Tech publisher The Verge has spent the past two years rebuilding the team that decides how its journalism finds readers. The reorganization is a direct response to what publishers increasingly call the Google Zero era: a post-search environment where AI-shaped results and shrinking referral traffic make casual reach harder to depend on.
From generalists to funnel specialists
Esther Cohen, The Verge’s director of audience and subscriptions, told the Digiday Publishing Summit last month that the audience team no longer relies on content strategists and social media managers who handle a little of everything. Instead, it has created dedicated roles tied to the stages of the reader funnel.
- Newsletter specialist: owns top-of-funnel acquisition and moves readers toward registration and subscription through email.
- Platform and community specialists: two roles focused on engagement where readers already gather.
- Newsroom analyst: works with editorial to see which headlines and stories resonate across anonymous visitors, registered users and paying subscribers.
A bet on direct relationships
The publisher now tailors its strategy to three segments: anonymous visitors, registered users and paying subscribers. Repeat homepage visits encourage registration; personalized feeds and community features give registered users a reason to stay; exclusive content and perks retain subscribers.
The goal is no longer raw reach. Each audience team member carries growth targets rather than being measured primarily by page views, which Cohen called “super empowering.” That approach appears to be paying off: more than half of The Verge’s subscriber acquisition currently comes from readers going straight to its subscription sign-up page, though the share varies month to month. The Verge introduced its metered, dynamic paywall in December 2024.
Why this matters for marketing teams
Melissa Chowning, founder and CEO of audience development and marketing firm Twenty-First Digital, said the restructure makes sense as publishers work to replace search traffic. Historically, audience teams chased reach and page views; now the job is to turn visitors into people with a direct relationship to the publisher through newsletters, memberships and subscriptions. That demands deeper expertise in each channel and funnel stage.
The Verge is also testing paid media and performance marketing, but cautiously. Cohen said high-spending performance marketing may not deliver the user value and longevity publishers want, and that budget decisions need clear ROI thinking. The team is also investing heavily in organic social, on-site and podcast ads, and pitching The Verge’s scoops to larger outlets.
What to watch
USA Today announced a similar audience and digital production team in September, though that reorganization came with layoffs. The Verge, by contrast, has expanded its audience team over the past two years. Cohen declined to share team size or subscription revenue.
The structural lesson for media and marketing teams is clear: give each channel its own owner, set growth targets tied to relationship depth rather than page views, and treat performance spend as one tool, not the default.
Source: Digiday
