Ben Edwards, director online, The Economist, USA, told delegates at the FIPP Digital Innovators’ Summit today that publishers need to stop thinking about charging for online content, and start thinking about creating experiences audiences are willing to pay for.

He said that the company needs to connect with the minds that matter, in The Economist’s case, these are ideas people, and the magazine is “the place they come to feed their habit.” Therefore, the proposition for The Economist online is to build a place where ideas people can meet and engage in global intelligent discussion and debate.

The company is already on the Kindle in the US, is developing an iPhone app, and will inevitably appear on the iPad.