Nation's Business is the house magazine for the US Chamber of Commerce. One subscriber segment is "controlled" – they receive the magazine free because they are new members of local Chambers.

However, as controlled subscribers reach the end of one year of complimentary issues, the marketing challenge becomes this: How can we convert controlled subscribers to paid subscriptions?

This is a tough but critical challenge.

The primary marketing issue is not about the cost of a subscription; most subscribers won’t have a problem with $12 or even $20 for an annual subscription. The real issue is time: Is there enough value in the magazine to justify time-spent-reading each month?

So, how do you solve the problem?

Well, you start with this envelope:

Add this letter:

Include this brochure:

And add this response card:

The result is an innovative new way to reposition this respected magazine and make it more relevant to today's small business owner.