.svg)
To scale sustainably without introducing a paywall, the team needed to convert engagement into consistent support. That meant smarter targeting, better personalization, and less friction in the user experience.
“We’d spent a decade building this audience of engaged readers. Once we connected our tags to Sailthru profiles, it was like everything just clicked, and suddenly we had access to this gold mine of information we couldn’t fully use before.”
Daily Maverick, one of South Africa’s most respected independent news organizations, needed to deepen reader support without compromising its mission of free, quality journalism. Their previous setup lacked tools to act on behavioral data, personalize user journeys, or simplify donation flows, making it harder to convert loyal readers into sustaining supporters.
In late 2024, Daily Maverick made its fastest-ever platform migration—switching to Sailthru by Marigold in just one month with help from Marigold. The team implemented interest-based targeting, article-tag synchronization, dynamic CTAs, automated churn-prevention flows, and smarter list management—enabling personalized journeys, reduced costs, and leaner operations.
Daily Maverick reduced churn using automated payment-expiration alerts, increased Insider conversions through personalized outreach, and streamlined its subscriber list for better targeting and lower ESP costs. Email remained the #1 driver of reader conversion for donations, highlighting how powerful data-driven personalization can continue to support their mission.
Daily Maverick is one of South Africa’s most respected independent news organizations. With a mission to keep quality journalism free and accessible, they built a loyal base of supporters through the Maverick Insiders program—readers who voluntarily contribute to sustain the newsroom and enjoy an ad-free experience in return.
Daily Maverick’s model depends on community, but before Sailthru by Marigold, they lacked the tools to act on years of behavioral data. Convoluted donation flows and limited personalization made it challenging to identify and convert their most loyal readers.
After years of cycling through local ESPs, Daily Maverick switched to Sailthru by Marigold in late 2024 and completed their fastest-ever migration in just one month. With support from Marigold’s customer success team, they hit the ground running.
Key capabilities included:
Results:
Next, Daily Maverick is launching its first local bureau in Nelson Mandela Bay. The new Baywatch newsletter will serve as a local touchpoint covering events, businesses, and politics Monday through Friday.
They’re also evolving their flagship event, The Gathering, with Sailthru-powered hosted pages to drive early ticket sales and attendee engagement.
“We’re trying to reboot local news in South Africa, and the newsletter will carry the banner. It’s going to be our bread and butter. Daily, hyperlocal, and built entirely around community relevance.” — John Stupart
For a lean team with ambitious goals, Sailthru by Marigold gives Daily Maverick the tools to act like a much larger organization. With capabilities like behavioral targeting, personalized onboarding, dynamic journeys, and expert deliverability guidance, the platform helps them stay nimble, scale sustainably, and maintain healthy lists — all while staying true to their mission of free, independent journalism. This enables the team to focus on what they do best: connecting communities through content that brings people closer to their local surroundings.
“Sailthru is only as good as you make it. Sure, you can just use it to send emails, but if that’s all you do, you’re wasting the best parts. It’s completely changed how we think about newsletters and what they can do.” — John Stupart
