How Alma Media’s AI Chatbot is Rewriting the First-Party Data Playbook
Finnish publisher achieves 75% rise in daily active users through smart registration strategies and AI-powered engagement.
Johanna Strandholm who is Vice President Content Business at Alma Media based in Helsinki has a problem most publishers would envy. Alma Media’s flagship financial site, Kauppalehti, isn’t struggling for attention. The Finnish media group operates digital services across 11 European countries. Traffic isn’t the issue.
The challenge? Converting anonymous browsers into registered users when privacy regulations have gutted traditional data collection methods.
At a recent INMA webinar, Strandholm laid out how Alma Media drove a 75% increase in daily active users. The approach is counterintuitive: give readers something valuable first, then ask for their data.
Why First-Party Data Matters
For Strandholm, first-party data isn’t compliance theatre. It’s the foundation for personalisation, better business outcomes, and sustainable advertising revenue.
“We measure the value of locked-in users through metrics like average advertising revenue per user,” she told the webinar’s 363 registrants from 58 countries. “But the real prize is understanding user intent and behaviour.”
Privacy restrictions have made this harder. Registration walls create friction. Readers won’t hand over personal information without clear value in return.
The AI Chatbot That Actually Works
Strandholm’s team tried something different. Instead of demanding registration to access content, they built features readers wanted. First up: a portfolio tool for Kauppalehti’s financially savvy audience to track investments.
Then came the AI chatbot. Not the usual frustrating bot with generic responses. This one, built on advanced AI models, could answer complex questions about financial markets, offer personalised insights, and help readers navigate content.
The results: 75% jump in daily active users. The chatbot didn’t just generate registrations. It created experiences that converted anonymous visitors into registered, returning users.
Give Value Before Asking for Data
Strandholm was blunt during the webinar: “You can’t just bolt AI onto a registration wall and expect it to work. The product must be valuable enough that users want to register to access it. Our portfolio tool and AI chatbot aren’t gimmicks – they’re genuinely useful services that our readers rely on.”
This applies beyond initial registration. Alma Media uses AI to build “smarter registration models” that understand content and audience behaviour patterns. The system learns which readers are most likely to convert at different touch points. Registration prompts appear strategically, not aggressively.
What the Data Shows
Alma Media pulls first-party data from multiple sources – corporate development initiatives, traditional paywalls, and now the AI chatbot. But Strandholm emphasised that active engagement beats passive consumption.
The chatbot creates a conversational relationship with readers. Every query provides signals about what users care about, how they consume information, and what drives them to return. This behavioural data is richer than demographic information collected at registration.
For advertising teams: better targeting, higher CPMs. For editorial: understanding which topics resonate and how to structure content. For product teams: clear signals about which features drive engagement and retention.
The Hard Part: Building It
Developing AI tools for first-party data collection takes work. Strandholm acknowledged the challenges of building models that understand both content and audience. Alma Media collaborated with specialists rather than trying to solve everything in-house. Data scientists, product managers, journalists, and commercial teams had to work together to break down traditional silos.
“This isn’t just a technology project,” Strandholm said. “It’s about reimagining how you engage with readers and how you demonstrate value before asking for value in return.”
What Publishers Can Learn
Start with reader value, not registration volume. Build tools that solve real problems. If readers want what you’re offering, registration becomes a small hurdle rather than a major friction point.
The richest data comes from engagement patterns – what readers search for, how they navigate content, and which features they return to. Demographics tell you who someone is. Behaviour tells you what they care about.
First-party data enables publishers to deliver more relevant content. That improves time on site, reduces churn, and drives both subscription and advertising revenue. But don’t just count registrations. Track how registered users behave differently from anonymous visitors. Measure lifetime value. Figure out which features drive the most valuable engagement.
What Happens Next
Privacy regulations keep tightening. Third-party cookies are gone. Publishers need data infrastructure that works. Alma Media’s answer: build AI tools readers want to use, gather first-party data as a byproduct of valuable engagement.
“We’re not trying to trick people into giving us their data,” Strandholm said. “We’re creating services valuable enough that registration feels like a small price to pay for what they’re getting in return.”
The 75% increase in daily active users suggests readers agree.
Johanna Strandholm is a senior executive at Alma Media, Finland’s leading digital media group operating across 11 European countries. She spoke at an INMA webinar attended by more than 360 publishing professionals from 58 countries.
