Man of Many has introduced a mandatory user sign-in system and launched eight new newsletter verticals, marking a significant evolution of the platform ahead of the launch of its podcast network.
The updates are part of the publication’s “Man of Many 2.0” roadmap, a strategy aimed at future-proofing its business through audience ownership and first-party data in response to industry-wide shifts driven by AI and zero-click search.
Visitors to the site will be able to read the site freely, but once they reach three articles on the site, they will have to create a login. Visitors will be required to share their email address, country, age, and gender.
“The digital media playbook is being completely rewritten,” said Scott Purcell, Co-Founder of Man of Many. “The rise of generative AI and zero-click search means publishers must rapidly shift from optimising for rank to building genuine influence and owning their audience relationships,” said Scott Purcell, Co-Founder of Man of Many. “This platform overhaul is our answer to that challenge. We’re moving beyond rented audiences on search and social to build direct, lasting connections with our community. In this new era, loyalty is the new scale, and first-party data is the most valuable asset.”
Purcell told Mediaweek that “we did a deep dive into our audience analytics and found that encouraging frequent visitors to sign in had a significant impact. Since launching the feature, we’ve seen a major uplift in subscriber numbers. The three-article limit still ensures the vast majority of our content remains fully accessible,”
“The content is still fully indexable by Google, so there’s no disruption to our SEO. We worked closely with Google’s News Consumer Insights program, which provides best-practice guidance on implementing registration or subscription models in a way that preserves discoverability.”
The plan to introduce the registration wall began to take shape six months ago with the team working towards it since.
User profiles and AI-powered features
The new sign-in functionality offers a one-click experience via Google, Apple or email. Authenticated users gain access to:
- Personalised profiles to manage preferences and newsletter subscriptions
- Bookmarking for articles and products
- Identity-based commenting to foster community accountability
- A smart registration wall to convert frequent readers without a hard paywall
- AI-powered comment moderation using Google Gemini’s Vertex AI
- AI-driven content recommendations based on individual interests
Alongside the product updates, Man of Many has implemented a privacy-first data approach. The publication has integrated Captify’s contextual engine and partnered with identity providers LiveRamp (RampID) and The Trade Desk (UID2) to support cookie-less ad targeting.
Eight newsletters, one podcast network
The platform now offers eight curated newsletter verticals:
- The Rev Up (Automotive)
- The Wind Up (Watches)
- Hands-On (Technology)
- The Binge List (Entertainment)
- Gains (Health & Fitness)
- A Dram Good Time (Drinks & Whisky)
- The Dress Code (Fashion & Style)
- Compass (Lifestyle & Travel)
These newsletters will serve as key distribution channels for the upcoming Man of Many Podcast Network. The network will launch with a slate of shows, including a new weekly series titled Five Minute Finds, covering a headline, a cultural shift, a wildcard and a product recommendation in each episode.
“Our investment in video has already established us as the number one lifestyle publisher on YouTube in Australia, consistently outperforming legacy media brands with over 551,000 views in the last 28 days alone. The launch of our podcast network is the natural evolution of this success,” said Frank Arthur, Co-Founder of Man of Many. “We’re not just moving into audio; we’re creating a fully integrated content ecosystem. The new user sign-ins and newsletter verticals will allow us to connect with our audience on a deeper level, creating a powerful feedback loop that enhances our content across all platforms, from written articles to our upcoming vodcasts.”
While sign-in is currently free, the brand confirmed plans to introduce a paid membership tier offering exclusive content, partner discounts and reader events.
Top image: Scott Purcell and Frank Arthur