Subscription Marketing Case Study: 3,000 to 30,000+ Subscribers

Case Study in Subscription Marketing:

How We Helped Mountain Gazette Grow from 3,000 to 30,000+ Subscribers

When learning how to market a magazine, many publishers struggle with limited inventory, seasonal challenges, and maintaining premium positioning.

Mountain Gazette faced these exact obstacles before partnering with Sweat Pants Agency.

This subscription marketing case study shows how we helped Mountain Gazette grow from 3,000 to 30,000+ subscribers through Facebook and Instagram advertising, viral video content, and strategic subscription growth strategies—achieving 267% over goal in a single 90-day sprint.

Subscription Marketing Challenge: Limited Inventory & Seasonal Trends

Mountain Gazette, a bi-annual outdoor magazine focused on mountain culture, came to us with ~3,000 subscribers in January 2022. Despite producing exceptional content and stunning photography, they faced significant growth barriers:

Limited inventory: Only 2 issues per year, both selling out completely
Summer seasonality: Major drop-offs when people were actually outdoors
No discounting: Client refused promotional pricing to maintain brand value
Bootstrap budget: No investors, needed profitable growth from day one

Mike Rogge, Mountain Gazette’s founder, needed a partner who could scale aggressively while respecting these constraints.

Results: 10x Growth & Subscription Success

10x Subscriber Growth

Mountain Gazette is now the #2 outdoor magazine in their category—3x larger than their closest competitor and comparable in retention to legacy titles like The New Yorker and The Atlantic.

The 90-Day Sprint: 267% Over Goal

In Q4 2023, we executed an aggressive growth sprint with an audacious goal: add 6,000 subscribers in 90 days.

"I had a really crazy suggestion of adding about 6,000 customers in 90 days... we actually hit 16,000."

Mike Rogge, 

Founder, Mountain Gazette

The Viral 3.5-Minute Video Ad: 40M+ Views

We broke the rules. While conventional wisdom says keep ads under 30 seconds, Mountain Gazette created the original 3.5-minute video. Our team tested multiple cut-down variations (2-minute, 90-second, and 30-second versions), but the full 3.5-minute version outperformed every shorter variant. We optimized the distribution strategy, audience targeting, and media buying to maximize its reach and impact.

Performance

Why it worked

Industry-Leading Retention

Churn Rate: ~10% Industry Average: 10-20%

Mountain Gazette’s retention rivals legacy publications despite rapid growth—a strong indicator of product-market fit and subscriber satisfaction.

Cost Efficiency

Conservative phase: $30 CPA
90-day sprint: $35 CPA
Overall average: $45 CPA
Maintained profitability throughout 3+ years

Our Approach

Phase 1: Conservative Foundation

We spent the first 18 months testing, learning, and building a solid foundation:

What we tested:

Key learnings:

Phase 2: The Strategic Pivot

After 18 months of steady growth (3K → 5K subscribers), Mike Rogge asked: “Is it possible to pour some gasoline on the fire?”

We introduced a flexible budget strategy:

The “Traffic Light” System:

Red Light ($70 NCPA): Pause and optimize
Green Light ($30 NCPA): Scale aggressively
Strategy: “Surf the budget” between ranges to maximize volume while maintaining profitability

This approach allowed us to:

Scale during optimal windows
Maintain cost efficiency
React to real-time market conditions
Avoid arbitrary monthly budget caps

Phase 3: Accelerated Growth

With the new strategy in place and winning creative identified, growth exploded:

Fall 2023: Hit 10,000 subscribers (90-day sprint complete)
Early 2024: Reached 20,000 subscribers
Spring 2025: Surpassed 30,000 subscribers

Overcoming Challenges

Constant Stock-Outs

Problem:

Solution:

Result:

Summer Seasonality

Problem:

Solution:

Increased acceptable NCPA from $70 to $80 for seasonal flexibility
Launched “free hat with subscription” offer (Summer 2025)

Result:

No Discounting Allowed

Problem:

Solution:

Result:

Strict Brand Standards

Problem:

Solution:

Result:

The Complete Picture

Final Results

10x growth in under 4 years
27,000 net subscribers added
#2 in market position achieved
10% churn rate (industry-leading)
$45 average CPA (profitable throughout)
40M+ ad views on viral creative
267% over goal in 90-day sprint

"The good part of working with Sweat Pants was that we worked together. I do think a big part of that is trusting the people that you're working with."

Mike Rogge, 

Founder, Mountain Gazette

What Made This Successful

1. Strategic Partnership

We collaborated closely with Mike and his team, maintaining transparent communication and shared problem-solving.

2. Creative Excellence

From the viral 3.5-minute video to tongue-in-cheek 1-star reviews, we created content that broke through and resonated.

3. Data-Driven Flexibility

The “traffic light” budget system allowed us to scale aggressively during opportunities while maintaining profitability.

4. Constraint Innovation

Every limitation—no discounting, stock-outs, seasonality—became an opportunity for creative problem-solving.

5. Long-Term Commitment

3 years, 9 months of continuous optimization, testing, and refinement.

Ready to Grow Your Subscription Business?

Mountain Gazette’s success wasn’t accidental. It resulted from strategic thinking, creative excellence, and a partnership built on trust.

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