A few years ago, we were tasked with exploring the potential of launching a digital subscription product for Ilta-Sanomat (IS), Finland’s leading news media.

The goal was for this subscription product to support IS’s strategy by strengthening its position as Finland’s No. 1 news outlet and maximising digital advertising revenue.

Our research revealed a significant opportunity. We identified a large gap of potential subscribers in Finland, an audience underserved by existing news providers. This set us on a mission to find the ideal product-to-market fit and build a subscription service readers would consider truly worth paying for.

Putting readers first

From the very beginning, the subscription product was designed with readers’ needs at its core. Research and experience told us that the strongest driver for subscriptions is high-quality service journalism — journalism that offers concrete value and helps people make better decisions in their daily lives.

We focused on topics where we knew demand was high, particularly health and personal finance. Besides service journalism, we knew our readers would be willing to pay for in-depth journalism, investigative reporting, and human interest stories that offer fresh perspectives.

Most importantly, we understood a critical distinction: “nice to know” is not enough. We have to be able to offer people something that they feel they “need to know.” This principle continues to guide our editorial choices. And one more rule is non-negotiable: Never disappoint a reader.

Adding something extra

From the outset, we made a deliberate strategic choice: The free content on IS.fi would remain untouched. 

The new product iteration would not take anything away — it would be an add-on, hence the product name IS Extra. We were also able to leverage our publisher Sanoma’s broader portfolio of products by bundling IS Extra with magazine content and streaming services to enrich the subscription experience.

This combination allowed IS Extra to stand out in a competitive market and offer something truly distinctive.

The message to our readers was simple: You still get all the same news, headlines, and stories as before — but with IS Extra, you can read even more.

Our marketing campaign made this crystal clear. Subscribing to IS Extra means unlimited access to more journalism, more entertainment, and more guides and tips.

The approach resonated with our audience. The campaign’s attention score exceeded even our ambitious targets by 10 percentage points, proving the value proposition was well understood.

Results say it all

The outcome exceeded all expectations. IS Extra outperformed even the most optimistic forecasts in both subscriber growth and net sales.

The success was the result of a true cross-functional effort, combining the strengths of our editorial, commercial, and technical teams. Today, more than 18 months after launch, IS Extra continues to outperform its targets month after month.

The takeaway is clear: when you listen to your readers and deliver journalism they genuinely value, success follows.

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