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Welcome to the Younger Audience Network
The Younger Audience Network is an exclusive community for publishers committed to engaging the next generation of readers. Brought to you by FT Strategies, this membership programme connects industry leaders who are navigating the challenges – and opportunities – of reaching 18–35 year olds.
As a member, you will take part in regular roundtables every two months, where you can learn from peers, guest speakers and case studies, and explore new approaches to the fast-changing world of younger audience engagement. Between sessions, you will receive curated quarterly insights – a digest of the latest research, platform shifts, experiments and behavioural trends – to ensure your teams stay up to date.
We look forward to welcoming you to the network and working together to build the next generation of engaged and loyal news consumers.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Bi-Monthly Roundtables
Virtual 60–90 minute sessions, moderated by FT Strategies, featuring rotating guest speakers or case
studies. Each session focuses on a timely challenge or opportunity in reaching younger audiences.
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Quarterly Gen Z Insights
A curated roundup of the latest research, platform updates, content experiments and behavioural trends — designed to keep your team informed between meetings.
In-Person Kick-Off in London
An exclusive gathering hosted by the Financial Times, including a facilitated session and dinner with
other cohort members to build relationships and align on shared priorities.
Ongoing Community
A light-touch community channel or WhatsApp group for informal peer sharing, Q&A and continued
discussion between sessions.
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Younger Audience Consultation
A 1:1 diagnostic session with FT Strategies consulting team to understand younger audience initiatives in
the context of the organisation’s wider business strategy.
FEATURED INSIGHTS
WHAT’S REQUIRED
Designed to be lightweight but high-impact, the membership requires only a small time commitment and a spirit of collaboration.
- Time commitment: 6-8 hours per year, plus a trip to London for the in-person kick-off.
- Knowledge sharing: A willingness to present one case study or learning from your organisation.
- Team involvement: Up to 2 relevant representatives from Audience, Growth, Marketing and/or Product teams
OUR WORK
FT Future Audiences Initiative
The FT’s internal investment in a year-long project to understand, identify and engage current and future subscribers under 35 years old.
Next Gen News
Our flagship research with Northwestern University’s Medill School explores how 18–25 year olds consume news across India, Nigeria, and the U.S. Widely cited, Next Gen News is considered a defining study on Gen Z news engagement.
Project Sigma: Engaging Gen Z
Project Sigma was a 10-week program supporting six Southeast Asian publishers in launching hands-on experiments to better understand Gen Z. Initiatives included vox-pop interviews, infinite scroll features, and Gen Z focus groups.
OUR EXPERTS
Managing Director
Joanna leads the FT Strategies business with responsibility for the P&L. She is passionate about helping clients transform and grow their businesses from an audience-led perspective.
Joanna started her consulting career at Accenture and ended up leading the customer strategy practice which she led to double-digit growth, working with a range of clients across B2C and B2B companies and sectors spanning media, arts, telecommunications, consumer packaged goods and financial services. Joanna joins FT Strategies from Manifesto Growth Architects where she was one of four partners leading this independent business.
Joanna is married with three children and lives in South West London.
Director, Deputy Managing Director
Aled has over ten years experience in the media, overseeing strategy, product, new venture creation and editorial. Previously he was Head of Membership Strategy and Business Development at Condé Nast, where he launched their B2B subscription title Vogue Business.
Aled cut his teeth in TV news at ITN and later received his MBA from Cambridge University. Outside of the day job, his kids keep him busy and he is also a trustee and director of DeliverAid, a charity helping those suffering from food poverty started during the pandemic.
Head of Insights
George is Head of Insights at FT Strategies and an expert in the media industry and its accompanying business models. George has led and contributed to a number of high-profile projects including the News Sustainability Project, the National Theatre and various leading European news publishers. Prior to joining FT Strategies, George spent 4 years guiding FT's data strategy and their future approach to marketing & advertising.
George holds an MBA from IE Business School and is a regular speaker at media events (including the JournalismAI Launch Event 2023).
Senior Insights Consultant
Lamberto is a Senior Insights Consultant at FT Strategies, co-leading on original research and supporting the building of media and subscriptions expertise. He has worked with publishers across EMEA and done extensive research on how newsroom can tranform in the digital era to meet evolving audience content and product preferences. Prior to joining, Lamberto worked as a Research Analyst at Enders Analysis, a media research firm, writing about the transformation of the publishing industry towards reader-revenue models. He holds a Msc in Media and Communications Governance from The LSE.