Situation
El Confidencial is the largest digital publisher in Spain focusing on business and financial news. Most of its subscriber base, including its most loyal users, belongs to an older demographic, over 55. Its publishers were aware of the need to attract younger audiences to remain sustainable as a business– but did not want to compromise on the integrity of its content.
Results
El Confidencial participated in the Google News Initiative and FT Strategies Audience Diversity Academy. During the programme they conducted experiments designed to achieve a higher rate of subscribers, particularly among young people. The team uncovered the topics that would appeal to a younger demographic, for example, education, careers, professional opportunities, personal finance, housing and mortgages. They gained insights into which formats were most likely to engage younger audiences. Working on TikTok, the team generated material related to the digital paper’s core identity as a trusted financial news source, answering the needs and concerns of under-35s.
El Confidencial’s UX team also used Google’s News Consumer Index tool to improve newsletter sign-ups, signposting of social media links and registration. Highlighting videos and making changes to the homepage has enabled El Confidencial to significantly progress the title’s user engagement strategy. A/B tests and experiments revealed which changes truly make an impact.
Following the programme’s success, El Confidencial’s leadership decided to invest more in younger audiences. They will establish a permanent team of young content specialists, tasked with generating content for readers who are under 35 and tailoring subscription offers that better serve their needs.
“The programme gave us a framework for thinking about engaging younger audiences without having to fear losing our core subscriber base. FT Strategies and Google enabled us to reach alignment within the company. Before the programme, we did not have the tools or buy-in to embark on this journey. We will continue to use many of the programme learnings to structure our work.”
Head of Subscriptions, El Confidencial
