Driving digital transformation in the media industry with Flutter

Media Group Keskisuomalainen reaches 3.1 million Finns, or 71% of the population, through its printed and digital newspapers, digital outdoor advertising, and radio. The group currently owns 75 newspapers across Finland. With a strategy focused on digital growth, driven by the rising demand for digital products, the media group set out to enhance the customer experience across mobile devices. The challenge was to develop dozens of applications – one for each publication – on both Android and iOS platforms.

As part of their digitalisation journey, Media Group Keskisuomalainen recognised that print media has been losing popularity in the digital age. Mobile applications that combine news feeds, e-papers and ads have become a crucial means of keeping the business thriving, even for smaller newspapers. The principle has been that every newspaper editorial team receive the same development resources, regardless of the size of the publication. Hence, a key priority for the group was to ensure that future technical development for every news publication would be as straightforward as possible.

Embracing Flutter for app development

One of the first decisions that the media group team had to make was whether to build the apps with native languages or use a multiplatform solution. After extensive internal discussions, expert consultation, and thorough testing, Flutter, Google’s multiplatform framework, emerged as the ideal choice. Its ability to use a single codebase for Android and iOS platforms significantly reduced costs and optimised resources, making it a highly cost-effective option compared to native development.

The decision to adopt Flutter was essential, enabling the creation of high-quality, seamless applications that support the digitalisation of Media Group Keskisuomalainen’s newspapers, ensuring their relevance in the digital age. To execute this vision, the group partnered with two leading consultancy agencies in the Nordics: Rebel App Studio by Codemate and Reaktor. Together, they formed a collaborative team that worked closely with the media group, leveraging their combined expertise to deliver a seamless and highly effective digital solution.

Efficiently launching 17 apps in 3 months with Flutter

The development of Media Group Keskisuomalainen’s mobile applications was accelerated by the Flutter News Toolkit, which offered a strong foundation for the project. While the toolkit provided a user-friendly template for creating news apps, it required some strategic adjustments and customisation to meet the group’s specific needs.

The media group benefited from Rebel App Studio by Codemate’s long-standing relationship with Google and Flutter, gaining early access to the Flutter News Toolkit. This early access allowed the group to be among the first companies in the world to utilise the toolkit, enabling the team to quickly prototype and iterate on ideas.

Tailored app rollout through customisation and collaboration

Given the importance of tailoring the apps to each newspaper’s unique identity, customisation played a crucial role in the development process. This approach allowed for the creation of white-label apps that reflected the distinct branding of the media group’s newspapers. Before public release, each editorial team tested their respective applications, providing valuable feedback that not only improved internal engagement but also enabled the inclusion of desired features.

“The Flutter News Toolkit served as a solid foundation for our project, enabling us to prototype and iterate on our ideas quickly. With some strategic adjustments and leveraging our growing expertise in Flutter, we successfully adapted the toolkit to meet Media Group Keskisuomalainen’s unique requirements, resulting in a highly customised and effective final product”, states Timo Pieti, Senior Software Engineer at Rebel App Studio by Codemate.

The project progressed at an impressive pace, beginning in early 2023. The first internal test versions were quickly developed, and the initial applications were launched later that year. Following the successful release of the first two apps, the team rolled out the remaining 16 variants over the next few months, as each was prepared for publication. While the technology allowed for a potentially faster rollout, the team carefully balanced development speed with other business operations, such as marketing, to ensure a successful launch.

“This has been one of the best projects in my 20-year career, showcasing how exceptional expertise and effortless execution can lead to truly impactful results.”
Jutta Iistamo-Javanainen, Media Group Keskisuomalainen

Making a lasting impact: 20% boost in user engagement

From the very beginning, the project was designed to make future technical development as straightforward as possible. This strategic foresight has empowered the group’s development team with all the necessary knowledge and resources to continue evolving the platform with ease. As a result, the group now has a solid foundation on which to build new functionalities that not only enhance the user experience but also drive greater value for customers.

The impact of these efforts is already evident, as the development of the apps has led to an impressive 20% increase in user engagement. This significant boost underscores the success of the media group’s digital strategy, highlighting the effectiveness of their approach in adapting to the evolving media landscape and meeting the needs of their audience.