Retaining Trust in a Digital World: Recapping the 2026 Mather Symposium

Last week, the media industry gathered for the 2026 Mather Symposium, a cornerstone event for publishers across North America. As a sponsor, PageSuite was pleased to present a joint case study with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC), detailing how a “customer-first” approach can turn a historic transition into a major business success. Charlotte, our Director of Client Success joined Mark Bigault, Head of Customer Experience at AJC, to take a deep dive into their journey so far…

The Challenge: A 157-Year Legacy

On August 28, 2025, the AJC made a bold announcement: it would deliver its last physical newspaper on December 31, 2024. For a brand with 157 years of print history, this wasn’t just a product change – it was an emotional shift for a deeply loyal audience.

The mission for AJC was clear: meet the moment with empathy and ensure a seamless digital transition for 40,000 remaining print subscribers.

Data-Driven Empathy: Segmenting for Success

The core of the strategy was a deep dive into audience data. The presentation highlighted four key customer segments:

• Legacy Print (44%): Older, long-tenured customers with low digital interaction.
• Retention Barrier (8%): Digitally engaged but blocked by account friction.
• Persuadable (19%): Digitally reachable but behaviorally tied to print.
• Digital Ready (29%): Already engaged with digital platforms.

The Strategy: Building “Digital Confidence”

Instead of forcing a sudden change, the team focused on “honoring the customer” through three tenets:

1. Education: Clearly communicating the value of digital offerings like the ePaper, which served as a familiar “bridge” product.
2. White-Glove Support: The team spoke with over 5,000 customers personally and held in-person events like “Aging in Atlanta” to provide hands-on digital support.
3. Surprise and Delight: Celebrating long-tenured subscribers to build goodwill during the transition.

The Results: Exceeding Expectations

The results of this collaborative effort were staggering. By focusing on trust as a strategy rather than just acquisition, the AJC ended the year at 154% of its goal, successfully retaining approximately 18,500 print subscribers who converted to digital. Remarkably, 80% of those who switched opted for an annual plan, signaling long-term commitment to the brand.

Key Takeaways

As Charlotte and Mark concluded, the transition wasn’t about “Print vs. Digital.” It was about safeguarding the journalism that customers value most.

• Trust is the Strategy: Retention is simply the outcome of earning and keeping that trust.
• Preserve Value: A digital transition succeeds when the core value proposition remains intact.
• Ease the Friction: Customers don’t resist digital; they resist losing what they love.

At PageSuite, we are proud to support the AJC in this historic milestone and look forward to helping more publishers navigate similar journeys in the coming months and years.