A mobile app for the media Forbes Ukraine

About the client

Forbes Ukraine — a business publication that shapes the country’s business landscape. The publication features stories about entrepreneurs, investors, academics and artists who are shaping Ukraine’s development.

The challenge

To create a mobile product that expands the digital media ecosystem without altering editorial processes, whilst opening up additional tools for monetisation
and communication with the audience.

Do you need a mobile app if you already have a website?

Business media audiences live at a fast pace. Content is often consumed between meetings, on the go, or during short breaks throughout the day. In this context, a browser doesn’t always provide a smooth and uninterrupted experience.

A mobile app solves this by providing:

direct communication with the audience
a controlled user experience
deeper personalization
increased return frequency

For Forbes Ukraine, the app is a tool for developing
its monetization system. The core idea is simple: the content and editorial workflows stay the same —
only the way users interact with them changes.

Subscription management

The app is integrated into a shared paywall system that brings together the website, the print edition
of the magazine and the mobile platform.

A user purchases a subscription, logs in once, and receives synchronized access to content on both the website and the app according to their plan. The user manages subscription settings on the platform where it was purchased:

on the website — via the website
in the mobile app — via App Store or Google Play accounts

Synchronized access helps prevent the app from becoming an isolated product with a separate audience that would require additional acquisition and retention efforts.

User profile

The app transforms the reader’s personal account into a fully-fledged hub for interacting with the media. Here, users can edit their personal details, manage their subscriptions, and customise newsletters and personalisation settings. Users can update their information themselves.

Account personalization

When setting up their profile, readers select their professional interests. This data is used to generate push notifications, email newsletters and content recommendations.

Interests can be changed at any time, so users have complete control over their information feed. Meanwhile, the editorial team works with audience segments, which helps retain subscribers for longer
and increase the value of each subscriber to the product.

Push notifications

The mobile app provides the editorial team with a direct channel of communication with its audience. The app features several types of push notifications:

automatic — based on interests
editorial — for key content
service notifications — relating to subscriptions

Unlike social media or email, this channel is not dependent on third-party platform algorithms. The editorial team decides for itself when and how to engage with
its audience.

For readers, it’s a way to ensure they don’t miss out on truly important topics without having to constantly scroll through their feed. For businesses, it’s a tool for retaining their audience, boosting engagement and increasing sales.

Email newsletters

Users can independently manage their email subscriptions. They can choose one or several options:

daily news digest
weekly editorial round-up Forbes Ukraine
top Forbes Digital articles

Changes to the settings can be made at any time. This makes the content more relevant, encouraging users to return to the app more often and view the content.

Benefits of the Forbes Ukraine mobile app

Saved

This feature allows users to save articles to a personal list so they can read them at a time that suits them. This deepens engagement with the content and encourages users to return to the platform.

Audio format

The app features a built-in player that allows you to listen to texts read aloud by artificial intelligence in the background. This broadens the ways in which content
can be consumed, as readers can choose the format that suits them best.

Offline access

You can download saved content and read it without a Wi-Fi connection. This is particularly important for those who are often on the move or work in areas with an unreliable internet connection.

Result

The mobile app is a logical extension
of the Forbes Ukraine digital ecosystem. It strengthens the monetisation system, creates a direct channel of communication and enhances personalisation options.

Need a mobile app?

Let’s build, it together!