Winner
Dennis Global Customer Revenues Team, Dennis Publishing
During 2020 the Dennis global marketing team took the decision to rebrand the team as the ‘Global Customer Revenue’ team, to accurately reflect what it does. It generates and grows customer revenues, specifically subscription revenues. For Dennis, subscription revenues now account for 75% of group turnover. Dennis is a subscription first business and the Global Customer Revenues Team performance was critical to the company’s success in 2020.
Subscriptions have always been a vital revenue stream for Dennis, but never more so than in 2020 as retail, advertising and event revenues suffered. Communicating with customers as postal services faltered was vital to the team’s success. Its ‘customer first’ strategy led it to opening up digital editions free to all subscribers to compensate for postal delays, a gesture which contributed to increased retention rates across the portfolio, despite price rises.
The team also focused on innovation and planning for the longer term, creating new viable marketing channels. It successfully optimised the performance of new channels for Dennis such as influencer marketing and content marketing at scale to work as part of the overall marketing mix including traditional offline channels such as direct mail and door drops.
Highly Commended
Subscriptions Team, Immediate Media
Within a year of exceptional challenges, the Immediate Media subscriptions marketing team has delivered unprecedented revenue, volume and contribution growth. It optimised existing channels, revisiting previously used channels such as direct mail and investigated new opportunities.
In terms of new initiatives, it tested programmatic advertising campaigns using a data led strategy to extend its reach and also looked for ways to reward loyalty and enhance its subscription offering to include a membership element. Success was achieved through a collaborative approach, working with key stakeholders across the business and ensuring that all subscription opportunities are explored in an ever-changing environment.