PC Magazine published its last print edition this month.
Times are tough for direct print media. It's harder than ever for me to convince people to pay for advertising. Print advertising is probably ineffective.
- If I want to buy something, I look online, not in print.
- The media that I respect do not allow advertising dollars to affect their editorial decisions, of course.
This means that if I do convince the people with the checkbooks to pay for print ads, the ads will probably not reach the buyers. Even if I spend, editors may still allow unfavorable coverage of my product.
That said, I bear in mind two things
- Print media are businesses, too. Subscription revenue does not pay their bills; without advertising, they sink.
- The editorial process gives direct print coverage and its online versions much more credibility than unedited usergroups and blogs like this one.
I believe in print media, and I believe in spending on advertising to support them. It's hard for advertisers to point to direct benefits, but if we allow our print media to sink, we have lost something important.
2 comments:
My job is in print. I sell advertising for a computer publication. The owner of our company has a strong belief that print still deserves a place in the world. The problem is that our publication is provided free of charge and that means zero revenue for subscriptions. We rely, 100%, on advertising.
I hit road blocks on a regular basis that are completely justified by the skeptical. They are understandable, especially in the current economic turmoil. Money MUST NOT be spent on lost causes and outside chances. Everything has to be a sure thing.
Since when has anything been a sure thing? Starting a business has never been a sure thing and yet there are companies being created every day. How do you get your name out there? Through advertising, of course. Where do you advertise?....... Where do you advertise?........ Hmmm....
That's the problem. The internet provides the illusion of ROI and countable clicks. Like I tell people, I can go to your banner ad or link and click on it 100 times a day. You can have your friends do the same. The Internet is as much of a sure thing as print. You are not going to reach everyone by focusing on one avenue.
The internet is not the be-all end-all that it is so often mistakenly seen as. It is merely one medium that should definitely be utilized but not be the only focus.
The other problem is that people want free editorial and articles but don't realize, because they are saving their respective company money, that, like this blog says, magazines and print publications are businesses too. They lose money when companies don't advertise. It used to be that if you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours but that is a lost tradition. It's all about getting everything I can get regardless of how it affects others. That's sad...
Contrary to what this blog says, I don't believe that direct print media exists anymore. Every magazine must have a website in order to survive but some people use that more than others. My company does not believe that the web should be the focus. We still believe in face to face communication and partnership. We believe in trust and a common goal. These are also lost traditions of the business world.
The reason why magazines fail is because they refuse to adjust their distribution models. If you are a magazine that focuses on something specific, shouldn't you target that demographic and nothing more? Wouldn't it be a waste of money to spread yourself out so thin that you are only getting samples of segments rather than entire groups. It's common sense to me but sense that I can't share with others for one reason or another. You have to use focused distribution. One publishing company should have multiple publications for reach segment of their industry and companies should find a way to balance costs in order to reach these segments that they so desperately need.
I believe in print and I am not one of the "older" people that are scared of the internet, which is also a wrong perception. In order for something to succeed, there has to be a belief in it. I think that companies forget about the pioneering spirit they had when they were first created and only focus on the dollar signs. Sometimes you have to a take a chance and pick up some market-share while other companies are hiding in their non-marketing holes. Recessions are challenges in more than one way. They challenge you to save but they also challenge you to position yourself for growth when the economy makes its turn. The turn will come sooner or later and if you are advertising already, it may be too late.
Josh, thanks for your comments.
I am skeptical. Any advertiser knows that advertising is not particularly influential. Readers trust more in editorial content--that's why advertisements that copy the look and feel of editorial too closely must be emblazoned "advertisement"--but who wouldn't hope that an editor would look more kindly on press releases sent by an entity that had also invested some money to get that publication out the door?
I got my start in PR working at non-profits that had a lot of local appeal. I relied heavily on the free local papers. I was, and still am, grateful to them for giving my causes such generous coverage. And I am grateful to the local businesses that support the free local papers.
So whenever I have a few bucks, I invest in advertising, not because I feel it will bring me immediate benefits, but because I want to say "thanks." I know that I have gained more over the years from their free coverage than the paltry few dollars I spend for an ad.
An added benefit is that I enjoy spending on advertising. It's fun being the customer for a change. People like you are courteous when you're spending rather than pleading for free space in a publication. (You're courteous anyway, Josh, but I'm sure you know what I mean.)
I agree with you that direct print media must also have online versions. I thought that went without saying, but in talking to media buyers maybe you encounter a different impression. In fact, I count on most of the print media I submit news to to also post my copy online if they like it enough to run it through the presses.
I disagree that, yourself excepted, younger people read direct print. The Gen Y people I observe around me do not seem to read off paper, alas.
You have given me a lot of food for thought. I am going to take it away and digest it for a while.
Thanks for visiting.
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