During August 19 to 21, we hosted a three-part virtual series to explore one of the biggest questions in the subscription industry: What do subscribers really want?

Hosted by Mary Rosberg, VP Growth Evangelist at Recurly, the series brought together Robbie Kellman Baxter, Expert Subscription Strategist and Consultant, and Matt Croning, Founding Partner at House of Kaizen. 

They dove into the entire subscriber lifecycle, sharing fresh insights on everything from acquisition and loyalty to churn. Keep reading to get the recap, or watch the full series on demand to get even more actionable advice.

Key takeaways

If you only have a minute, here are five of the most important insights from the event:

  1. Acquisition has shifted from volume to value: The new goal is to attract the right subscribers and build relationships that last. Success is measured in lifetime value, not just sign-ups.

  2. Flexibility is now table stakes: Today’s subscribers expect to be in control. Features like pausing or skipping are essential. Our research shows that while 55% of consumers want the ability to pause their subscriptions, only 37% have the option.

  3. Loyalty is a strategy, not a vibe: Lasting loyalty is built through intentional, practical actions. It starts with a strong onboarding process and is sustained by delivering the right value to the right person at the right time.

  4. Personalization is about connection: True personalization is about understanding consumers’ needs and guiding them to the specific value they’re looking for within your service.

  5. Churn is a feedback loop: When a customer cancels, it’s not the end of the road. It’s an opportunity to learn, improve, and refine your win-back strategy. Often, a simple discount (cited by 34% of subscribers who switch) is enough to bring them back.

Episode 1: The truth about acquisition in 2025

The series kicked off with a hard look at acquisition. While price will always be a factor, the speakers agreed that subscribers now demand more than just a good deal. As Robbie put it, "Price always matters… but increasingly, a clean user experience, and flexibility around payments are becoming table stakes."

This signals a major shift in acquisition strategy. The old playbook of acquiring as many users as possible, as quickly as possible, is officially outdated. Matt explained that brands are moving from a quantity-driven approach to one focused on lifetime value: 

"What's changing certainly is the value of acquisitions," he said. "Organizations are recognizing that the benefit of a subscription product is not the volume of acquisitions, but it's the duration, the accumulated value of that relationship between the product and the person."

The discussion also touched on how different generations approach subscriptions. Robbie noted that younger consumers, who grew up in a subscription-first world, are often more impulsive — quick to sign up, but also quick to cancel. This makes building a trusted, long-term relationship (what Robbie calls a “forever transaction”) more important than ever.

Recommended reading: Why retention should be your #1 business goal in 2025

Episode 2: Loyalty is not a vibe — it’s a strategy

How do you build that long-term relationship? Episode two was all about loyalty, reframing it as a deliberate strategy built on practical, intentional actions.

Personalization is a cornerstone of any modern loyalty strategy — a staggering 72% of subscribers expect personalized recommendations. But the panel pushed beyond the buzzword to define what that really means.

"It’s really about getting people to the specific value they want," Robbie explained. "Don’t show me everything you have. Show me what I want and what I need at the right moment to deepen my engagement." She pointed out a critical pitfall: when customers don't find value, it's often a failure of presentation, not a lack of it.

Matt offered a grounded approach, suggesting that effective personalization doesn't always require complex AI. "Just taking a couple steps back and segmenting the audience into something as few as two, three, four, five groups could provide a level of personalization […] that’s far better than wherever they may be now."

This strategic approach starts the moment a subscriber signs up. A successful onboarding experience directly translates into a higher lifetime value. But it doesn't stop there. 

The perception of control is a huge driver of loyalty. Giving subscribers easy-to-use options to pause, skip, or even downgrade their plan makes them feel secure and respected, which in turn, makes them stick around longer. In fact, Nearly half of consumers that have the option to pause have never paused their food (45%) or streaming video (40%) services. 

Episode 3: Churn is not the end — it’s a revenue lever

In the final session, the panel tackled one of the industry's most feared metrics: churn. The key, according to Robbie, is simple: "Make it easy for people to leave and make it easy for them to come back."

When a customer cancels, it’s a critical learning opportunity. But too often, businesses accept surface-level cancellation reasons like "it's too expensive." Robbie challenged this, noting these are often polite ways of saying, "None of your business." 

By digging deeper with a simple offer — "Would you stay if I offered 10% off?" — you can often uncover the real issues and address them. This is backed by data showing that 34% of consumers who switched providers could have been kept with a simple discount.

The relationship with a subscriber doesn't end at cancellation. Matt emphasized, "You may no longer have access to the product, but you still have a relationship with that company." 

Mary shared a powerful example from FabFitFun, which continued to provide her with valuable content after she canceled. And eventually, that strategy worked. She came back. This proactive, value-driven approach is the key to turning churn into a true revenue driver.

Get ahead of what’s next

Subscriptions are constantly evolving, but one thing is clear: the businesses that win will be the ones that stop guessing and start truly understanding their subscribers. By focusing on value, flexibility, and genuine connection, you can build the kind of relationships that last.

To dive deeper into these topics and get even more actionable advice from our expert panel, watch the full three-part webinar series on demand now.