Welcome and Overview

Conference Moderator: Robert Whitehead
Disruptionist & Media Entrepreneur, McPherson Media Group LinkedIn

Subscription Models

Predictive Analytics World

As W. Edward Deming said “In God we trust; all others must bring data.” — opening the conference with a foundation mindset surrounding data, Predictive Analytics World makes the how and why of predictive analytics understandable and captivating. Beyond understanding, data should be at the center of all business decisions in news media companies. Listen to how data analytics can and has transformed businesses, processes, and delivered results. Although seemingly daunting, learn how you can use predictive analytics in applicable ways, starting simply and growing deeper as you find the hidden gold in your data.

Eric Siegel
Founder, Predictive Analytics World LinkedIn @predictanalytic

Data Drives Understanding Your Subscribers in a Completely Different Way - Using FUSE/Google Surveys to Understand Your Subscribers in a Completely Different Way

Friend or foe, no one can ignore the power of Google in our industry, and in data. Learn about the successes of using a consultative approach, focused specifically on the news media industry, from Google's FUSE project. Collecting your data, applying analysis, and best practices for subscribers, google identifies the right monetization strategies and offerings for each audience segment. Big data drives the insights into how better to engage with your audiences, how to price for each audience, and what is your approach for each type of user. Hear from North American newspapers partnering with Google's FUSE project, and see for yourself how big data is the new subscriber acquisition and retention super power.

Valentin Cornez
Partnerships Lead, FUSE/Google Surveys LinkedIn

It's Not Just for Sales! Using the Sales Funnel for Consumer Marketing

We all want aggressive sales people to close those advertising deals. Each sale translates into thousands for our organizations. There are hundreds of sales funnel products, each designed to move the prospect down the funnel to an ultimate sale. Why are we only applying this aggressive focus to advertising sales? Consumer marketing is the ultimate sale funnel that requires the same focus, aggressive sales and data analysis. Learn how, after an eye-opening design-thinking session, Gatehouse is using SalesForce for their consumer marketing, collaborating on acquisition and retention. By viewing each side of the table differently, a process and approach typically reserved for the sales side of the house is now being applied to customers.

Robert Saurer
Vice President Consumer Marketing, Gatehouse Media LinkedIn

Irina Platonova
Corporate Director of Marketing Services, Gatehouse Media LinkedIn

Subscription Powerhouse: Honolulu Star-Advertiser + North American Trends

For an alternative take, listen to how Honolulu is seeing the benefits of growing print subscriptions due to their hardwall digital platform strategy. Sharing their success stories and the changes they've made not only to print subscriptions but their strategies around pricing, subscriber retention and acquisition - Aaron will provide the key learnings around their subscription journey. Follow this up with a high level trends discussion on what we're seeing in North America regarding subscription models and their shift from one side of the "wall" to the other.

Aaron Kotarek
Vice President, Circulation, Honolulu Star-Advertiser (Oahu Publications, Inc.) LinkedIn

Matt Lindsay
President, Mather Economics LinkedIn @matherecon

Break

Rebuilding the World's Original Digital Subscription — From Content to Customer Led: The Wall Street Journal

The paywall models of metered, freemium, and hard all have one thing in common: They are content led. The access rules are determined by content rules, rather than customer data. This has led to a one-size-fits-all approach.

Over the last year, the Journal has been innovating in the paywall space, and have moved away from a content-led to a customer-led approach. Using a proprietary algorithm and propensity score, the Journal customizes the experience for non-subscribers based on data that helps them predict the likelihood of subscribing.

Learn how WSJ has transitioned from a content-led to a customer-led paywall, making real-time business decisions on access and delivery to increase orders and boost onsite engagement amongst members.

Jon Buckley
Digital Sales & Media Director, The Wall Street Journal LinkedIn@jbuckly

The Boston Globe Story - The Path to Sustainability: How The Globe is Setting Its Course Towards a Digital-Only Business Funded Through Subscriptions

Boston has taken this approach by offering a freemium model site (www.Boston.com) and premium content behind a metered digital subscription model (www.bostonglobe.com). Debate the strategy, hear the lessons learned. Dig deep into the strategy and execution plan Boston has implemented and their strategic approach moving forward.

