In today’s fragmented media landscape, a common goal for media companies striving to connect with new, particularly younger, readers is to “meet audiences where they are.”

Nine’s metropolitan mastheads have followed this approach, not just in considering how to distribute and format content, but by directly engaging university students with an exclusive subscription offer.

The increasing instability of social media algorithms and looming threat of AI to organic search have amplified the importance of cultivating direct relationships with audiences, as underscored by INMA’s recent report on the “end of search.”

An example of this principle in action was a meeting held in late 2024 between The Sydney Morning Herald’s (SMH) editor and managing editor with representatives from the University of Sydney.

This direct engagement proved to be the catalyst for the creation of a pioneering institutional subscription model called Campus Access. This innovative model gives all students and staff access to a premium news subscription under a special, institution-wide license.

Recognising the need to connect with younger audiences who frequently turn to social media for their news consumption, Nine’s metro mastheads proactively launched Campus in late 2023.

This dedicated digital hub was specifically designed for students embarking on and navigating the complexities of university and college life. Featuring valuable utility journalism, Campus aimed to build brand awareness and foster engagement within this key cohort.

Since its launch, the Campus online hub has garnered millions of pageviews and successfully established commercial partnerships with tertiary institutions, demonstrating its appeal and relevance.

While the Campus platform has effectively driven traffic, we recognised traditional individual consumer subscriptions can present a significant financial barrier for students. The Campus Access model circumvents this by integrating access within the university’s existing infrastructure and communication channels.

This not only benefits students by providing them with a trusted and authoritative news source for their academic pursuits, but also offers universities a value-add for their community.

Once the strong demand and mutual benefits for the University of Sydney were clear, we acted decisively to prioritise the necessary product development, marketing strategies, and subscription resources to bring Campus Access to life. Students and staff at the University of Sydney can now easily access their enterprise-licensed subscription through a unique URL.

To ensure a smooth user experience post-launch, we also established a dedicated Campus Access help centre.

With the licensing framework in place, our focus shifted to effectively communicating the availability of Campus Access to students. A prominent presence was established at the university’s welcome week, a three-day event designed to orientate new students.

At our stand, students could effortlessly sign up via a QR code, interact directly with SMH editorial talent, and even receive professional headshots courtesy of an SMH photographer.

Thousands of students have already embraced Campus Access, and our ambition now is to maximise this initial success. We are actively developing a comprehensive engagement plan aimed at boosting registration and deepening user engagement.

Crucially, we are also committed to refining the product itself to create a compelling offer for future partnerships with other universities. Campus Access represents a highly scalable business-to-business revenue stream for our mastheads.

Our newsrooms are actively working to cultivate stronger relationships with universities across Australia, with the overarching goal of extending the reach of Campus Access to many more of the country’s 1.5 million university students, meeting them precisely where they are.

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