With its Micromag, URBANIA wants to break free from platforms

Founded in Canada in 2003 and based in France since 2020, the media outlet URBANIA has its own fully digital publication: Micromag. This concept, initially created by the Quebec editorial team before being adopted a few years later by the French side, draws on the codes of traditional magazines — cover, photos, interviews — while adopting a vertical slide presentation, similar to Instagram stories.

Across the topics covered, URBANIA remains true to its editorial line while taking advantage of what this digital format allows it to do. The team thus uses video, motion design, and interactive elements to energize its offerings. Although URBANIA could have distributed this format on platforms like Instagram or TikTok, the media chose to host it on its own website. A choice that allows it to limit its dependence on platforms subject to unpredictable algorithms and opaque moderation rules, which could arbitrarily restrict access to its publications.

The arrival of this 100% digital magazine stems from a dual upheaval: the crisis in the print model, weakened by the pandemic, but also a growing awareness of excessive dependence on digital platforms. In Canada, an online news law that came into force in December 2023 led Meta to remove Canadian news content from its platforms. A decision that confirmed URBANIA's intuition about the need to invest in a completely independent format.

This reflection resonates in France, where media outlets are also suffering from the instability of platforms and algorithms. The sudden promotion or disappearance of content according to opaque rules raises a major concern: how can editorial and economic sustainability be ensured when you're merely renting space on the web?

Interview with Florent Peiffer, president of URBANIA France group, and Florence Duburg, director of innovation projects for the group.

Why and how was the Micromag format created?

Micromag was born at URBANIA Canada in March 2021. Originally, the media published a substantial print magazine of over 100 pages, released two to three times a year, which enjoyed considerable success. Philippe Lamarre, the founder, was particularly attached to it. This format was a cornerstone of URBANIA, a carefully crafted publication with a distinctive editorial voice.

But with the Covid-19 pandemic, the paper-based economic model became unsustainable: its costs skyrocketed, and the magazine became unprofitable. Dropping this format was quite painful for the team because it was a true signature, a unique voice, a commitment to substance and form. And no longer rallying around a collective project left the team missing something—they were left with a website with scattered content, with no strong editorial anchors.

In parallel, a fundamental question became necessary: how can we stop being dependent on algorithms and social media? How can we become owners of our audience, rather than mere renters?

The adoption of Bill C-18 in Canada added a crisis factor: this law obligated Big Tech companies to pay media outlets for the use of their content. In response, Meta chose to remove news from its platforms.

This change had a catalytic effect. We collectively realized that lengthy, costly work could vanish overnight. It may seem somewhat counterintuitive because we, as media, constantly measure our success through subscribers or likes, but Philippe Lamarre decided that we needed to shift all our efforts toward an independent platform principle, with no intermediary between the media and its readers.

The objective was to recreate an immersive experience that blends video, image, text and audio, while remaining true to the media's identity. We wanted to showcase all the richness that URBANIA has to offer. The Micromag provides an alternative to the endless, disorganized feeds of a conventional website, offering structured and interactive navigation designed primarily for mobile.

What are the specificities of Micromag in France compared to Canada?

In Canada, URBANIA publishes a Micromag every week, which has become their work rhythm and shared editorial meeting point, much like a weekly magazine system. It's a return to print logic, where you plan your content each week with a clear layout schedule, centered on the main story of the moment. In France, we've opted for a more gradual approach, even though we'd like to publish more. This is due to several reasons: the format requires significant investment in time, human resources, and materials.

Each Micromag is nonetheless designed as a complete editorial product, with an exclusive feature and recurring sections. In Montreal, certain content remains exclusive for 10 to 15 days before being shared on social media.

How do you drive traffic to this format?

On social media, we direct the audience either to the subscription page for Micromag, or directly to a specific issue of Micromag. Once the user starts reading, they must subscribe after a while in order to continue reading.

Another important tactic is the use of newsletters, which distribute Micromags directly into subscribers' email inboxes, as well as SMS notifications, offering quick and easy access to content, mainly via mobile phone. This latter format works particularly well, given that people frequently check their SMS messages, which facilitates immediate reading.

What is the editorial formula behind a Micromag?

We're placing a big bet on diverse formats and interactions. Video is the cornerstone, but we can also integrate audio, photo slideshows, reports, and even scrollable articles. There are also interactive elements, like buttons that open pop-ups or quizzes. This versatility lets us play with different reading times: longer moments for detailed articles, or shorter ones with videos or interactive elements. This format gives us creative freedom that a traditional format wouldn't allow.

What's particularly interesting is that, despite being digital, Micromag maintains a logic similar to that of a print magazine. For example, we don't make 30-minute videos, just as we wouldn't produce 30 pages for the same feature in a magazine. What really matters is how we structure the content to maintain attention without losing the reader, by intelligently alternating formats to surprise the reader at each step. The idea is to continually re-engage interest without falling into repetition. This is a dynamic that requires reflection and adjustment based on feedback from previous Micromags, to understand what readers like or dislike.

Why not develop the format directly as an application?

This makes it accessible to everyone, without locking readers into a closed ecosystem. All you need is a simple link. We also chose not to commit to an app because we're very creative and want to constantly evolve according to our desires. We don't want to stay within the confines of apps that all look alike and ultimately offer fairly limited functionality.

Could such a format be an alternative to social media for independent media?

