Blog

What’s Up with All the Coffee Subscriptions?

Everyone's talking about Panera Bread's new coffee subscription. I'm not sure it's unprecedented as reported here in the Business Insider, since Burger King Corporation announced a $5 coffee subscription last fall. And several convenience stores including Cumberland...

Walking the Generational Tightrope: How To Keep Older Members Happy and Also Draw In Younger Ones

“Millennials aren’t joiners.”“Millennials don’t pay for news.” “Our customers love us, but the average age is going up. It seems like millennials just aren’t interested.” These are statements I hear all the time from membership organizations that have been around for...

Kepler’s Books: A Story of A Local Business and the Membership Economy

This excerpt from The Membership Economy is reprinted here with permission from my publisher McGraw-Hill Education. It's about my favorite bookstore in the world, Kepler's. I have been buying books at Kepler's since I was 4 years old. So it is a thrill for me to be...

14 Subscription Experts that I follow on LinkedIn and Why I Follow Them (plus a couple of bonus names)

If you're like me, you're always looking for ways to optimize your LinkedIn feed, to have articles that are relevant and helpful. In my work helping organizations design and optimize subscription pricing and membership models I am always looking for kindred spirits...

Subscription Boxes: A Great Gift Idea?

A subscription box seems like such a perfect gift for your next birthday or special occasion. But before you sign up your loved ones, be sure you're making the right decision. Subscription boxes seem like the perfect present and for good reason; subscription services...

“Free” is a Tactic, Not a Strategy

Recently, a CEO of a major professional association asked me what I thought of a 30 day free trial for new members. He worried that potential members would sign up for the free trial, binge the value in that free period and then cancel without paying. But his board...