Peter Doucette
Chief Consumer Revenue Officer, Boston Globe Media LinkedIn@pmdoucette

Micropayments and Alternate Models

Winnipeg Free Press Experience: Can it ever be enough?

Two years after introducing its micropayment system, the Winnipeg Free Press has 35,000 subscribers for its digital content. As the first Canadian newspaper to monetize its content via micropayments with impressive results, hear about their experiment and the strategy behind it. Engage with the group to discover if a micropayment strategy can help increase your digital subscriptions, or generate a new source of revenue for your content.

Christian Panson
Vice President Digital & Technology, Winnipeg Free Press LinkedIn@cpanson

Viking Cowboys – From Scandinavia to Texas: Lessons from INMA’s Media Viking Week

INMA took Scandinavia’s most innovative news media companies by storm and in true cowboy fashion – INMA has harvested a week of intense study tour learnings and is serving them up for us. Listen to INMA’s Executive Director’s consultative presentation on what we can learn from a week with Vikings, when it relates to subscription models and the future of our industry.

Earl Wilkinson
CEO, INMA, USALinkedIn

Office Hours Lunch

Because there's never enough time to ask all the questions and dig deeper into the key point of any presentation — we're offering Office Hours. Grab your lunch and keep the conversations going over lunch with our presenters. This is your opportunity to consult with presenters, share your story, and engage in learning next steps to make a change.

Data Analysis

Embrace the Octopus - Getting Your Arms Around Customer Data

Newspapers are awash in consumer data. And, with data flowing in from so many locations, it can feel like you are trying to embrace an octopus. This challenge is not unique to newspapers. Data is driving business across all industries, and companies are challenged with the ways to harness it to shape meaningful relationships with consumers. Learn from companies focused on unifying and using data to understand consumers, set pricing, market their brand and build loyalty. This session will feature 8 key takeaways that can be applied to newspapers.

Michelle Novak
Marketing Advisor, diVRsity.co LinkedIn@MichelleMNovak

Out of the industry Analogous Inspiration

What it Takes for Continued Success in the Subscription Economy

A recent study revealed that Subscription businesses grew revenues 9 times faster than S&P 500 company revenues, and 4 times faster than US retail sales over 15 consecutive quarters. The subscription business model is being embraced by every industry, creating a whole new economy. One that we call the Subscription Economy. In this world, you will find that you are both competing with, and often learning from diverse companies that have one thing in common: a subscription business model. What does it take for a media company to be successful in this new economy? Working for a company like Zuora over the past 8 years has given me a ringside view into the creative ways in which leaders at diverse subscription businesses are driving innovation. Join me as I share a synthesis of these learnings, and useful frameworks that could help drive success in your business.

Monika Saha
GM Finance Product Line, Zuora LinkedIn

Break

Brainsnack Case Studies and Strategic Solutions

Buckle up for INMA’s quick pace, brainsnack style sessions with North American news media companies, and industry experts. Rapid fire case studies sharing straight to the meat of the information presentation of their case studies coupled with industry experts presenting their approach to specific challenge scenario presented by fellow INMA North American board members. Hear expert approaches to solving the challenges in our industry, and learn from the successful case studies of your peers.

Laura Inman Nolan
Cox Media Group LinkedIn

Simms Jenkins
BrightWave LinkedIn @SimmsJenkins

Andrea Short
BrightWave LinkedIn

Kelli Dakake
Cox Media Group LinkedIn

Patrick Glennon
Marketing G2 LinkedIn @patrickglennon

Kayla Castille
Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. LinkedIn @kaylac

Gary Green
Tecnavia LinkedIn

Un-conferencing/Office Hours

Use this time to further your actionable take-aways, engage with attendees and presenters, and participate in moderated un-conferencing to make the most of the presentations and your own unique market challenges. This is your time to dig deep, work with the resources in the room and close the day with your plans for your organization.

Wrap-Up and Summit Conclusions

Networking Cocktail

Join us for a glimpse inside the brand new newsroom of The Dallas Morning News. More details coming soon.

Supported by The Dallas Morning News