In any case, on the user and digital experience, we are convinced. The real question is what types of content can truly benefit from this format. That's actually a common challenge for all pure players operating on a subscription model: how do you offer a real alternative to what's already circulating freely on social networks? And how do you get readers to come?

For us, the editorial aspect is also key: each Micromag must offer a strong and distinctive approach. We work by theme: for example, we've produced a Micromag on love, on celebration, another on the so-called woke threat, and the next will focus on work. There's an investigation, strong case studies. What's valuable is that we control all the KPIs. All the data is ours, which allows us to monitor much better than if we were doing it on GAFAM platforms.

Have you already been able to cover certain topics in a way that's impossible on Instagram or TikTok?

As far as freedom in how we handle content goes, we're in the clear. Unlike social networks where certain videos can be blocked because of keywords or images, Micromag offers a platform where these restrictions don't exist.

On the other hand, when we re-share videos from the Micromag on social networks like Instagram, we sometimes modify the content to avoid censorship. For example, we've had to replace certain words with asterisks to prevent our videos from being blocked or removed. This is an example of the freedom we have to operate on our own platform, where this kind of censorship doesn't exist.

Micromag represents an interesting alternative to social networks, since it offers both a form of content that adopts social network conventions while providing a richer and more interactive reading experience.

The platform is very intuitive and already equipped with numerous pre-built templates that make it easy to create quality content by combining videos, audio, text, and images. This allows you to quickly produce visually appealing and effective content without having to incur high development costs.

Access to Micromag is free but requires registration partway through scrolling. What impact does this choice have on reader retention?

Indeed, as the user reads, they must either enter their email address or subscribe via SMS to continue. The emails and phone numbers we collect during registration are part of our subscriber database. The main objective is to build our own community, which allows us to better understand our audience. But to be clear, we do not sell this data.

French Micromags, with about a dozen well-stocked screens—mixing videos, text, and quizzes—maintain an average reading time of around 8 minutes out of 15 to 20 minutes of content. That's quite substantial when you consider that on social media, people don't always have the time or inclination to linger over such lengthy content. In Montreal, URBANIA has surpassed 90,000 Micromag subscribers, with very high open and engagement rates. Time spent on a Micromag is significantly longer than on a standard website, proving that this format encourages deeper reading.

This model has also been tested with some of our partners where subscription is paid, but where the strategy works well. It's interesting to see that some traditional media could consider a similar model, based on paid subscription while offering premium content, but this requires a delicate transition from print to digital.

For us, this test is a key moment to assess the value that readers attribute to this experience. The Micromag may seem unsettling at first, but if people are willing to subscribe, even for free, it shows there is interest in this format.

How do you monetize the format?

Today, we don't produce URBANIA's Micromag with advertisers, but we sell the model as a white-label product thanks to an agency model. In other words, URBANIA sells a customized Micromag to brands, foundations, and institutions, but without displaying its name.

In particular, we created a Micromag for the Olympic Games Campaign on accessibility. This consisted of 20 video frames, created using motion design and sign language, to explain the support system for people with disabilities before, during, and after the games.

This model provides great flexibility in how Micromag can be used and can meet a wide range of needs.

That said, when it comes to advertising, there could be an interesting angle. The format works by frame, much like in a print magazine: you turn a page and see an ad that isn't intrusive but remains visible without blending in with journalistic content. This allows for maintaining a clear editorial line while offering potential spaces for advertisers.

Could we imagine, tomorrow, a Micromag adapted for independent media?

It would be entirely feasible to propose this solution to independent journalism stakeholders. This model could help free media from some of the pressure exerted by social networks and algorithms. Today, this question is even more pressing given recent developments on platforms like Meta or Twitter (now X).

There is a real problem with algorithms that ultimately may not necessarily favor independent media or quality content. Social networks are not a level playing field for everyone, and it is increasingly difficult for independent media to be heard on these platforms.

One of our dreams would be to create a platform to bring together independent media outlets. Everyone could contribute according to their abilities by offering, for example, an investigation, a report, or even humorous content.

This would make it possible to offer a diverse product without each contributor having to overload themselves. The key would be to create a shared media platform where each participant could bring their own specialty without having to produce an entire magazine. And with that logic, it could potentially justify a paid subscription, since the user would have access to a curated selection of quality content from the independent media scene. The idea is that it wouldn't simply be a patchwork of content, but that there would be a common editorial vision, a strong thematic focus. Such a format could be successful, especially if we manage to create real added value for independent media outlets.

To go further

• Where democratic freedoms are threatened by the rise of far-right extremism and where media concentration weakens the diversity of information, pooling resources becomes essential for independent outlets. Whether you're launching a new editorial format alongside another independent newsroom, have tested shared subscription offers in the past, are planning to join a space dedicated to media, or are rethinking your management structure to foster greater cooperation: share your story !
• Follow along for Florent Peiffer's feedback, president of URBANIA France, from the launch event of our book Créer un média.
• How to address topics related to sexuality? In this panel discussion from Festival Imprimé 2024, Anaïs Carayon, editor-in-chief of URBANIA France, advocates for treating sexuality as a genuine social issue.
• Which approach to prioritize: producing numerous articles and guaranteeing comprehensive information to readers on as many topics as possible, or reducing output to dedicate more resources to editorial quality? If you know us at all, the answer is in the question. A few format ideas for telling a story around your stories by leveraging your journalistic and editorial strengths.