FT Strategies

?? How do you drive subscriptions without compromising audience engagement? Dynamic paywalls. At FT Strategies, we worked with Il Sole 24 Ore to help them implement a fully optimised dynamic paywall. By leveraging data, best practices and tailored rules, we supported their shift from a print-first to a digital-first revenue model. Our work included: ??Data-Driven Insights: Analysing audience behaviour and assessing subscription packages to inform the best paywall model. ??Best Practices from the FT: Sharing learnings from the Financial Times’ own successful paywall strategy. ??Paywall Rule Development: Creating a tailored access model with Zephr and Sub(x) by Zuora ensuring seamless implementation. ??Measuring Success: Defining KPIs and modelling revenue impact across subscriptions and advertising. A dynamic paywall was just the beginning. To future-proof Il Sole 24 Ore, we also supported its newsroom transformation, which covered: ?? Capability Gap Analysis: Reviewing structure, workflows, and tech to ensure a platform-neutral approach. ?? Editorial Optimisation: Introducing new workflows, meeting cadences, and metadata best practices. ?? Retention & Engagement: Helping the team enhance audience retention and leverage search for maximum reach. Read the full case study here ?? https://lnkd.in/erNGpeP2 #DynamicPaywalls #DigitalTransformation #NewsroomInnovation #FutureOfNews

?? Privacy by Design Episode 4 - Untangling third-party cookie dependencies In this episode, Lisa MacLeod speaks with Mayara Souza, Head of Product and Audience at Diarios Associados, about their journey towards a world that doesn't rely on third-party cookies. Tune in to learn how the Privacy Sandbox Analysis Tool became their "digital detective," helping them audit cookie usage, simulate user experiences and prepare for the decline of third-party cookies. Listen to Privacy by Design now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or visit https://lnkd.in/eJZtUP5A Apple Podcasts ?? https://lnkd.in/e9Vz-Ht5 Spotify ?? https://lnkd.in/eWesqEp2 #PrivacySandbox #Podcast #Media #Advertising #Cookies

?? As the news industry undergoes rapid transformation, AI agents are emerging as both disruptors and enablers. These systems promise to plan, decide and act, automating multi-step tasks with minimal human input. In our latest article, FT Strategies' AI experts Sam Gould and Azymberdi T. examine where the real opportunities lie for news organisations, answering: ?? What AI agents are and how they differ from basic LLM tools ?? What we can learn from real-world use cases and applications: ?? How to assess your readiness to build or adopt agent-driven tools Whether you're experimenting with AI or building a long-term strategy, this article will help you separate the hype from real opportunity. Read the full article here ?? https://lnkd.in/eciZHnbD #AIagents #NewsroomTech #FutureOfNews #MediaInnovation #JournalismInnovation

?? Trendlines & Headlines is a new monthly newsletter from the Data & Insights Practice at FT Strategies, where we share and analyse one graph, chart or table from the world of news and publishing. Every now and then, whether it is during a client project or while conducting research, we come across or build a really, really cool chart. Whether it is the way it is visualised or what it tells us, we can’t help but get excited. Up until now, we have had the pleasure of sharing and discussing these tables, graphs and charts in our own team Slack channel. But now, we want to expand our community of data-obsessed news and publishing execs – with this newsletter being the first port of call. If you want to be sent interesting charts, graphs or tables and get insights from our expert team - Emanuele Porfiri, Sarah Dear, George Montagu, Fiona K., Lamberto Lambertini - on a monthly basis, then sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eTvDaCjG

?? Privacy by Design Episode 3 is out now - Why privacy-first advertising is reshaping media strategy In this episode of Privacy by Design, Aled John, Director at FT Strategies, speaks with Dr. Jonathan Roberts, Chief Innovation Officer at Dotdash Meredith, about the future of advertising in a privacy-first world. The conversation dives deep into Dotdash Meredith's real-world testing and insights from the?Privacy Sandbox, showcasing how publishers can adapt beyond third-party cookies. Dr. Roberts discusses the limitations of traditional targeting and emphasises the power of first-party data. He also highlights how Dotdash Meredith's D/Cipher technology complements their Privacy Sandbox efforts by providing a sustainable, intent-based advertising solution. Listen to Privacy by Design now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or visit https://lnkd.in/e4YUiS_K Apple Podcasts ?? https://lnkd.in/e-DMz6iM Spotify ?? https://lnkd.in/eXgA5j85 #PrivacySandbox #Podcast #Media #Advertising

?? How can publishers create content that truly resonates with audiences? Our latest report, written in partnership with smartocto, explores the User Needs Model: a strategic framework that helps publishers understand, measure and optimise content based on audience motivations. Featuring real-world case studies and expert insights, this report provides a practical roadmap for driving engagement, loyalty and revenue growth. ?? What's inside the report? ??Why user needs matter: Learn why audience behaviour is shifting and how a needs-based approach can enhance engagement and retention. ??The User Needs Lab programme: Discover how nine publishers experimented with the model, leveraging data-driven insights to refine their content strategies. ??How the User Needs Model works: Explore the eight distinct audience needs, from fact-driven updates to emotional connections, and how they influence content success. ??User needs adoption: Read real-life case studies from Bauernzeitung and Blic.rs on how they increased engagement and loyalty by aligning their content with audience needs. Whether you’re a legacy publisher trying to meet the demands of growing audiences or a digital-native company looking to scale your content efforts, this report will guide you through the process of achieving growth with the User Needs Model. Download the User Needs Model report ?? https://lnkd.in/e4hY5_nY With special thanks to the report contributors Brundan Haran, Stefan ten Teije, Marko Stjepanovi? and Peter Walthard.

Today, we are thrilled to release the first two of three comprehensive reports on recent survey data taken from journalists and news audiences around the world as part of our #DefiningNewsInitiative. These reports illustrate how journalists and their audiences are adjusting to the rapidly evolving media landscape, and the differences in how respondents are experiencing these changes across countries and regions. Thank you so much to all of our respondents for their thoughtful insights. We are excited to use this data to continue to drive our conversations about the future of the media industry. Read the reports here: https://lnkd.in/eKqe-DGJ Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) Frontline Freelance Mexico FT Strategies Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) Internews Online News Association (ONA) Organización Editorial Mexicana (OEM) Society of Freelance Journalists Jeremy Gilbert Sora Park Nina Santos Scott Timcke Subramaniam (Subbu) Vincent

FT Strategies, the Financial Times’ specialist media consultancy, has launched a new Data and Insights Practice: https://lnkd.in/eZJgHg78 #publishing #news #media #data #insight #research #analytics h/t Joanna Levesque, FT Strategies, Sheena Chandnani, James Evelegh & InPublishing

“We only have 60 minutes of a person’s day. We need to think about how people are spending those 60 minutes, and where”, said George Montagu, Head of FT Insights. FT team talking with Sifted this morning at #INMAsubscriptions about how data audits can drive audience engagement.

?? Don't miss Privacy by Design Episode 2 - How innovation can support both publisher needs and user privacy In this episode, Lisa MacLeod, a Director at FT Strategies, engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Aislinn Ryan, the Global Head of Supply Platforms and Strategy at NextRoll. NextRoll is a marketing technology company that specialises in machine learning and data-driven marketing solutions. Together, they discuss why publishers and advertisers should invest in privacy-preserving technologies and how the solutions provided by Privacy Sandbox fit into the evolving landscape. Listen to Privacy by Design now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or visit https://lnkd.in/eY2djK8S Apple Podcasts ?? https://lnkd.in/esVpMUpH Spotify ?? https://lnkd.in/eez9g6yH #PrivacySandbox