Zephr's Subscription Think Tank

Digital publishing has faced enormous hurdles and undergone drastic changes this year.

But although these changes have posed challenges, they’ve also opened the doors to plenty of opportunities to stand out, lead in the field, and grow revenue.

The key to success lies in anticipating what to expect for the future, and building strategies to capitalise on those trends.

So how can publishers best prepare?

In this audio guide, we’ll delve deep into the current evolving trends that give good predictions for the future market.

Listen now to:

Discover the top consumer trends influencing advertising, content consumption, and user experiences.
Get up to date with evolving technologies being tested by leading publishers as we speak.
Learn why communities will play a big role in the longevity of publishing brands.
Find out why SEO strategy is changing, and how you can capitalise on the new shift in the search algorithm.
Discover 5 key steps to future-proofing your business.

And much more!

If you'd prefer to read this e-guide instead, please download the pdf version here.

Welcome to the next episode in our Subscription Think Tank series! 

In this episode, our Finance Director, Jamie Walker, interviews Evalian's Head of Data Privacy and Protection, Ray Orife, to discuss what makes a good data privacy strategy, and how digital publishers can ensure they are compliant with data law. 

Listen now to discover:

Why data consent is so important for the future of digital publishing
How GDPR differs from CCPA
Which publishers do well with data protection, and how to emulate them
Ray's predictions for the future of data protection (and how to keep up)

Welcome to the next episode in our Subscription Think Tank series! 

In this episode, our VP of Marketing, Sibel Ugur, interviews our Creative Director of product development, James Counter, to discuss how digital publishers can excel with user-centred design.

Listen now to discover:

Why design consistency is so important for conversions and engagement
How to strike the right balance between ads and a good user experience
Which publishers do well with user design, and how to emulate them
Key steps to good user-centred design

Welcome to the next episode in our Subscription Think Tank series! 

In this episode, our VP of Customer Experience, Andreas Martin, will be interviewing Deputy Managing Director of FT strategies, Aled John, to discuss how subscription businesses can survive the rise in living costs.

Listen now to discover:

Why having an engaged customer base is so important for long-term success
If data and automation will ever replace the work of skilled editorial teams
Common churn triggers to look out for
Key steps to boosting subscriber engagement

Welcome to the next episode in our Subscription Think Tank series! 

In this episode, our CPO, Chris Scott, will be interviewing Robert Manly of Amazon Advertising to discover how he manages stakeholders from the wider Amazon business, and how Ad tech and Subs tech can work together in harmony.

Listen now to discover:

• How Amazon Advertising’s targeting extends into the broader internet
• How the Amazon Advertising team interacts with the rest of the wider Amazon business
• How Amazon Advertising use data analytics to give them an edge
• How Ad tech and Subs tech can work together to achieve more

Welcome to the next episode in our Subscription Think Tank series! 

In this episode, our COO, Felix Danczak, will be interviewing renowned media and communications adviser, Julian Dickens, to discover the essential lessons digital publishers can glean from telecom and streaming industries.

Listen now to discover:

• Parallels between bundling in the OTT industry vs. news & media, and the joint challenges both industries will have to overcome
• How content-driven acquisition and retention works in TV and streaming, and how digital publishers can learn from those experiences
• The Washington Post's 50 year subscription offer (and why packages like this might not be such a crazy idea)
• The 'test and iterate' approach successful streaming businesses are using today

Welcome to the next episode in our Subscription Think Tank series! 

In this episode, our VP of customer experience, Andreas Martin, will be interviewing Rosie Taroghion of Gousto to discover how they created exponential success in the subscription box space, and how customer lifetime value plays an important role in the success of any subscription business.

Listen now to discover:

• Why referrals were so effective for Gousto, and how they can be applied in other subscription businesses for rapid growth
• What the secret is to Gousto's rapid innovation, and how they approach testing new ideas
• How new technology is helping subscription businesses of the future

Welcome to the new Zephr Podcast Series: The Subscription Think Tank! 

In this series, we'll be interviewing experts from other subscription industries to gain valuable insights that digital publishers might have otherwise missed. 

Each episode will delve into the success of a different subscription business, or uncover the secrets to solving some of the most challenging issues digital publishers face today. 

In this launch episode, our VP of marketing Sibel Ugur will be interviewing Dipika Sawhney of Salesforce to discover why a customer-first approach is so effective in marketing today. Listen now to discover:

• Why big tech companies are often ahead of the curve when it comes to subscriptions
• What consumers look for from products today
• How AI benefits subscription businesses
• Dipika's predictions for the future of subscription businesses

In this episode Scott Howland is joined by Arjun Saksena (Founder & CEO of Humanic) & Max Nimaroff (GM of Subscriber Experience at Doordash). Together they look at the ways subscription businesses are facing current challenges, as well as how the not-so-distant tech of the future could help us achieve big wins.

• What is product-led growth and why does it matter?
• Why outcome-based metrics are the campaigns of the future
• How top companies keep up with changing customers and reach new segments of people
• How passive business tools could help subscription managers get more done with fewer resources.

In this episode Scott Howland is joined by Nick Corey of Free Interviews Now. They look at some out-of-the-box thinking behind successful podcasts, and why interviewing is a format for sharing information like no other.

• Why Nick loves being a podcast host
• Why podcasts are becoming so popular
• A novel new take on content creation
• How to structure a good podcast 
• Ways to get the most value out of podcast guests