Suzuki SV650 Riders Forum banner
21 - 37 of 37 Posts
gud thing we beez smart and dont falls for it
 
Spent many years in the magazine industry. All on the editorial side, but if I remember correctly, postal service regulations require no more than 50% of a magazine's content be advertising in order to qualify for certain mailing rates. Thing is, that is an average over the course of a year. When you have a seasonal thing like motorcycling, some months are going to be heavy with ads, while other months will be lighter. Pick up a fashion mag during the holiday season and they'll be loaded down with stuff. Same mag during summer months will be much lighter on ads. Overall, though, it should average out to around 50%.

The marketing thing used to get to me, too, and I even worked for a publisher with a modicum of integrity. Don't miss that part of the business.
 
I think I paid $20 or $24 for 2 years of Motorcyclist and Sport Rider. Considering if there hadn't been a CompetitionAccessories Advert in Sport Rider last month, I wouldn't have found out they had the ac-12 carbon I just bought was on sale for $199 with free shipping, I'll take the ads. Heck, half the useful info for me is comparing prices on tires and such between companies that advertise.

I'm happy with the ads.
 
Industry standard for ads to editorial ratio is around 60/40. And, the only pages that count are the paid advertisements.

Besides, it takes a lot of effort to generate 50 pages of content per month wiht a fairly small staff, and sell ads, and do all the other stuff they have to do.

And, if it takes that many ads to cover costs to put it together, I am cool with it. the alternative of having the publications fail just does not get me excited.
 
And since the Icon ads were already mentioned.....is it even possible for them to be more squidly.

I'd be willing to pay cover price if it was actually still a respectable magazine.
 
Discussion starter · #27 ·
I just bought an ICON jacket and was veyr upset two naked girls making out was not included with the jacket.

Is this a point system, do I have to look behind the tags and enter a code on-line?
 
Not to be a ****, but isn't that all about what marketing is ALL about? Getting more people to be interested in your product or at least know about your product by any means?
I think xbolloxx's point was that when he started in the field, he expected to see a little bit of journalism in between the ad copy. Truth is, it's ALL advertising.

Commercially-sponsored reporting is an oxymoron. That's why Motorcyclist likes every bike they "test." OTOH, I got my subscription for free.
 
Since when did the amount of Ads in a magazine or newspaper become new news?? They've always been that way.
 
I like the American mags (long-time subscriber to Motorcyclist, Cycle World, & Sport Rider) but when I want real substance, I buy TWO or Bike from the UK. Hell, even their Performance Bikes has better content than our rags.
+1! The UK motorcycle rags are excellent! But every time I read one, I get upset and cry like a sissy because of all the cool motorcycles available across the pond but not here in the U.S. :'(
 
I've never really cared for Icon stuff, and after seeing those 12 pages of stupid ads, I've promised myself never to buy their stuff. Yes, while sex does sell, 12 pages of of it was just too much.

Over the last few years the amount of adspace now exceeds the amount of actual content in the magazine. Unfortunately, it's not just MotorCyclist. I've already sent them a nasty email about the amount of adverts in every issue.
 
I just bought an ICON jacket and was veyr upset two naked girls making out was not included with the jacket.

Is this a point system, do I have to look behind the tags and enter a code on-line?
well thanks for letting me know I was just about to go and get an ICON jacket....
 
I've already sent them a nasty email about the amount of adverts in every issue.
Then how would you suggest they earn enough money to publish the magazine every month?? :rolleyes:

Newspapers and magazines fold because of low advertising budgets. Subscriptions don't pay chit to keep magazines alive, it's all about ads, ads, ads, ads, ads, ads, ads and oh yeah ads. Take a look at the first section of your local newspaper and see how many inches/cm of ads compared to actual stories. Then look at the sports section or the home section and count the inches/cm of ads there.

None of this is new news, publishing isn't cheap and if a company wants to drop a 12 page special ad in a magazine, they will be welcomed with open arms any day of the week.

:)
 
I'm aware that advertising has always been the bread and butter for any magazing but I've been reading MotorCyclist for 20 years and I've definintely noticed a sharp increase in adspace in the last 6-8 years. And it continues to get worse with every issue.

This month's issue has an 8-page ad from Fieldsheer, a 16-page KTM insert, the 12-page "fashion" ad from Icon, the familiar 2-page Chaparral ad, plus the usual 15 pages or so of smaller ad content at the back. While I do expect (and like) to see some ads, the volume and quality of the advertising has gone overboard. Many of the ads have nothing to do with motorcycling nowadays. And all the while, the quality of the actual content has been going down slowly.

With increased quality, sales volumes rise. With increased ads, sales will eventually fall off, especially when accomapnied by a drop in quality of the real content.


Then how would you suggest they earn enough money to publish the magazine every month?? :rolleyes:

Newspapers and magazines fold because of low advertising budgets. Subscriptions don't pay chit to keep magazines alive, it's all about ads, ads, ads, ads, ads, ads, ads and oh yeah ads. Take a look at the first section of your local newspaper and see how many inches/cm of ads compared to actual stories. Then look at the sports section or the home section and count the inches/cm of ads there.

None of this is new news, publishing isn't cheap and if a company wants to drop a 12 page special ad in a magazine, they will be welcomed with open arms any day of the week.

:)
 
Coming from the editorial side of the magazine world, I can testify that it's always a balancing act (and often a power struggle) between ad and edit. The person who is supposed to keep the peace is the publisher. As long as the publisher allows the editor some amount of independence from the advertisers, the readers are well served. The problem comes when advertising starts to drive editorial. You know that's the case when every single "review" comes up positive. Another dead give-away is when every "travel" piece is actually a junket sponsored by one manufacturer or another. And once the writers and editors get addicted to the freebies from advertisers (whether products or trips), the jig is pretty much up.

On the flip side, there are some mags that are read more for the advertisements than the editorial.
 
21 - 37 of 37 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top