Our work

Reinventing print for a subscription world

A global print leader needed to understand how a new all-in-one subscription model could drive growth and compete with traditional purchasing.

Sector: Technology
Market: Global
Expertise: Proposition Development, Pricing Strategy, Consumer Insight

The Challenge

The client needed to understand whether consumers would embrace a fundamentally different way of purchasing products and services.

Moving from traditional ownership models to a subscription-based proposition required deeper understanding:

  • Consumer perceptions of value
  • Potential switching triggers
  • Pricing expectations
  • Barriers to adoption in an established category

The business also needed to identify which audiences would be most receptive to the model and how best to position the offer against competitor alternatives.

 

Our approach

Using qualitative and quantitative research, we delivered insight from B2B and consumer customers across multiple global markets.

Our work explored:

  • How target customers interpreted and understood the subscription model
  • The emotional and functional benefits associated with “all-in-one” services
  • Drivers that could encourage customers to switch brands
  • Consumer attitudes towards pricing, flexibility and commitment

This provided a clear framework for understanding adoption potential and the conditions required to maximise relevance and uptake.

The Results

Sharper proposition positioning

Clearer understanding of the messages and benefits most likely to drive adoption

Improved pricing confidence

Research identified acceptable pricing structures and value expectations

Stronger audience targeting

The business gained clarity on which customer groups were most receptive to subscription models

The bold decision

Rather than positioning the proposition purely around convenience, our research identified reassurance, predictability and simplicity as the strongest emotional drivers of appeal.

This shifted the focus of the proposition away from product ownership and towards a more service-led relationship with customers, helping the brand differentiate within a mature category