To meet the needs of a variety of customers, Mainichi offers real-time information digitally in addition to their daily newspaper.
“Some readers like physical newspapers because the information is neatly arranged and easy to understand, while others want to know the latest news and find using digital content through a smartphone or computer easier. We’re creating a mechanism with which we can deliver content in a suitable format to those customers that need information.” (Ryuji Naramoto,  Deputy Manager and Producer, Operation Control Team, Digital Media Division)

The physical newspaper adopts a distributor model, and with the digital edition adopting a subscription model to deliver news articles to readers, Mainichi has been able to expand the ways in which they offer content, including for digital content.
“We’ve been offering paid digital content from 2015, and we’ve always wanted to increase the volume for the subscription model that acts as the foundation for our profit. We’ve been steadily increasing the number of subscribers since launch.” (Hiroyuki Takazoe, chairman, Digital Transformation Committee at The Mainichi Newspapers)

However, there were also some issues. Even if they wanted to know the needs of their readers, they were unable to collect data or integrate those needs with their CMS and analyze them. This made it difficult to augment and offer services in a timely manner. “We need stability and adaptability. However, our previous billing platform had a lot of areas that didn’t match up with our requirements.” (Yuji Mori, Deputy Manager and Chief Engineer, Digital Media Division)

Their previous billing platform did not allow them to easily customize billing plans or to update data, requiring a large investment of time and money to make it work with their operations. Mainichi develops their systems internally, so they have experience and expertise that has been accumulated through trial and error. They used that experience and expertise to thoroughly discuss what requirements needed to be met and what functionality was necessary to expand their subscription business.

They then moved on to looking into a number of services that could realize this. In addition to meeting their necessary requirements, what helped them pick Zuora was system stability, availability and the fact that it has been adopted by over 1,000 companies globally. Zuora’s rich experience in the media industry was also a factor.

“Introducing Zuora has allowed us to analyze and understand customer needs, and to develop services that meet those needs. Through this cycle, we’ve been able to continue improving to realize sustainable increases to profit. Zuora’s support is also fantastic. When we have questions about doing something new, they give us thorough answers in addition to advice that takes our circumstances into account. Moreover, Zuora’s easy integration with external systems allows us to focus on improving services for users.” (Naramoto)

After moving to Zuora, Mainichi was able to offer new subscription services in a short time period. Combining their existing systems and subscription services allowed them to rapidly release services that met user needs.“I believe that timing really is important. Missing the right time can have a serious impact on our ability to acquire customers. Zuora’s ability to offer services in a timely manner is one of its major benefits.” (Takazoe)

Introducing Zuora has allowed Mainichi to prepare an environment that allows for an even more detailed analyses of the massive amount of reader data they possess. They are now looking into utilizing this information to offer personalized articles.“Until now, we’ve only been able to analyze data in basic segments, such as age and gender. However, using Zuora has allowed us to conduct more detailed analyses of data so that we can form an even more complete picture of our readers. We think that these analyses will allow us to offer services personalized with the information that each customer needs.” (Mori)

With subscription services, there is a necessity to flexibly develop the service in line with the needs of the market. This is in addition to expanding profit over the long-term while keeping customers using the service.  The adoption of the Zuora platform by Mainichi has allowed them to strengthen their pricing, packaging and billing foundation, all without having to be reliant on skills or experience. They are now armed with a system that will allow them to meet any business needs that they might come across in the future.

With their business accelerated and their services constantly improving, they have started offering services that matter more to their customers.