When Schibsted and VG+ were developing their value proposition, they needed more than just numbers – they needed to understand the people behind the statistics. Through strategic in-depth interviews, Insights helped VG+ uncover the real drivers of loyalty in a demanding media market.
Schibsted has a proud history stretching back to 1839 and is today one of the Nordic region’s most influential media players. Its flagship newspaper VG reaches over two million users daily. Their subscription solution, VG+, has been at the forefront of digital paid content in Norway since 2013. But in a market with increasingly tough competition for people’s time and attention, Schibsted asked itself a critical question: What are our customers actually willing to pay for over time?
The search for the unfiltered answers
To find the answer, quantitative measurements were not enough.
Innsikteriet was chosen as a partner to conduct extensive 60-minute in-depth interviews with three selected target groups:
- Existing subscribers
- Previous subscribers
- Those who have not yet taken the step to pay for VG+
By combining physical meetings in the Oslo region with digital interviews across the rest of the country, a broad and representative insight was ensured.
- The insight team handled a relatively large and complicated assignment in a good way. They distilled it down to key points and findings that provided great value for VG.
Methodology that gets to the core
By choosing a qualitative approach, VG had the opportunity to sharpen their hypotheses before a larger quantitative test with Max Digg analyzes. The in-depth interviews invited an openness that uncovered deeper needs, barriers and drivers that can disappear in quantitative surveys.
Bjørn Langseth at Schibsted particularly highlights the ability to create a safe atmosphere for respondents:
– Geir Tommy (partner in Innsikteriet) is very good at teasing the respondents in the right places. He has good follow-up questions and does this in a comfortable way, so that we get a natural flow in the conversations. He gets to drill down where it’s really important to do so.
The way forward for VG+
The result of the collaboration was a comprehensive final report that today serves as an important management tool for the further development of VG+. By listening to the voices of the target group, Schibsted has gained a comprehensive understanding of the type of journalism and services that create value and effective measures for the future.