Early in my career, after presenting a product launch plan that emphasized the total addressable market to our board and leadership team, my CFO, who had become a mentor, stopped by my office. He told me I did great, and then drew a tree on my whiteboard, with three apples at different heights, and asked which would be easiest to pick. I pointed to the lowest. He smiled and drew a fourth apple on the ground. The lesson has shaped how I’ve approached in-market customer acquisition ever since.

As publishers plan for 2027, many are seeing growth slow from the rapid pace of their earlier years and are considering familiar strategies such as new products, larger marketing budgets, geographic expansion, or mergers and acquisitions. These are worthwhile opportunities, but before looking beyond your existing markets, examine how effectively you acquire customers within them. Slower growth among familiar audiences doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve reached everyone your journalism could serve.

Market data helps you estimate how many customers you could acquire, but a growth target still needs a plan to achieve it. A publisher with 20,000 subscribers may see an opportunity to reach 30,000, but that requires identifying how many former subscribers to win back, how to compete for new customers, how to convert interested readers, and how to reach unfamiliar audiences.

That was the lesson my CFO shared through the acquisition apple tree. His guidance was to develop a clear acquisition strategy for each apple, with greater effort and creativity required as you reach higher into the tree.

The apple already on the ground: Re-engage

The easiest apple to reach represents former customers. These individuals and organizations already know your products and have experienced their value. For news organizations, this includes expired subscribers, former advertisers, past sponsors, and donors whose support has lapsed.

According to INMA’s June 2025 analysis of 136 news brands, the opportunity is substantial as the median publisher recorded 1.7x as many digital subscription cancellations between January 2019 and March 2025 as it had active subscriptions that March. Although the analysis counted cancellations rather than unique former customers, it illustrates the scale of past customer relationships publishers can revisit.

Start by reviewing customer records to identify past purchases, the length of each relationship and, if available, why customers left. Group those accounts by their former interests and current needs. A former advertiser may value access to a new audience segment or have fresh community investment priorities. An expired subscriber may find renewed value in a newsletter or coverage area that addresses a current need.

Use personal emails, direct conversations, and automated campaigns to reconnect with these customers. Offer a specific reason to return that reflects their current priorities, then measure response rates, reactivated accounts, recovered revenue, and the time required to restore each relationship.

The lowest hanging apple: Compete

The next apple represents customers who already purchase similar products or services from competitors. They already recognize the value of these products and have demonstrated a willingness to pay. Your opportunity is to show how your organization can better serve their goals.

The Reuters Institute’s 2025 Digital News Report found that 18% of respondents across 20 relatively wealthy countries paid for online news, a figure that has remained largely unchanged in recent years. In the United States, that share was 20%. These findings offer a realistic view of the limited pool of paying news consumers and reinforce the importance of demonstrating distinct value when competing for their business. Although the research focuses on digital news subscriptions, the underlying principle also applies to advertising and sponsorships, where publishers must give prospective customers a compelling reason to invest as an alternative.

Begin with a competitive assessment of products, pricing, audience reach, customer experience, and results. A simple comparison can reveal where your organization offers a distinct advantage. For example, an advertiser who invests with another publisher may want to reach a particular community, improve campaign performance, or support an issue that matters to its customers. Your publication’s audience, credibility, and sponsorship opportunities can provide a compelling reason to consider an additional or alternative investment.

Invite prospects to review audience insights or test a sponsorship campaign with clear goals. Measure proposal acceptance, new accounts, average deal value and revenue won from competitive opportunities.

The higher apple – Invite

The third apple represents people and organizations that have expressed interest in your journalism, products, or services but have yet to become customers. Their interest can take many forms, from frequent visits to a particular section of your website to event attendance, newsletter engagement, media kit requests, or direct inquiries about sponsorship opportunities.

Each interaction creates an opportunity to develop a relationship through thoughtful, timely outreach. A reader who regularly follows education coverage may appreciate a dedicated school newsletter. An event attendee may welcome an invitation to become a member, while a business owner who asks about your audience may benefit from a conversation about sponsorship opportunities. The key is to recognize these signals, understand what prompted the interest, and offer a relevant next step.

The cumulative impact of these smaller opportunities can contribute significantly to growth. Track new contacts, registrations, follow-up responses and conversions to paid subscriptions or sponsorships to understand how these efforts advance your acquisition goals.

The highest apple – Create

The highest apple represents people and organizations unfamiliar with your products and their value. Reaching these audiences requires more effort to establish awareness and earn their trust. One of its most important elements is understanding the decisions people make before they ever encounter your organization.

Purchasing, subscription and investment decisions often begin with personal needs or business priorities. Understanding those motivations helps publishers identify when prospective customers seek answers, where they look for information and what influences their decisions.

For example, a publisher that wants to reach local parents can align its outreach with school enrollment periods, budget discussions, and policy changes. A publisher seeking new sponsors can develop relationships around annual budget cycles and community investment priorities. Audience interviews, surveys, and conversations with community partners can reveal these opportunities. Publishers can then use relevant journalism, events, and partnerships to introduce their value at moments that matter most.

Consistency and discipline are essential at this stage. A regular presence across community channels and trusted partnerships helps establish familiarity as prospective customers begin to explore subscriptions, sponsorships, or donations. Measure new audience reach, partnership referrals, first-time visitor activity, brand familiarity, and the number of new prospects who develop direct relationships with your organization.

Getting the most out of the apple tree 

As you develop your 2027 growth and acquisition plans, use these four groups to identify where your next customers could come from and what motivates them to act. Establish realistic acquisition goals for each group, develop outreach strategies around their needs, and assign clear responsibilities and measures of success. Review results regularly to understand what drives conversions and where your team can improve its efforts. Market research helps you estimate how many customers you could acquire, but understanding the decisions that lead people toward your products helps you develop a practical strategy to earn their business.