How Taylor Swift’s concert cancellation drove record subscriptions for Kurier

How Taylor Swift’s concert cancellation drove record subscriptions for Kurier

We recently spoke with Nick Tjaardstra, Head of Kurier’s Digital Sales, about how covering Taylor Swift’s Vienna concerts massively boosted subscriptions for the newspaper and how they’re attempting to retain these new subscribers.

Catch up: Kurier’s editorial team had prepared extensively to cover the Vienna Taylor Swift concerts. When they were suddenly cancelled due to a terrorist threat, Kurier became a vital source of information for fans and casual readers alike.

How big was the impact on subscriptions? Nick shared that “these were record numbers that we would probably not have reached had we just been covering the concerts themselves. We’re talking about many multiples of our average daily digital subscription numbers.”

Keeping new subscribers engaged: To retain these new subscribers, Kurier is experimenting with follow-up stories and targeted re-engagement emails. “We are certainly experimenting with sending follow-up stories on the topic to this group of new subscribers – a kind of re-activation e-mail alongside our usual onboarding journey.”

What can other publishers take away? The main takeaway for Nick is to leverage your niche knowledge. In their case, the local knowledge of the city gave them an edge: “We focused on the local aspects amid an ocean of other more general Taylor Swift content online.” Also, covering a phenomenon like Taylor Swift didn’t hurt. 

Have you heard that Wirecutter will now also be a podcast?

More value in your subscription: The New York Times has launched its first podcast for Wirecutter. This strategic move aims to forge deeper connections with readers and make Wirecutter’s insights accessible on even more platforms, and widens the number of services offered by the New York Times in what is a top-tier bundle.

Why it matters: Wirecutter has seen significant success in affiliate marketing and newsletters, and this podcast is expected to further solidify its brand while protecting against potential disruptions in search traffic, particularly with AI’s growing role in content distribution.

On the other hand…The Boston Globe recently abandoned plans to focus on podcasts, with CEO Linda Henry saying that the North Star goal for the company is to generate more subscriptions, and that podcasts would not contribute to this cause. Here’s what other top-tier publishers think about podcasts.

The News Movement’s leadership has changed. Will they reach profitability?

What’s new? The News Movement (TNM) is recalibrating its strategy under new leadership to achieve profitability by 2025, focusing on engaging Gen Z audiences across multiple platforms.

What are their plans? TNM use data analytics to better connect with Gen Z, particularly on YouTube, where they have seen massive growth. To diversify revenue and reduce reliance on social media ads, TNM is leveraging audience data they gather to help other brands reach Gen Z. Through partnerships across different sectors, they’re creating targeted campaigns they can monetize while preserving editorial independence.

Adapting to change: Even though social media algorithms are volatile, The News Movement is trying to ride this wave, and it has so far succeeded. The company’s approach includes launching new initiatives, such as partnerships with educational institutions to bolster media literacy among young audiences, in an effort to further solidify its standing as a trusted news source for Gen Z. Earlier this year, we picked The News Movement as one of 7 news media startups to watch in 2024. Wondering who else made the list? Check it out!

Digital Growth Summit regular tickets are available

Our early bird tickets for the Digital Growth Summit sold out just a few days ago.

We’re excited to announce that regular tickets are now available for purchase!

Who should consider purchasing a ticket?

• C-Level Executives looking to network with peers and engage in meaningful conversations with other industry leaders.
• Product Leaders wanting to discover new trends, tools, and learn from innovative cases.

Don’t miss out. Get your tickets now and join us for an unforgettable experience!

Twipe customer update

✈️ Looking for recipes or travel ideas? The new Telegraph Life module in the Telegraph app inspires you to find what you’ll be cooking for dinner, where you’ll be going on holiday, or what to watch on TV tonight.

🗞️ What we’re reading

• Thomas Baekdal (hosted by the Audiencers) discusses what the industry needs to do to get young people to read news again.
• The US Department of Justice is trying to break up Google
• How Paris Olympics led to traffic boost for leading news publishers

💡 Twipee recommendations

Valentin Ringlet, one of our Young Graduates in Software Engineering, recommends Dagny – Backbeat.

Valentin Ringlet

While I was working, this song randomly came up on YouTube. It was a great surprise: I really liked its rhythm and general atmosphere, so I saved it in my playlist and shared it with a friend right away.

Young Graduate, Software Engineering