I am a devoted fan of everything The Economist does: from its elegant and clean, almost minimalist, design, to the clever and inviting headlines, the instant visual connection between headlines and images.
So I am not surprised to read that the average age of a print-only consumer of The Economist is lower than that of a digital subscriber.
Paul Rossi , the President of the Economist Group, told an audience at Digital Media Strategies 2015 how The Economist has been adapting.
“You can’t finish the web, you can finish a copy of the Economist. Feeling briefed is of value.”
This is a feeling we have noticed and shared here often: curated editions, and, particularly print, do have that last page that reminds you that you have completed your reading—the end of the workout (always a happy, satisfactory moment).
Finally, The Economist has always known how to exploit its incredibly strong brand. It has a reputation as a trusted advisor and one that becomes essential if one wishes to be up to date and to understand what’s behind the news.
I also don’t think you will hear the tired phrase “digital first” mentioned around The Economist newsroom much. Rossi explained it best:
“There comes a time with any new technology, whether it be DVDs or digital cameras, where both the old and new technologies exist together. DVDs living alongside videos, Kodak disposables alongside the early digital cameras.” he said. Rossi agrees that this is comparable to the current state of the magazine industry, with print and digital living side by side.
I don’t think anyone around The Economist sees the disappearance of that wonderful package that arrives weekly via the printed magazine (although The Economist calls itself a newspaper).