The Economist has partnered with Indian business and finance publication Mint to offer readers access to both publications through a single subscription bundle.
Starting today, readers in India can purchase a digital subscription that provides access to both publishers’ products, and Mint will also publish some of The Economist’s content in its print edition and on its digital properties, the companies said.
From The Economist’s standpoint, the deal is intended to help expand its global audience and subscriber base. “This collaboration with Mint will help us reach more customers in India and serve as a model for other partnerships across the Asia-Pacific region,” said Bob Cohn, President at The Economist, in a statement.
And for HT Media-owned Mint, the arrangement is intended to drive more value for Mint’s paying subscribers as the company places more emphasis on its premium digital offerings.
“We believe our customers will find significant value in this new offering. Mint’s users are among the most discerning readers interested in India and the world. This will be a unique bundle for these users,” said Puneet Jain, CEO of HT Digital Streams, a group company of HT Media Ltd.
Mint positions itself as India’s premier business and financial daily, and was first launched as a business newspaper in 2007 in an exclusive content partnership with The Wall Street Journal.
Bundling and cross-promotion of subscription products is becoming more common as publishers look for ways to attract and retain subscribers in a challenging economic climate. Some have opted to team with other publishers, while others have presented offers alongside streaming services and financial services companies. The Wall Street Journal partnered with Apple earlier this month to offer a free year of digital access to new Apple Card customers, for example, and the offer was promoted by both Apple and WSJ on their respective properties.
Cross-promotional offers are not uncommon, but it’s an approach that’s perhaps underutilized by publishers given the ability of such arrangements to add significant value for both parties — provided there’s a viable product fit and they’re executed appropriately.