and ensures higher retention. The members of the trade union value the subscriptions, making it difficult for unions to possibly cancel them.

Alma Media also relies on corporate sales to banks through its business newspaper, Kauppalehti. The company began offering this model in 2000, offering corporate sales with a publication aimed at bank employees and giving an overview of the banking market.  

The approach allows Alma Media to differentiate its offerings from other companies and engage customers on two levels, Suhonen said: Alma Media engages the corporate customer directly, and that business now has something to offer its own customers, providing essential information that enhances their operations.

Suhonen suggested companies have a dedicated sales team with deep knowledge of subscription-based business models and use automation to keep the sales team focused. Using AI and customer service to handle anything that would waste the sales team’s energy allows them to fully focus on their task and achieve better results.

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