One of Europe’s largest publishers is bundling hiking apps, e-books and masterclasses alongside its journalism. Matthijs van de Peppel, Group B2C Strategy Director at Mediahuis, explains the strategy — and what the data is showing.
Key takeaways to copy & share
> Mediahuis, one of Europe's largest publishers, has built an 'essential subscription' that bundles its journalism with hiking apps, e-books, masterclasses and the New York Times > The bundle is organised in three layers, Inform, Guide and Enable, and tailored by brand rather than by individual subscriber. The New York Times sits with the premium titles, the RouteYou hiking app with the regional and Belgian ones > Subscribers who activated RouteYou churn 26.5% less over 12 weeks. 170,000 have activated it, and 49% of eligible subscribers used it at least once last year > The perception gap is the whole challenge. 52% of subscribers think RouteYou is a valuable addition, rising to 82% among those who have actually used it. The product works, but only once people try it > Stay within one degree of separation from your journalism. The New York Times works because these titles cover international affairs, e-books because they review books, RouteYou because they write about the outdoors. Invented connections don't stick
