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Australian Financial Review gives digital content away for free in summer subscription drive

Fairfax newspaper The Australian Financial Review has taken down its paywall to entice new digital subscribers in a summer promotion sponsored by Westpac.

Readers new to the Fin will get free access to afr.com and the Fin’s iPad app from 20 December through to 31 January. The offer excludes charges for the Financial Review company ASIC search.

The ‘Summer Financial Review’ promo comes about a year after the AFR cut the price of its online subscription.

A campaign to promote the offer is to run across Fairfax’s network of newspapers, magazines, websites and radio platforms. The campaign was created by independent agency The Hallway.

A press release reads: “Six weeks of the latest news, views and exclusive holiday content on afr.com and the award-winning app for iPad.”

Financial Review Group CEO and publisher, Brett Clegg, said: “This is a compelling proposition for our audiences and a terrific opportunity for anyone that’s yet to experience our digital products, which continue to grow a dedicated and loyal audience following.”

In the latest ABCs, the AFR newspaper lost 3% of its weekday subscribers, and 12% of its weekend subscribers. Fin Group boss Brett Clegg then said that while newspaper circulation was “soft”, “online engagement with the Financial Review is at an all time high.”

Westpac’s general manager of strategic marketing – Australian financial services, John Harries, said: “Westpac and the Financial Review have enjoyed a successful history of working together in partnership. Having recently launched our new brand campaign, the alignment with the ‘Summer Financial Review’ program makes great sense.”

“Digital is critical to Westpac’s customer strategy and this gives us an opportunity to engage with the Financial Review audience on the digital platform to bring value to readers by delivering the content for free,” Harries added.

The bank launched its new ‘Proudly supported by Westpac’ campaign in November, the first work off the production line from new agency DDB. The digital component featured an animated version of the ads.

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