# Business Deep Dive with La Provence: boosting subscriber acquisition and retention **Authors:** Albert's Deep Dive **Categories:** Business Deep Dives **Tags:** La Provence, fidélisation, acquisition, churn, ARPU, pitch **Last Updated:** 2025-11-05T15:31:16.766Z **Reading Time:** 1 min read --- ## Summary After three weeks, seven teams pitched solutions for La Provence on the Grand Central rooftop: gain subscribers, reduce churn, and increase average revenue per user. --- After three weeks of analysis and intensive work, the seven teams engaged in a Business Deep Dive with La Provence presented their strategic recommendations during a final pitch held on the Grand Central rooftop. A Business Deep Dive is a project in which students apply their skills to solve real-world business challenges. In front of La Provence’s teams, each group had three minutes to defend its ideas and propose innovative solutions. The main goal of this challenge was to improve the newspaper’s subscriber acquisition and retention. The students therefore worked on strategies to increase the number of subscribers, reduce the churn rate, and optimize average revenue per user (ARPU). To do so, their approach was structured around several key steps, including predictive churn modeling. This involved designing and testing a model to identify at‑risk subscribers using a scoring system tailored to different reader profiles, leveraging data to predict which subscribers are likely to churn. At the end of the first round of presentations, two teams were selected for a more in‑depth, ten‑minute second pitch. After this final test, the podium was unveiled: Nael Le Fur, Jack Pastore, and Maelle Lalanne Carillon took an impressive second place, while Alexis Meniante, Matthieu Oliveri, and Raphaël Chaboud prevailed to win this Business Deep Dive. Congratulations to the winners and to all participants for the quality of their proposals and their commitment throughout the challenge! This experience was a true immersion into the challenges of digital transformation and retention for a major regional media outlet, enabling students to develop valuable skills for their future careers. ## Key Takeaways 1. The project targeted **subscriber acquisition** and **retention** with data-backed, real-world recommendations for a regional news publisher. 2. Teams built **predictive churn modeling** with a **scoring system** to identify at‑risk readers and trigger targeted save actions. 3. Optimizing **ARPU** was a core goal, using pricing, bundling, and lifecycle tactics to grow revenue per subscriber. 4. A fast, two‑round pitch format emphasized practical, testable strategies and sharpened students’ **digital transformation** skills. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is a Business Deep Dive and how can it help a news publisher like La Provence? A Business Deep Dive is a short, intensive project where teams analyze real data and craft measurable growth strategies. For publishers, it accelerates decision-making on subscriber acquisition, retention, and pricing with rapid prototyping and stakeholder feedback. ### How can newspapers increase subscriber acquisition and reduce churn rate? Combine lifecycle marketing (onboarding emails, paywall tuning), targeted offers, and content personalization with data-led testing. Layer in win-back journeys, save offers at renewal, and clear value messaging to lift conversion and retention. ### What is predictive churn modeling for subscriptions and what data do you need? Predictive churn modeling uses machine learning to score which subscribers are likely to cancel. Useful inputs include engagement (visits, article views, time on site), tenure, payment history, support interactions, device/app usage, and content preferences—collected with proper consent. ### How do you calculate ARPU for a publisher and why does it matter? ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) = total subscription revenue divided by the number of subscribers in a period. It guides pricing, discounting, and bundling decisions and helps balance growth with profitability. ### What is a churn scoring system and how do teams act on it? A churn score ranks subscribers into risk tiers (low/medium/high) based on predicted likelihood to cancel. Teams trigger tiered interventions—proactive outreach, tailored offers, or content nudges—and measure incremental retention via A/B tests. ### Which KPIs should a subscriber growth project track? Track net subscriber adds, churn rate, ARPU, conversion rate, engagement depth (e.g., active days, article views), and lifetime value (LTV). Use cohort and experiment analysis to separate signal from seasonality. ### What tools and best practices support a successful Business Deep Dive? Use SQL plus Python/R for modeling, BI dashboards for visibility, and marketing automation/CRM to deploy journeys. Align stakeholders early, define clear hypotheses, run short test cycles, and document learnings for handoff. --- *Article from [Albert's Deep Dive](https://deepdive.albertschool.com) - Albert School's Journal*