The Boston Globe: Surviving and Thriving in the Digital Age

The Boston Globe, a distinguished regional media brand, nearly faced extinction during the financial crash of 2009. However, it has transformed into a shining example of how journalism can not only survive but thrive in the digital era. The Globe’s evolution, described by Chief Commercial Officer Kayvan Salmanpour, was highlighted in an episode sponsored by Quintype, featuring insights from Chad Hussain, the company’s vice president of international partnerships.

Boston Globe Media, a privately-owned entity, employs close to 1,000 people and boasts 261,000 digital subscribers alongside 75,000 in print. Unlike many struggling regional publishers, the Globe has flourished by navigating the rapid shift to digital consumption.

The journey began in 2009 when The New York Times owned the Globe. Salmanpour recounted the steep challenges: “It was losing a lot of its audience to the web; Google was eroding its classified business, and Facebook was affecting its small and medium-sized business advertising.” A pivotal decision was to separate Boston.com from The Globe, creating a free-to-access site and a premium, subscription-based Globe.com.

In 2013, John and Linda Henry purchased the Globe for $70 million, steering it towards a reader-revenue-focused business model. By increasing the cost of online access from $3.99 per week to $1 per day, the Globe anticipated losing up to 40% of its subscribers but retained 97%.

Come 2018, subscriber growth had plateaued. After various experiments, the Globe settled on offering a six-month trial for $1, with a metered paywall restricting access to one free article prior to payment. This model significantly boosted subscription conversions.

The Globe’s decision not to remove its paywall during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was another bold move. While traffic surged, providing free COVID content through Boston.com and STAT, a B2B media company, enabled the Globe to capitalize on the moment with stable subscription growth.

In diversifying revenue, the Globe tapped into events and intellectual property. Their Top Places to Work rankings and the hit podcast “Gladiator” were co-produced with Wondery, which is being developed into a TV series by FX.

Addressing declining advertising revenue, the Globe conducted an audit that revealed that 45% of clients contributed only 8% of revenue. Consequently, the team focused on deals exceeding $75,000, forming multimedia partnerships with entities like Fenway Sports and increasing collaboration with local businesses, notably in healthcare.

To engage younger audiences, the Globe launched a newsletter called B-Side, a creator-driven, mobile-first publication with strong visual content, which bypassed the paywall. Collecting 35,000 subscribers, it attracted new advertisers like Door Dash.

Globally, local news publishers are shifting towards reader revenue models, Hussain noted, emphasizing digital engagement over ad performance. Salmanpour concludes that simplicity and a great product, alongside seamless trial processes, are crucial for success in today’s media landscape.