The Conversation
Live Client Brief
Problem
The Conversation attracted record numbers of readers during COVID, more than double its 2019 audience. But post Covid people are turning away from the news again, audience numbers are dropping and we need a concerted effort to boost engagement in the brand. Specifically, The Conversation only has 16% repeat traffic, meaning we can’t get a second date. People discover an article they like through a google search and it solves their problem, but they don’t come back to the site again or follow us on socials to read more. No matter how clever our writers are, we’re not distinctive enough to be memorable.
Insight
Trust in news is declining. Younger people are sick of being told what to think, they are suspicious of billionaire owners or businesses trying to monetise their attention for power, they resent partisan political news sources pushing their propaganda, both left and right pompously claiming a monopoly on ‘truth’. They want good information that helps them understand the world, quick, easy, bullshit free. The Conversation provides this, BUT it has no distinct personality, it’s dry and looks like any other news site, so when they come across an article from a Google search or republished in another paper, they don’t understand why it’s different or feel a connection to it.
Objective
Get
Young Aussies (18-25) who are browsing for info on Facebook, Insta, Google and come across a Conversation article
To
Go to the Conversation website/ Facebook /Insta page and like or follow / subscribe to emails, or pin our homepage to their mobile screen, so they can check out new stories as they are published
By
Showing how The Conversation aligns with their values and making them feel smart for discovering it.
