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Consumer Reports: Innovative Marketing Strategies

Discover how the renowned Consumer Reports leveraged online subscriptions with strategic marketing. Learn about their success and key principles for a winning business model.

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Consumer Reports: Innovative Marketing Strategies

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  1. How Consumer Reports Has Sold Over 1,400,000 Online Subscriptions Michelle Rutkowski Marketing Director, ConsumerReports.org rutkmi@consumer.org April 16, 2004

  2. Consumers Union • Largest nonprofit educational and consumer product-testing center in the world • Independent testing for 68 years • Mission: Test, Inform, and Protect Consumers • Publisher of Consumer Reports Magazine, ConsumerReports.org, Books and Special Publications • Objective, unbiased product ratings, recommendations and advice • No advertising • Independent of commercial interests

  3. The Power of the Brand • Customer trust • Unbiased, Research-Based Product Testing • Independent, Free From Commercial Interest • Name Recognition

  4. Consumer Reports magazine 4 million paid subscribers 16 million readers every month

  5. Integrating the Web into the Product Line • 1978 - Viewtron • 1986 - Trintex, Prodigy • 1986 - Dialog Online • 1988 - Lexis-Nexis • 1988 - CompuServe • 1992 - America Online • 1997 – ConsumerReports.org Launched • 2001 – Consumer Reports Available on PDAs • 2001 – ConsumerReports.org Redesigned • 2002 – Consumer Reports to Go launch • 2003 – ConsumerReports.org Redesigned

  6. Strategies for Integrating Print and Web • Extend the Brand • Establish a Business Model Based on Paid Content • Integrate Web into the Product Line • Differentiate Print and Online Products • Leverage Marketing and Business Development Opportunities

  7. Four principles for creating and maintaining a Winning Business Model • Focus on your customers • Provide a unique and useful product • Extend your brand • Build upon your already successful business model

  8. Marketing objectives • Drive new subscriptions • Retain current subscribers • Generate incremental revenue from upsells and cross-sells • Reach new markets (younger audience)

  9. Consumer Reports Marketing Strategy • Leverage the Consumer Reports brand online – reinforce core messages of expert, independent, nonprofit • Create and implement Web-only content for ConsumerReports.org • Provide interactive user tools: search, calculators, configurators • Use house lists and house media – best source of new business • Sample content and drive consumers to samples • Silver content offsite and seasonal PR hubs • Use search engine optimization (SEO) to identify consumers in buying/research mode and bring them to site

  10. ConsumerReports.orgFree content – • Sampling and mission • Shopping guidance • Product recalls database & safety alerts • Selected reports from other CU publications • Timely special sections • Links to manufacturers & other helpful consumer sites • e-Ratings of online shopping sites • ConsumerReports.org Paid content • Consumer Reports current issue • Up to four years of back reports • Product, services, and reliability ratings • Cars database and car selector • Interactive applications • Subscriber Forums

  11. Marketing Issues • Driving online from other media • “Cannibalization” from print • Cross-selling • Upsells • Consumers want discounts on multiple subscriptions • Sequential sales vs. bundling • How much is too much on sampled content? • Straightforward sell always works best • “Non-intuitive” marketing

  12. Marketing Program Examples

  13. Auto Renewal email Dear ConsumerReports.org Subscriber: Our records indicate that your subscription to ConsumerReports.org will be renewed soon. That's because you signed up a year ago with an annual auto-renewing subscription. If you have updated your billing information in the last few days, thank you and please disregard this letter. If not, please help us in confirming your account information. On the one-year anniversary of your subscription, you will automatically be renewed for another year of ConsumerReports.org, and your credit card will be billed accordingly. If any of your credit card information has changed (e.g., credit card expiration date) or if you need to change anything regarding your account, please click on link below to update your account information: https://www.consumerreports.org/main/user/challenge.jsp If any of your credit card information has changed (e.g., credit card expiration date) or if you need to change anything regarding your account, please click on link below to update your account information: https://www.consumerreports.org/main/user/challenge.jsp As you know, we truly value your readership and commitment to ConsumerReports.org. That's why we want to make sure you continue receiving the facts you need to shop smart and buy smart. In our efforts to continually improve and expand the site, you have access to more features and information than before: - Unlimited access to the most recent product Ratings and recommendations on topics covered in the last four years - Quick and easy search capability to find exactly the information you're looking for - FAST - e-Ratings on over 175 top online shopping sites in 19 retail categories - Access to Consumer Reports experts in our Forums - Email alerts with breaking product or safety news - Downloadable reports for your PDA - And much more! You already know the value of having Consumer Reports' unbiased, reliable advice at the click of a mouse. We are looking forward to the upcoming year -- it promises to be an exciting one! Sincerely, The ConsumerReports.org Team P.S. Make sure you check out the great features we have planned, such as computers, home networking, broadband, dream kitchens, cell phone alternatives, bike helmets, and more. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Please note: This e-mail was sent from a notification-only address that cannot accept incoming e-mail. Please do not reply to this message. If you experience difficulty confirming your account information, simply click on the link below and choose the appropriate Help topic. http://www.consumerreports.org/main/redirect/content.jsp?PATH=/Custserv/custserv.html

  14. Red Savings Ad

  15. Which Is Better Ad

  16. Wedding Gift Guide Free CRO Hub

  17. Voucher Offer To Magazine Subscribers

  18. Double Postcard to CR Magazine Subscribers Sample A. Sample 100 American Avenue Anytown, US 12345

  19. Webstore or Bookstore Selling Other Products

  20. Monthly “What’s New” Opt-in email

  21. Site Conversion – Subscribe Ad Units and Text Links Plus Send To A Friend

  22. Site Conversion – Bottom Text Link

  23. ConsumerReports.org Home Page

  24. Units in Thousands Subscribers to ConsumerReports.org 1,400,000 + Paid Subscribers to ConsumerReports.org

  25. Subscription Websites Paid Subs 12/31/03 Website Business * Includes BlueMountain.com and Egreetings.com ** Includes CreditExpert.com and FreeCreditReport.com (parent: Experian) Source: Wall Street Journal from Intermarket Group LP and the companies listed

  26. ConsumerWebWatch.org

  27. How Consumer Reports Has Sold Over 1,400,000 Online Subscriptions Michelle Rutkowski Marketing Director, ConsumerReports.org rutkmi@consumer.org April 16, 2004

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