According to information posted on January 18, 2024, The Guardian's year-end campaign brought in a record $2.2 million, a 25% increase from the previous record. Notably, about a third of digital revenue now comes from the US, demonstrating strong support from readers in this country.
In a message written by editor Aleks Chan, who represents The Guardian, thanked all readers for their support, stressing that their contributions directly ensure the strength of The Guardian's journalism and keep it free and accessible to everyone.
Reader generosity has helped The Guardian better prepare for its journalism priorities in 2024, including the crucial US presidential election, growing threats to democracy, continuing wars in the Middle East, the growing climate crisis and the role of artificial intelligence in our society.
Illustration: niemanlab
Speaking about how The Guardian engages its readers, Director of Consumer Revenue Rachel Sturm credits the success of their year-end campaign to the contributions of prominent commentators such as Rebecca Solnit, Naomi Klein and Robert Reich. Their promotional emails engage readers with messages that emphasize climate, news rights and American democracy.
In addition, The Guardian’s updated strategy also emphasizes editorial relationships and collaboration with its reader community. The campaign focuses not only on fundraising but also measures success through other metrics such as the number of recurring supporters and conversion rates. This reflects The Guardian’s commitment to maintaining a unique advertising model where readers not only contribute financially but also receive incentives such as ad-free reading and fewer requests for support.
Finally, the flexible timing of the campaign also played a key role. The Guardian’s exceptional success on New Year’s Eve (31 December 2023) with over 3,000 independent acts of support laid the foundation for a hugely successful end-of-year campaign. The team faced significant challenges, but their dedication and creativity helped them overcome them and achieve an outstanding result.
The Guardian has proven its credibility and influence not only through quality content but also through its ability to deeply connect with readers and creative promotional strategies. This victory is not only a source of pride for The Guardian but also a testament to the strong support of the reader community.
Mai Van (according to Niemanlab)
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