How Harvard Biz Review’s digital strategy has become a case study

Mark Stenberg of Adweek writes about Harvard Business Review’s success in boosting digital subscriptions.

Stenberg writes, “The publisher, which marked its 100th anniversary in October, has capitalized on the economic uncertainty of the last few years by parlaying its reputation as a source of business insights into an uptick in paying readers.

“Since launching a tiered subscription offering in 2019, the 116-person outlet has accumulated roughly 116,000 digital subscribers, more than one-third of its total subscriber base of 328,000 paying readers, according to Sarah McConville, the executive vice president, group publisher at HBR.

“‘We tend to do well, as a business, during economic downturns,’ McConville said. ‘During Covid, we saw our readership rise because there is a flight to quality. If you are a business leader or someone focused on managing through uncertainty, you want to spend your time with someone giving you trusted advice.’”

Read more here.