What do newspaper paywalls mean for brands? - … · What do newspaper paywalls mean for brands? Media Intelligence Monitoring Research Solutions Measurement ... The New York Times

What do newspaper paywalls mean

for brands?

Media IntelligenceMonitoring Research Solutions Measurement Analysis Reports Studies Media IntelligenceMonitoring Research Solutions Measurement

Overview Media IntelligenceMonitoring Research Solutions Measurement Analysis Reports Studies Media IntelligenceMonitoring Research Solutions Measurement

The newspaper industry is undergoing massive restructuring. Through a combination of demographic, economic and technological shi� s, publishers are moving from print to digital-fi rst solutions.

At the same time, online advertising yields signifi cantly fewer dollars than print, forcing publishers to seek more revenue from audiences.

Almost all major publishers north and south of the border have plans to institute digital subscriptions (paywalls) if they haven’t already done so.

The number of newspapers that have implemented some form of paywall, approximately 10 per cent of all U.S. dailies.

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300300300The amount of digital ad revenue for every $7 lost through print.

$$$111

Media Monitoring Implications


For companies using licensed media monitoring services, the construction of paywalls shouldn’t have any e� ect on their monitoring activities. But companies relying on free services and webcrawlers may no longer be able to access certain online news content.

Companies using unlicensed services may face the risk that paywalls will block the content they rely on to measure their brand’s media presence.

Clients of Infomart can rest assured knowing they have fully licensed, full-text articles to all major publications. No link degradation, no paywall restrictions, no hassle.

The percentage of Canadian dailies* owned by the Big Four** that will soon be blocked by a paywall. This includes the papers of record for: Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg***, Toronto, O� awa and Montreal.

The number of missed brand mentions that could have a serious impact on your business or your client’s business.

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515151

111* With circulation over 10,000**TorStar Corp., Postmedia Network Inc., The Globe and Mail, Sun Media Corp.*** Winnipeg Free Press is not owned by the Big Four, but it instituted a paywall in December 2011.

Paywall Background – The Story


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Seemingly a recent phenomenon, paywalls actually go back over 15 years. The Wall Street Journal implemented a paywall in 1997 and has seen its subscriber base climb to over 15 million users.

In March 2011, a� er 15 years of o� ering its web content for free, The New York Times launched a paywall. Early indications suggest the paywall revenue has helped replace lost advertising revenue. Seen as a bellwether for the industry, newspapers in Canada, the U.S. and worldwide followed The Times’s example and announced similar strategies.

The trend has extended to the Gannett Co., Inc., the largest daily publisher by circulation and owner of properties like USA Today. The Washington Post is a notable exception to the paywall trend, although there are rumours they too are planning a paywall announcement in 2013.

In Canada, the Big Four announced paywalls of their own in an attempt to develop new revenue streams while maintaining existing readership. All cited The Times’s success in curbing advertising losses in their justification to their readers.

Not all paywalls are alike. Here are three common types of paywalls:

Types of Paywalls


Fortress: No free articles, no ability to get around the paywall, access through paid subscription only. Example: The Wall Street Journal.

Semi-porous/metered: Limited amount of free articles, although links generated from social media don’t count towards the meter. Example: All Canadian publications have taken this approach.

Velvet rope/reverse paywall: Instead of charging those who read the most, the most engaged audience members are given exclusive access to content that would live behind a “velvet rope,” like those used for VIP areas. Top engagers would register with the paper and gain exclusive access to content. Example: No major publication has indicated it will take this approach, although all four Canadian publishers will o� er some form of exclusive content to subscribers.

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Without a licensed media monitoring service, readers would be able to view the following number of articles each month:

Paywall Restrictions


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* The Hamilton Spectator is a TorStar property and currently permits 15 free articles before the paywall kicks in. ** National Post currently has a paywall implemented for international readers only.

The Globe and Mail

101010 Toronto Sun

202020Toronto Star*

tbatbatbatba2013tbaO� awa Citizen

101010The Vancouver Sun

151515The Gaze� e

151515National Post**

tbatbatbaNational Post**

tbaNational Post**

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For more information, email [email protected] infomart.com or tweet us @infomart.comFor actionable, data-driven insights check out our Data Points blog at infomart.com/blog.

Infomart Data Points

The number of Canadian daily newspapers available to Infomart subscribers.730730

5,6005,600 The approximate number of licensed news sources clients of Infomart have unlimited access to.

5,000,0005,000,000The approximate number of news article views on Infomart in the past year.

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What do newspaper paywalls mean for brands? - … · What do newspaper paywalls mean for brands? Media Intelligence Monitoring Research Solutions Measurement ... The New York Times