Working with New Scientist to drive subscriptions in the United States has been one of our most exciting projects to date. The campaign delivered exceptional results and has now been recognised as a finalist at the prestigious PPA Awards.

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Tapping into Like-Minded Audiences

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Successful online content creators have loyal communities of like-minded followers who can be ideal prospects for publishers. This opportunity is one that New Scientist has leaned into, with influencer marketing now forming a key part of its acquisition strategy in the US.

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The US presents a vast opportunity for New Scientist, being five times the size of the UK market. Despite having a presence there for many years, brand awareness remained low. In 2022, they opened a bureau in New York, investing in top editorial talent and marketing, but needed more traction to deliver the volume growth required.

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After two years of steady progress, the team undertook major audience research to better understand their value proposition and how to reach users with a deeper interest in science. This was the launchpad for a new integrated, digital-first marketing campaign. At the heart of this plan was influencer marketing.

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Building the Right Influencer Strategy

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We collaborated closely with New Scientist to explore the 'multiplier effect' of influencer marketing. Could we drive incremental conversions by building brand awareness through creators? The answer was a resounding yes.

The campaign followed a three-phase strategy:

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Phase 1: Organic Creator Content

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We partnered with four macro influencers:

• Kyle Hill, award-winning science educator and YouTube creator
• AsapSCIENCE, the duo behind the popular science explainer channel
• Ashley Christine, a STEM communicator with strong TikTok engagement
• Felecia For The Win, a software engineer and social philosopher with a highly engaged community

Content was delivered across Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, including Reels, Shorts, Stories and full videos. Each creator tailored their approach to fit their natural style. The aim was to introduce New Scientist authentically to a large, relevant audience.

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Phase 2: Influencer Paid Boosting

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We extended the reach of creator content by running paid ads through the influencers' accounts. This allowed us to reach audiences who had already interacted with these creators, increasing both relevance and impact.

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Phase 3: Paid Social Delivery

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The final phase involved partnership ads, enabling us to target the influencers' follower base with precision. Using adapted creatives and data-driven targeting, we saw significant improvements in performance, including a reduction in cost per click.

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Results That Speak for Themselves

• Click KPIs were exceeded by 455 percent
• Engagement rates averaged 8.65 percent, well above the 2 percent industry benchmark
• Cost per acquisition dropped by 29 percent

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Some influencers stood out. Ashley Christine's Instagram Reel performed especially well due to its alignment with her usual content. Felecia For The Win achieved an outstanding 10.44 percent engagement rate and the highest number of organic clicks. Kyle Hill drove 74 percent of total impressions and delivered strong viewer retention on YouTube.

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A Sustainable Path Forward

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The campaign not only exceeded performance expectations, but it also validated influencer marketing as a powerful channel for subscription growth. Compared to business-as-usual digital campaigns, the uplift in engagement and intent was substantial.

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Moving forward, New Scientist is looking to build long-term ambassador relationships with creators and integrate influencer marketing deeper into its digital strategy. There are even early conversations around the potential for New Scientist journalists to become influencers themselves.

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We are proud to have delivered this campaign in partnership with PMG and to be working with such an innovative and forward-thinking brand. Our thanks to James Nicholson and the New Scientist team for their trust and collaboration.

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To read more, see InPublishing's original article by Joanna Adams here.