Keep subscribers longer: Key retention strategies for the year ahead

The subscription economy didn't slow down — it recalibrated. With acquisition moderating to around 3% and 52% of consumers canceling at least one subscription last year for reasons that have nothing to do with price, the brands that win in 2026 will be the ones that keep subscribers engaged, not just signed up. This session pairs data-backed trends with hands-on strategy, walking through the retention tools that have the biggest impact on churn: smarter dunning, in-the-moment payment prompts, and pause.

What's covered:

• A preview of the State of Subscriptions 2026 report, including why nearly one in four new subscriptions now comes from a previously canceled customer
• The three dunning changes with the biggest impact on recovery: running multiple campaigns, tailoring window length by plan type, and strengthening email branding
• How to layer payment banners, pop-ups, and interstitial prompts to recover revenue email alone can't reach
• Why 38% of consumers prefer pausing to canceling, and how to build a pause strategy that turns temporary breaks into long-term retention
• The metrics to track for each strategy — customer updates, dunning recovery rate, recovered revenue, unpause rate, and pause duration