Originally considered to be our “moonshot,” the Subscription Economy has now evolved into an industrial phenomenon that is projected to hit
$1.5 Trillion by 2025, and it’s continuing to grow. While the early days of this shift saw plenty of companies introduce new subscription pricing models, our true vision for the Subscription Economy was always about the shift from product-centric to customer-centric businesses that focus on direct digital relationships, through any business model. And today, innovative companies are recognizing the importance of putting these direct digital relationships at the center of their businesses.
As a result, the Subscription Economy has evolved to include more services, industries, global regions, and complex revenue models that leverage multiple forms of monetization. Companies that were once launching their first subscription offering, are now on their second, third, or fifth recurring revenue model. New complexities have emerged including dynamic offerings, customer retention, consumption-based pricing, international payment and revenue accounting requirements, along with the need for new skills and emerging job functions. Customers like GoPro and Ford are hiring new VPs and executives with ‘subscriptions,’ ‘payments,’ and ‘revenue’ in their titles. The Subscription Economy has grown beyond the initial focus of recurring revenue business models, and now includes emerging technologies, new business practices, and talent with subscription-based experience.