Comments on: Guardian joins NYT in mulling over members’ club

By: Vuelve el modelo de la noticia paga « PriXmA

Vuelve el modelo de la noticia paga « PriXmA — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:02:20 +0000

[...] blog británico también comenta que The Guardian está pensando en implementar algo similar. Lo cierto es que están apareciendo ciertos reductos [...]

By: Is this the model for charging for online newspapers? | Online Journalism Blog

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:43:07 +0000

[...] The Guardian appears to be considering something similar. [...]

By: State of the Fourth Estate Morning Reading 8 13 09 « State of the Fourth Estate

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:41:29 +0000

[...] Guardian joins NYT in mulling over members’ club [Online Journalism Blog] [...]

By: links for 2009-08-11 | Joanna Geary

links for 2009-08-11 | Joanna Geary — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:30:53 +0000

[...] Guardian joins NYT in mulling over members’ club "It seems The Guardian is considering launching a members’ club of some sort as part of moves to increase revenue, an idea that was also mooted by the New York Times a few months ago." (tags: newspapers business future guardian) [...]

By: Matt Wardman

Matt Wardman — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:42:03 +0000

>What does “the opportunity to communicate with our journalists” mean? Do you get privileged email access? Or invites to events where you can meet reporters?

It’s like paying for lunch with David Cameron

By: EiNY

EiNY — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 16:15:35 +0000

What does “the opportunity to communicate with our journalists” mean? Do you get privileged email access? Or invites to events where you can meet reporters?

Sounds like the Washington Post Dinner Party Lite. And we know how that turned out.

By: Matt Wardman

Matt Wardman — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:14:11 +0000

>It seems to me the idea is similar to that of loyalty cards at supermarkets and bank accounts which you used to get for free but now have the pay for in exchange for getting your holiday insurance and tickets to Alton Towers.

The crucial difference as I see it is that a members club is an attempt to charge more for specific services, while a loyalty card is free – it’s a way of the supermarket getting customer data cheaply at the cost of a minimal reward.

Would an equivalent to a loyalty card would be “we’ll send you a free CD everymonth if you keep buying the paper”.

Would a “shoppers gold card” (5% off and use of a posh changing room with fragrance and a kettle for a one off £50 a year payment) be a better analogy?

By: Ian Duncan

Ian Duncan — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:08:56 +0000

I see the web as pretty much anti-club. Why join a club when you can go anywhere, collect information and republish/share the things you like on a social network. Access to journalists might really appeal to a few geeks but probably not that many.

Going after specialists might work but don’t they already tend to have their own hang outs – specialist publications, forms, blogs, even trades unions…

By: Jo Ind

Jo Ind — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 09:32:10 +0000

I’d be interested in some concrete figures and experiences around member-clubs for any industry, not just newspapers.
It seems to me the idea is similar to that of loyalty cards at supermarkets and bank accounts which you used to get for free but now have the pay for in exchange for getting your holiday insurance and tickets to Alton Towers.
Speaking personally I can’t stand them. I don’t want to join a club, I want to read a newspaper/buy my groceries/have a bank account (a free one.)
Signing up makes me feel owned and commodotised – but it evidently works as a business model or it wouldn’t have taken off in so many sectors.