Magazine subscriptions are an increasingly significant revenue stream for publishers and now account for 16% of total consumer magazine sales, a figure which has been gradually increasing year on year.

Subscriptions are an important way of building and maintaining relationships with readers in an increasingly competitive environment.

For business media, circulations are a mix of free (controlled circulation) and paid-for subscription copies, with only 10% of sales coming via the newstrade.

Customer Direct Marketing Group

PPA's Customer Direct Marketing Group comprises subscriptions, circulation and marketing professionals from UK publishing companies, within both the business media and consumer sectors.
Formerly known as the Subscriptions Committee, the group’s activities are focused on helping publishers maximise the value of direct relationships with customers, including the core print subscription and a range of other linked revenue streams. Areas of discussion and activity include:

  • One-to-one marketing expertise 
  • Assessing the true commercial value of a name
  • Assessing the true value and measurement of loyalty 
  • Commissioning research to help publishers develop one-to-one marketing strategies
  • Benchmarking industry best practice in one-to-one and interactive marketing
  • The changing role of subscription professionals
  • Spearheading joint industry initiatives
  • Exploring where new media fits into business models

Through the Customer Direct Marketing Group, PPA works hard to support publishers on circulation issues:

  • Beyond the Subscription: Tracking the Customer Journey – a major research study benchmarking magazine subscriptions against other industries, looking at how to track the customer journey and how to leverage the greatest benefit from a name
  • The Loyalty Challenge: How Consumer Magazine Subscriptions Work –  a research project examining how and why consumers use subscriptions as a means of buying magazines.
  • Subscription Pricing (to be released shortly) – a research study examining how consumers respond to different levels of pricing discounts
  • Customer Direct Conference & Awards – an event showcasing best practice and providing circulation professionals with tools to help shape their marketing strategies
  • Christmas Gift Subs PR Campaign – a consumer facing PR campaign promoting awareness of subscriptions as a means of purchase. The campaign, which runs in the lead-up to Christmas, focuses on a magazine subscription as a fantastic gift idea

PPA’s Customer Direct Marketing Group also works with industry colleagues to support research and insight:
 
Dovetail has published its annual Subscriber Service Survey with the support of PPA. Members can access the report by clicking here.