Reach has hired its first head of digital subscriptions as it begins to put a “serious focus” on reader revenue.
Harry Fawkes has started in the role this week, joining from The i Paper where he was head of digital subscriptions, marketing and business data for the past five years.
He was also previously head of digital at wine magazine Decanter.
Reach chief content officer David Higgerson said Fawkes is “joining us at a really exciting time in our journey into digital subscriptions for the first time, as we continue to evolve our new strategy.
“Harry’s experience growing other digital brands’ premium offerings complements our existing expertise and will help us bring to market a compelling subscription offer to our audience.”
Fawkes said: “What ties together successful digital subscription publishers is readers’ deep engagement with quality journalism, and Reach has that in abundance across its titles. I’m looking forward to building on that strength and helping grow meaningful, lasting reader relationships.”
Reach announced in its half-year results in July, the first under new chief executive Piers North, that it would develop and roll out digital subscriptions. North described it as “one market trend we haven’t yet taken advantage of”.
In the past two years other primarily ad-funded news websites like the Daily Mail and The Sun have added paid premium sections to their websites, while Sky News has set out plans to charge for premium content.
Having paid premium content alongside free sections appears to be the model planned for Reach sites, starting with the Manchester Evening News, Liverpool Echo and Wales Online.
North said in July: “I see this as an important addition to our business model but we will continue to be primarily ad-funded for the foreseeable.
“And we remain committed to providing free news in the main, which I still think is right for us, right for our advertisers and right for large swathes of our audience and our role in society.
“However, for the right kind of content and products, I believe that now is the time to revisit this option.”
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