Strategy of pushing readers to premium packages of print and digital content pays off for magazine, which this year severed links with Pearson

The Economist grew profits to more than £60m last year overcoming an 18% fall in print ad revenues by focusing on pushing its premium print and digital subscription packages to readers.

The weekly business magazine managed a strong year despite navigating arguably the biggest upheaval in its 173-year history with Pearson, the former owner of the Financial Times, selling its 50% stake to existing shareholders led by an investment company headed by the heir to the Fiat business.

The Economist Group managed to boost operating profit from £59.3m to £60.6m in the year to the end of March, a creditable performance given the pressures facing publishers.

While advertising suffered the Economist credited its strategy of pushing readers to premium packages of print and digital with circulation profits up 31% year-on-year and digital subscriber numbers up 27% despite a fall in newsstand sales.

Read the full article at: www.theguardian.com

And get more indepth insights into The Economist’s growth strategies in this Q&A with Subrata Mukherjee, VP of Product at The Economist.